Noma Chef, René Redzepi, to Pop Up in Tulum This Spring

Lindsey Styrwoll

Noma in Copenhagen, among the world’s most critically acclaimed restaurants, goes dark in February, but chef René Redzepi will be going South of the Border in spring. Noma Mexico is landing on a strip of cleared jungle at the Caribbean’s edge in Tulum on the Yucatán peninsula. The area is known as Riviera Maya, thanks to the ruins of a pre-Columbian walled city and its white sand waterfront. Unlike nearby Cancun, Tulum hasn’t yet been overrun by the “spring break” crowd. With only 18,000 permanent residents, the area is known more for its eco-friendly lifestyle and developing foodie scene. Incorporating ancient Mayan practices, Redzepi plans on doing his cooking over an open fire for the seven-week run.

The extended pop-up follows Noma stints in Tokyo and Sydney. Though, unlike the previous pop-ups, Redzepi will be teaming up with his creative partner Rosio Sanchez, who has worked both as Noma’s pastry chef and in their test kitchen. Sanchez, originally from Chicago, traveled to Mexico as a child, and returned as a chef to study the cuisine prior to opening Hija de Sanchez in Copenhagen, where she imports ingredients from Oaxaca. 

The first two sold-out forays were held during closure of the Copenhagen location and with the upcoming hiatus, this more ambitious move makes sense. Redzepi has been bringing his family to the tropical destination for years, proclaiming it his “adopted home.” At this writing, he is foraging his way through the area with a small team in tow – the rest will be joining later. No culinary stone will be left unturned: Noma once served live ants to startled guests in London. So expect the unexpected in Mexico, where chowing down on grasshoppers and larval insects is de rigeur.

Anyone thinking the notorious Danish restaurant and Tulum’s eco-resort scene are an odd pairing may not have been paying attention. Redzepi’s inventive interpretation of “New Nordic” cuisine has driven Noma to dizzying heights since the early aughts. Redzepi’s sourcing and cooking inspired Brooklynites Eric Werner and Mya Henry, who have been running Hartwood in Tulum since 2010. The husband and wife team has implemented similar strategies, working with local growers to obtain exotic edibles hewn from the rough soil and local wahoo is carried into the restaurant during service to be roasted over a spit alongside juicy hunks of barbecued pork. Conversely, Redzepi acknowledges that his cooking at Noma Copenhagen has long been informed by traditional Mexican flavors and techniques.

After this spring’s Riveria Maya run, the new Noma is set to re-open in an alternate Copenhagen location come 2017, but as an urban farm-slash-center-of-culinary-innovation. At this point, Redzepi isn’t getting much more specific. So until then there’s Tulum. If you are one of the lucky few to secure a reservation, local hotels options include Be Tulum, Mezzanine Tulum, Mi Amor Tulum, and La Zebra Tulum.

Noma Mexico starts accepting reservations on Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. The dinner is $600 USD per person and will be seating five days a week, April 12-May 28. Book reservations here.