Chef David Darmanin will soon be testing his culinary skills at the world’s best restaurant after being offered a placement at Noma in Copenhagen.
Mr Darmanin has already closed his critically acclaimed Taverna Sugu in Vittoriosa as he prepares for his 10-week internship at the double Michelin-starred eatery in the Danish capital.
Noma has been named the world’s best restaurant for the past two years in the annual top 50 list by Restaurant magazine.
Mr Darmanin thought long and hard over the summer before deciding that closing Taverna Sugu was the best option for his career development.
“Sugu was very popular but I was working 14 hours a day for 25 covers,” the pony-tailed chef said.
“I was getting a lot of offers for media work and from publishers and event organisers but I had to turn most down because I was so busy.”
Then he received confirmation of his placement at Noma and he decided the time was right to make a fresh start.
Although the placement is unpaid, Mr Darmanin had to undergo a competitive selection process to earn his place, with chefs from across the world beating a path to Noma’s door hoping to learn some of the secrets that made it the centre of the gastronomic universe.
“You have to have something that will catch their eye,” said Mr Darmanin, explaining that he sent them his CV and then had to undergo online interviews.
He will be working from 8.30am till midnight, starting off at the most basic stations but progressing to more important tasks if he proves his worth.
“I hope to earn a place in the test kitchen. That would be the most exciting area,” he said, referring to the place where weird and wonderful culinary creations are dreamt up and refined.
Although only 32, Mr Darmanin said he felt quite old for a chef and he has been trying to cut down on cigarettes and lose weight to cope with the demands of his placement.
Noma offers an innovative take on traditional Nordic cuisine using the finest local produce and Mr Darmanin shares this belief in the importance of culinary tradition.
“I’m not going to leave Noma and just copy what they do there,” he said. “But the experience will help me to think outside the box and make me more aware of the elements that go into creating dishes of the highest quality”.
Does Mr Darmanin think Malta is capable of producing its own cutting-edge, Michelin-starred restaurant that will change the local gastronomic landscape?
“Copenhagen wasn’t on the international culinary map until Noma came along and reclaimed a culinary culture from convenience food and commerce.
“We need a mentality change before the same thing happens here,” he replied.
Mr Darmanin is unsure what his plans are beyond his Noma placement but he is happy to return to Malta if the right opportunity comes up.
“I want my next project to be bigger and better than anything I have done before.”