Ex-Noma pastry chef Rosio Sanchez (right) at her Copenhagen taco stand, Hija de Sanchez

René Redzepi is about to lose his 'taco virginity'

Noma chef will take over Rosio Sanchez's Copenhagen taco stand for one night only next month

Today’s high level chefs love reworking lowly snack food, until it is fit for the top table. Think of Massimo Bottura’s deli-counter sausage confection, Memory of a Mortadella Sandwich, or Ferran Adrià's potato crisp omelette.

René Redzepi is huge fan of Mexican food, and wrote the introduction to our new English language edition of Tacopedia; yet the chef has not, thus far, prepared tacos professionally.

This, however, is set to change next month when, as Redzepi revealed on Instagram, he will have his “taco virginity taken” at Hija de Sanchez, a contemporary, Mexican-style taco stand, or ‘taqueria’, in the centre of Copenhagen.

 

Redzepi and Sanchez at work in the Clove Club, London
Redzepi and Sanchez at work in the Clove Club, London

The place was opened by Redzepi’s own former pastry chef Rosio Sanchez, who left Redzepi's Noma restaurant earlier this year to set up the stand. Sanchez, who was raised in one of Chicago’s Mexican neighbourhoods, imports her own corn from Oaxaca to create her tortillas, and creates her own Mexican-style cheese from local milk. Mexican food is still quite novel for many Danes, so, Sanchez has welcomed guest chefs over the past few months, as part of its Amigos de Sanchez programme, to cook familiar, as well as unfamiliar versions of the street food.

 

Tacos al pastor, as featured in Mexico
Tacos al pastor, as featured in Mexico

Lars Williams, Noma’s head of research and development, has put in a shift, as has Matt Orlando, head chef and owner of the Amass restaurant in Copenhagen. Now it is René’s turn. On Sunday 29 November, he will be stepping into the cart.

He hasn’t revealed what kind of tacos he plans to make; though we suspect he won’t be rehashing any old Noma tropes. In his introduction to Tacopedia, Redzepi describes the revelatory experience of eating tacos al pastor, served with cilantro leaves and thin slices of pineapple. Should we look out for his version of this dish at Rosio’s stand next month? You can read his full introduction here; buy a copy of Tacopedia here; browse through our René Redzepi books here. And for more on Mexican food consider Mexico, and Enrique Olvera's Mexico from the Inside Out.