Geranium

Geranium

A conversation with Rasmus Kofoed
— as appeared in the Transformation issue of Whitelies Magazine

Interview Isabella Rhein & Oliver Schleith
Photography Rishad Mistri

On a warm summer noon in August 2018 we sat down with Rasmus Kofoed, Danish 3 star Michelin cook, winner of the Bocuse d’or and co-owner of the critically acclaimed “Geranium”, a renowned restaurant located inside the stadium of Copenhagenʼs football club.

Rasmus, what did you have for breakfast this morning?

I had a glass of beet juice, a banana and some cauliflower, drank some green tea and after that I dropped my kids off at daycare, school and kindergarten. My girlfriend jumped out of the car, I bought a cup of coffee and a bread roll with cheese.


Do you sometimes go without breakfast?

I avoid leaving the house without eating, but breakfast for me can be a cucumber and a smoothie based on fruits and vegetables — it doesn’t have to be heavy. Of course, my routines depend on whether I go to work out or not, then beet juice is more than sufficient. If I go the restaurant on the other hand, I will eat a little more, it depends on what my schedule is. I cannot leave without eating, but eating too much is just as dangerous. I cannot drink coffee and have a good run afterward, that’s why I drink tea. It’s a very pure way to start the morning.


This place is full of energy. What is Geranium all about?

A geranium plant is alive, just like a restaurant needs to be alive. The chefs and the waiters work in synergy — similar to a dance, metaphorically speaking — and the better we dance together, the better the energy in the restaurant.


Nowadays, you have a reputation as one of the foremost representatives of New Scandinavian Cuisine. In your words, what does this cuisine stand for?

I would say it is a very seasonal and local way of cooking. At Geranium we strongly focus on the health aspect of fresh vegetables and we keep meat to a minimum. I see a general shift in the way meat is used and the amount that is used. We also emphasize the team’s health. Personally, I found a good balance by running and working out. Eating healthy was a lifestyle I grew up with thanks to my vegetarian mother, so vegetables play a very important role for me. Today, I think Nordic chefs are more self-aware, living a healthier life in order to stay focused and feel good. If you feel good, you can give more and that’s reflected in the energy at Geranium.


What role does New Scandinavian Cuisine play for Copenhagen and Scandinavian countries in general?

Noma put this cuisine on the world map but there are a lot of passionate cooks who have been fighting for the country’s culinary identity. Before that we had a strong heritage of Danish foods and products but it was different. Recipes were usually quite heavy, overcooked vegetables with lots of meat. We found inspiration in those Danish recipes, but tried to remix them with local ingredients. This is really the Zeitgeist of our time — it makes sense.

Vegetarianism is an essential trend we can see spreading quickly, but just how much does that really impact us on a global scale?

Vegetarianism and Veganism might be regarded as a trend for some people, but as you said, really, it’s a necessity, and we have to wake up. On a global scale it is still quite difficult. Here in Denmark people are at the forefront of the shift. You can buy a lot more vegan and vegetarian groceries in the supermarket than ever before. We are even tackling traditionally meat-based foods. I’ve recently tried a plant-based burger, and it was surprisingly delicious. What we cook for the team at the restaurant is often vegetarian as well.


How do your kids react to the mostly vegetarian food?

They love it, just like I do, if they start eating vegetables at a young age, they will be accustomed to it for life.


Geranium in general, what does the place mean for you?

We’ve had Geranium for almost 9 years now and it means the world to me. It’s a place where I can create and share my artistic vision with people through food. It’s a place where my business partner Søren and I can welcome guests and take them away from everyday life. We spend quite a lot of time developing our dishes, the razor clam with the edible shell is a good example of the time and effort we put into dishes. It took me two years to get to a satisfying result with that dish but in the end it was worth it.


Embracing the art of minimalism and counteracting wasteful consumerism, sounds like the key phrase.

It’s an interesting concept and one that we also apply to the whole restaurant. The food is developing along a simpler, clearer line and we have also carried this over into the interior design of the restaurant. Søren and I worked with Danish craft artists to co-design the tables, glasses, lamps and the chairs. One of the most unique pieces is the Geranium chair, a really beautiful and graceful wooden chair with a curved back. Initially the kitchen was behind a glass wall separating the chefs from the dining room. This made the interaction between the chefs and guests minimal. The guests would interact only with the waiters making it feel a bit stiff. We decided we wanted the restaurant to feel more like a host cooking for family and friends, a sort of ‘ping-pong’ interaction, so we chose to move the kitchen right into the dining room.

This was a challenge since it put the chefs on full display, but the flow and team work is much better this way. It also helps that we are all together in one place, when you see someone who is running a little behind, everybody goes to give a helping hand, after all we are in the same boat. Guests can see who is cooking and the chefs themselves can go out and serve their creation directly and also answer questions and talk about their dish. To further expedite teamwork, every Saturday before our last service of the week we have a team meeting in the kitchen. A team member gives a short speech on a topic chosen by another team member. I discovered this to be a really good way to keep people together. We work on team building, and by exchanging details about each other and sharing ideas, it brings us closer together.


That’s intense! The restaurant business is one of the toughest.

It is, you can especially witness the impact of a healthy life of our team at Geranium. The job itself is quite tough, you still need to smile and be yourself after hours of hard work. To help balance but also to prepare them for that, we give fitness studio memberships to our staff, and encourage them to be active outside of work. That, in return, makes them more inclined to spend time here, be happier, and in the end it means a better restaurant.

We generally see this concept of focusing on general health and wellbeing of the employees outside of the workplace being adapted in various fields.

Yes, an active lifestyle is directly tied to your productivity, and since Søren and I realized its impact we decided we wanted to share that gift. We do see a shifting trend on a national scale, we have one body for our entire life and if you want to work hard and be successful you need to feel good.


What does transformation mean to you?

For me it is a very fragile balance. My role as a chef is to show and to make raw, individual ingredients edible, but also to serve them from an interesting point of view; it depends on who you are as a person but for me it’s imperative to tell a story, to add creativity to everything I serve. The key challenge is not to overwork it, you can make it interesting, but if you over-manipulate the ingredients you will neither see them, nor taste them. In my opinion a really good chef will add his creativity and personality, but let the food and its individual ingredients shine. Every part contributes a very specific taste, which should be kept.


You create sculptural, artistic dishes — do you see yourself as an artist?

We all have two hands with five fingers on each, but we are very different, our childhoods, genes, and inspirations are individual. Our mission is always the same, shining through the food. After all, a visit to a restaurant is a time out, time away from the hectic world, and really gives our sense of taste relevance; that’s why the whole experience counts, from the table cloth to the desert.

When I see guests who are emotionally moved by the food they are eating, those are the most rewarding moments. We need that in this world, there is a lot of negativity so we need some great times as well. The meal is important, but also the people you enjoy the meal with.


You’ve teased your personal vegetarian cook book project — how’s that going?

Unfortunately, I currently do not have the time necessary to focus on it but the beauty of this project is that it is closely intertwined with my home cooking. I often experiment with new dishes at home where I simultaneously can get feedback on them but also write them down to remember them. I took quite a lot photographs of them as well. The key idea is to simplify good cooking and to make it less time consuming. My dishes should be simple and tasty. While shooting some dishes for the book, we initially chose the restaurant as a location, but quickly realized it did not provide the right setting. It should be an intimate and personal setting, in other words, my home, because that is the vibe I want to transmit. It’s not about fancy ceramic and polished metal or table cloths, it is about a comfortable, familiar atmosphere.


What is your favorite convenience food?

Falafels are really tasteful, so that would be my favorite convenience food.