Is Noma Mexico worth the $600 price tag? (not to mention airfare+travel expenses)

[clairethere]

What are your thoughts on food travel in general?

 

I've read that dining is becoming a huge main attraction for travelers, and lots of restaurants are now doing international pop ups like Noma.

 

Do any of you travel exclusively for food or have sampled other tasting menus abroad? What was your experience?

 

Seems like the intensive labor and craft involved here makes it more than worth it: "Basically, a small army of beautiful and talented people put their hearts into every part of your meal. The entire team is about 140 people serving 70 guests per seating."

[Chris Hennes]

Well, keep in mind that for the same $600 you could eat at, say, Quintonil, Pujol, and Biko. Twice. So while I have travelled to Mexico specifically for food, I spent a long weekend doing a combination of street food and fine dining, and definitely did not go for just a single meal. Then again, if you've got that kind of money, I guess there are worse things to spend it on.

[rancho_gordo]

I can't put my finger on it but there's something sad about the whole thing and how the region has changed over the last 10 years. 
Places change and evolve, I know. This feels too fast and too much like others imposing their fantasies. 

I'm sure the dinner was wonderful, though. 

 

[Chris Hennes]

Do you mean a change specific to the Tulum area or to Mexico in general? Do you think something has been taken away, or just added? All of my experience in Mexico is too recent to provide context, but I'd be interested to dig into the change you've perceived.

[rancho_gordo]

Tulum in particular. 
When it's a punchline on comedies like Schitt's Creek for where tiresome hipsters go for fun, you know it's changed. 
Mexico City has changed but it still feels like Mexico, just evolved and appreciated. 

[lesliec]

On the subject of high-end restaurants doing popups far from home base (another example was the Fat Duck moving its entire operations to Melbourne a year or two ago while the Bray site was being renovated), it could be argued that this sort of thing makes it less necessary to travel, or at least travel so far, if you want the experience.  If you're in Europe and want to go to Noma, you'll probably go to the 'real' one; a popup in Mexico is presumably rather easier for patrons from the US to get to.

 

My wife and I travelled to Spain specifically for dinner at El Bulli, something like eight years ago.  I can't say it was worth it for the restaurant itself (some unfortunate variablity in service and food), but we're still talking about the overall experience.

[blue_dolphin]

Jonathan Gold's review of Noma Mexico from the LA Times is at this link.

 

Also this Q&A with Rosio Sanchez, a former Noma pastry chef who worked with Redzepi on Noma Mexico, discusses some of the project as well as her own work making tacos in Denmark.

[heidih]

eGullet member docsconz recounts his dining experience here  http://docsconz.com/2017/04/noma-mexico-a-time-and-place-for-the-ages/#more-17478