Restaurant Nam Nam in central Copenhagen neatly brings together this week’s theme of Asian and Western fusion – see Superfussy and Small Spaces. This post ticks more than one category box from the stunning interior design by studio Holmbäck Nordentoft and Christina Meyer Bengtsson to the delicious Asian fusion kitchen featuring mouth-watering ingredients and authentic dishes cooked in aromatic spice mixes directly imported from the owners’ sisters in Malaysia.
I wish I lived in Copenhagen and could just pop in to sample their dishes which are based on the Singaporean expression ‘Makan Kaki’ meaning ‘to eat’ – a call to friends and family to get together and enjoy a meal where each guest orders a dish they then share with the table. A beautiful and sociable way of eating and a clever way of teaching children from a young age to share. [Can you tell ‘learning to share’ is a prominent theme in our house at the moment!?]
To make your mouth water let me just tease you with some of their ingredients ranging from coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, laksa leaves, tofu, galangal, chili, turmeric and tamarind to a long list of very specific and aromatic spice pastes, known as sambals. Nam Nam serves Peranakan classics such as Laksa, Poh Pia and Beef Rendang as well as Singapore street kitchen highlights like Roti Prata, Chilli Crabs, Fish Head Curry and Gado-gado.
I could happily spend an evening in their beautifully designed surroundings created by Holmbäck Nordentoft in collaboration with graphic designer Christina Meyer Bengtsson. The interior is casual with the emphasis on being sociable and enjoying a meal together with friends. The colour palette is bright and bold with a rustic material mix of untreated wood and authentic finds from Asia. I particularly like the wooden crates serving as shelving for intriguing Singaporean flee-market finds like old photographs, paper lanterns and tin pots and mugs. The large ball pendant lamps with their woven texture add a focal point and the open kitchen reassures the customer that all dishes are freshly prepared.
Finally, a funny fact about Nam Nam which gets its name from the 1968 cult movie ‘The Party’, in which Peter Sellers plays the main character and during the party feeds a parrot, and with a bold Indian accent says: ‘Birdie namnam’. Who would have thought, eh!?
Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!
More information & photography | Holmbäck Nordentoft