Maaemo — Restaurant in Oslo

A very pleasant and delightful evening was spent with my girlfriend celebrating our 5 year anniversary at Maaemo.

It's my second time dining at the restaurant, but the first time in the new locales, and I must say it's the most exclusive environment I've ever dined in. Classy and luxurious, but never opulent; dark and subdued, with elegant lines and angular structures that gives off a Nordic noir feel.

The acoustics and lighting are perfect. It was so satisfying with all the sliding doors, gliding open without a sound, as if by magic. Not to mention the broad Danish oak flooring, or the big funnel formed columns dividing the main dining hall and the service kitchen, where the dishes get the final touch before serving. The lounge in the basement, where you both start and end the visit, was both stylish and cosy. You get the idea - the attention to detail is spectacular; seamless.

The service was impeccable, attentive without being too much. Maaemo radiates warmth and a natural robustness, and it's an experience in itself to dine here.

And the food? Well, if the environment at Maaemo deserves three Michelin stars, I'm not quite convinced the food does the same. It's nothing I've not tasted before, in one form or another. It might be harsh to expect a restaurant to invent completely new dishes and taste combinations, but I think we should expect a three star restaurant like Maaemo to push the envelope more than they currently do.

Don't get me wrong, the food was mostly delicious with flawless presentation, with some of the highlights being the warm duck liver; the tartar with caramelised onion and horseradish; and of course the classic oyster "tradition".

Other fabulous dishes were Arctic char gently cooked with salted butter; roasted scallop with sauce of juniper, gooseberries and white currant; and maybe the surprise best dish of the evening: Komle with reindeer tongue, fenalår and a 25 layered buttered bread with fermented honey to dip into the broth. Too bad the portion was a bit too small for the size of bread we got.

The wine pairings were mostly good, with the white wines being the best, and my favourite of the evening was the Meursault. The red wines were okay, but didn't pair as well to the dishes this evening.

I sorely missed the classic Maaemo langoustine dish which was my favourite from last time, but maybe the most famous Maaemo dish, the Rømmegrøt (sour cream porridge) with cured reindeer heart, is still on the menu. Personally, I don't get what all the fuss is about. It's okay at best. Another let down from this evening was the desserts - a bit uninspired overall, with the cinnamon buns being outright mediocre, doughy and lacking in crispness.

The in-house roasted coffee was lacklustre as well, and a major let-down for my barista trained girlfriend who is excited about high quality coffee. It had nothing of the Ethiopian bean's potential for complexity. Instead of fruity and flowery notes, the harsh roast was too dark, and left a one-dimensional, watery and bitter taste in my mouth. Maybe Maaemo should let the experts roast their coffee beans next time? Either Tim Wendelboe or Supreme Roastworks would be my choice.

Another nitpick were the small portions; nearly everything was bite sized, even the main dishes. I might be a bit more difficult to satiate than most, but for almost 12 000,- Norwegian kroners for two persons, I shouldn't be so hungry that I have to make myself more food when I get back home from Maaemo.

They should either increase the portion size of their main dishes, or add 4 - 5 smaller dishes to their existing menu.

All in all, we don't regret our dining experience at Maaemo, but at this prize range you get more for your money at places like Palace Grill, Omakase and even Restaurant Rest.

In my opinion, all three of them can give Maaemo a good run for...

Venturing into Maaemo, the crowned jewel of Oslo's culinary scene, is akin to stepping into a meticulously choreographed culinary theater. As we entered the hallowed halls of Norway's lone three-star Michelin establishment, anticipation hung thick in the air, much like the aroma of promise wafting from the kitchen.

The evening commenced in the snug embrace of the lounge, where libations flowed like poetry and the atmosphere whispered of secrets waiting to be unraveled. The "Pinnekjott" – a concoction of birch and preserved rose – stood as a beacon of innovation, a testament to the audacious creativity pulsating within Maaemo's walls.

Transitioning into the dining chamber, one is enveloped by an ambiance that balances grandeur with minimalism, akin to dining in a military operation where precision reigns supreme. The absence of music serves as a silent maestro, conducting the symphony of flavors dancing upon our palates.

With each dish presented, a parade of culinary marvels unfolded before our eyes – from the delicate embrace of Oysters to the regal decadence of king crab, and the robust essence of Skrei juxtaposed against the tender allure of Langoustine and reindeer. Each morsel, a masterpiece in its own right, eliciting exclamations of delight and reverence.

Midway through our culinary odyssey, amidst the anticipation of another gastronomic revelation, a moment of unexpected connection arose. One of the chefs paused before presenting his masterpiece, a glint of recognition in his eye. "I have to ask you something," he began, his words hanging in the air like a tantalizing riddle. And so, the stage was set for a delightful exchange, as it turned out that we had crossed paths before, in the bustling epicenter of New York City's culinary landscape.

The chef's memory, a testament to his keen observation and genuine warmth, left an indelible impression, elevating the evening from a mere dining experience to a heartfelt reunion among gastronomic comrades.

In the realm of fine dining, Maaemo stands tall as a bastion of excellence, where every detail is meticulously curated to elevate the dining experience to unparalleled heights. From the impeccable service to the flawlessly executed dishes, it's evident that here, the pursuit of culinary perfection is not just a mission, but a way of life.

In conclusion, Maaemo is not merely a restaurant – it's an odyssey for the senses, a pilgrimage for the palate, and a testament to the transformative power of gastronomy. So here's to you, Maaemo – may your stars continue to shine bright, guiding hungry souls on a journey of epicurean delight. Cheers, and...

Wine pairing price = $265 USD (3000 NOK) Value (retail) = $85 Markup = 570% 😡 (ranks 63rd out of 65 pairings, normalizing for Norway's alcohol taxes it's probably around rank 50th out of 65 at 430% markup)

On communication: We asked to see the wine list and the somme pushed back pretty hard saying "trust me" that we'll love the journey of the pairing. I would have expected if we explicitly asked to see it that he would bring it to our table and supplementally offer his advice with something specific about the types of wines in the pairing. I asked if it was old vs new world. Natural vs not. He said all old world and nothing natural. At this moment my partner's spidey senses were going off, but since it's a 3 michelin star place we figured it's best to have wine that pairs more precisely with the food. At some point you also just want to go with the experience if that is what is common.

We walk in and the only other table that's seated before had 3 bottles from the list that they chose -_-

On taste: Overall the pairing does work well with the food. I found the salinity of the albarino to go really well with their famous oyster.

On service: Outside of the server who pushed the pairing, the service was remarkable. Notably, they refill the wine if your glass gets empty. This is a bonus for someone like me who can sometimes not realize the glass is for 2 courses and could use a topper. This also means that the value of the pairing is different for everyone.

On value: Though for a 3 Michelin star restaurant I expect (or maybe my hallmark of great experiences is) 1 - they go deep into their wine cabinet and pull some older vintages (we had one aged vintage at 2016. Everything else was 2021/2022) 2 - offer something we can't buy ourselves (I could buy everything online) 3 - offer something just fantastic. (Most expensive bottle was $89 avg was $63)

Considering that we're paying $53 per pairing "glass" and each pairing is (probably) less than a glass you can imagine our dismay wrt the value.

Separately the champagne they served (blanc de blanc) was $40 for less than a glass (probably 3.5 ounces or 100 ML) for a bottle that retails for $50.

Acknowledging the 22% tax +$5 flat on a 75cL bottle of wine, I added that to the US prices of the wine (probably a little higher that what they'd buy them for within Europe). The markup is still 430% which is in the 80th percentile of highest...