If you consume food and restaurant news with any regularity, then you’ve probably encountered the phrase “new Nordic movement” a dozen times over the past few years. The “movement,” which is most famously rooted in Copenhagen at Chef René Redzepi’s Noma, has made its way to the burgeoning borough of Brooklyn where Aska’s Chef Fredrik Berselius is leading the charge.

It is earthy and refined, ancient and modern, both playful and deeply serious. Instead of the new (techniques, stabilizers, ingredients), it emphasizes the old (drying, smoking, pickling, curing) with a larger goal of returning balance to the earth itself. – Julia Moskin, New York Times

For our final dinner in the big city, The Astronomer and I joined my brother and his friends at this modern Scandinavian restaurant. Located within Kinfolk Studios in Williamsburg, Aska is a pop-up of sorts serving dinner seven days a week and offering a reservations-only 6-course tasting menu ($65) Sunday through Thursday. Previously, Chef Berselius spent time in the kitchens of Corton, Seäsonal, and Freja, a similarly spirited pop-up.

Aska, by the way, is Swedish for “growth from the ashes,” according to the restaurant’s website.

Dinner began with bread service. This evening’s selection consisted of thin and crisp crackers served with a mild and creamy spread.

(more…)