Danish Chef Ronny Emborg is a master at awakening all five senses through his food. Known for his "sensorial cuisine", Emborg cooks modern Nordic using local ingredients.
Since 2015, Emborg has been executive chef at the two Michelin-starred Atera in New York, where he continues to dive deep into the sensations of cooking and eating.
"I've cooked a lot compared to other chefs my age," Emborg said. "I guess I was just in a hurry. I fell in love with it and then just continued.
"For me, food is about flavours and how they work together. It doesn't have to be a big show but needs to be fun and when you eat it -- is the temperature right, is the flavour right? And of course, presentation matters."
He has introduced "The Sensory Kitchen", a cooking style where the diners must use their eyes, ears, nose and taste buds during the meal, not to mention the camera when they are trying to capture the true essence of perfection on a plate.
Emborg is also the author of The Wizard, a cookbook that introduces his concept. For example, a dish called Autumn includes a fragrant purée made from apples baked in hay and crispy artichoke roots that look like tree branches. It's served with an MP3 player that emits wind sounds -- an insight into the heart of his kitchen.
"I have always enjoyed competing and organising and being precise. I love being in nature. I grew up outdoors because we didn't live in a big city. There were 1,000 people in my town and I wasn't much of a student so I got a job as a dishwasher and it was there that I learnt how to cook and be organised. It was there that I learnt how to be creative with food."
Ronny Emborg.
Emborg was guest chef at the St. Regis' Italian restaurant Jojo in September, where he showcased his talent. "The dishes are from the restaurant [Atera] but are made a little more down to earth because of new staff, but they still deliver our flavours and textures," said Emborg of his Bangkok menu.
"I could have used more Thai ingredients than I am using for this dinner but time is always a constraint," he added, while introducing his menu, which consisted of Scottish langoustine, apple, foie gras, walnut cream; Norwegian salmon, sautéed spinach, salmon roe, butter and wine sauce; rib-eye with bok choy, truffle mushroom bouillon; and white chocolate mousse, pineapple granita and meringue to name a few.
Emborg trained at the Molskroen Hotel and Restaurant in 2000 and was announced "The Culinary Star Of Europe" in 2002. While working for Queen Margaret II of Denmark, Emborg was headhunted by one of the country's top restaurants, the Michelin-starred Marchal at the Hotel d'Angleterre. He became the restaurant's sous chef.
In 2007, he was named "Chef Of The Year" in Denmark and after a few stints in restaurants around the world, including the renowned El Bulli in 2008, he was hired as executive chef at Restaurant AOC in Copenhagen where he earned his first Michelin star. In 2013, Emborg rejoined Marchal as executive chef before being hand-picked for Atera.
"In Scandinavia we have access to many good products; yet, even though we are surrounded by water, 80% of the people don't know what squid is. Everything is so regulated that it's killing the concept of a farmer's market.
"I am a Nordic chef who cooks with local ingredients," Emborg said. But at Atera he looks beyond the local and does not disguise the fact that he uses imported ingredients, too. "I don't agree to 100% local. But of course, if I get fresh bok choy instead of using white asparagus that's been flown in from France that's not even in season, it is a plus. In New York during the winter there is nothing local; I am getting produce for Atera from California, but that's the same distance as Denmark.
"I don't think the guests would enjoy vegetables for dessert. So, I work with the seasons, using local produce and also using the best products from California and Scandinavia.
"In Denmark, you call the farmer and ask for celery, he digs it up and it appears in the restaurant's kitchen the same day. That would not happen in New York. A lot of the farmers outside of New York don't want to deliver to restaurants as they prefer going to Union Square. A lot of the systems are old school in New York. In Denmark, food waste and garbage is a big thing, so I started to use plastic boxes and every time we have a delivery, they have to empty their produce and take the food waste or garbage with them. This never happens in New York."
The chef has also added juice pairing to his menu for those who don't want to drink and drive, something he is strictly against. "In Scandinavia, most people choose the wine pairing option, but for me it can be too much wine. When I go out to dinner, I'd rather order juice than wine, for balance, plus I also think it's fun.
"At Atera, we are really strong with teas and juices and all are made in front of the guests. We don't simply do tea pairing -- we call it a tea progression. For example, if you're eating a foie gras dish, a hot tea is an amazing pairing. A white oolong tea with a cold dessert is another excellent pair. We even do a sparkling tea. Dinner should always start with Champagne but for the teetotallers we do a sparkling tea made with pine needles."
