In the private home-turned-test-kitchen at a small boutique resort in Tulum, a crew of the world’s most gifted chefs led by head chef of the two-Michelin star restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, René Redzepi, forages and tests ingredients from surrounding regions. They are in the process of curating the menu for their newest pop-up, Noma Mexico.
Possibly the last Noma pop-up for the team, Noma Mexico is set to open on April 12th and operate until the end of May 2017, with dinner services Wednesday to Saturday each week. With past pop-up locations of Tokyo in 2015 and Sydney in 2016, Tulum seems an unassuming choice to go out with a bang over some of the more pronounced gastronomic capitals of the world, yet Redzepi and his team have been inspired by the ingredients they have plucked from nature and the local markets of the Yucatán. A trademark of Noma is to serve wild, native food concocted with ingredients unique to the landscape of the region. “It is easy to be good in Copenhagen, to keep doing the same things,” said Chef Jose Luis Hinostroza of the Noma team. “We want to push ourselves out of our comfort zones.”
Carretera Tulum a Boca Paila, a partner of the Colibri Boutique Hotel group, will serve as the perfect backdrop for the $600 a head, multi-course tasting menu; tucked between the jungle and the sea, the ephemeral experience of Noma’s time in Tulum will be romantic and exhilarating for those who are lucky enough to take part in it.
Amanda Allbee is a travel intern for Paste and a freelance writer based out of Athens, Georgia.