KOKS, the first ever Faroese restaurant to receive a star from the Nordic Michelin Guide, has retained the accolade, first awarded in 2017. The announcement was made earlier this month at a gala event in Copenhagen, with Chef, Poul Andrias Ziska, and sommelier, Karin Visth, in attendance.
The Faroe Islands, a collection of 18 islands in the North Atlantic, halfway between Iceland and Norway, are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, yet proud of their unique culture and heritage; it is from this distinctive identity that KOKS emerged.
The year 2018 will also mark an exciting time for the restaurant, as it moves to a new location in the Faroe Islands. Previously located in Kirkjubøur, the most southern village on Streymoy, KOKS will open on 10 April in its new location, an eighteenth-century farmhouse in the remote valley of Leynavatn, a 20-minute drive from the capital of Tórshavn. Built in 1740 and sitting by the lake, the building is traditionally Faroese in design, with basalt stone walls and a grass roof.
Ziska says: “The wildness of the valley of Leynavatn is both inspiring and refreshing. To me this is the most exciting part about the move.”
KOKS is characterised by its unique Faroese identity and its commitment to the use of sustainable local products. Ziska, born and raised in the Faroe Islands, aims to ensure that the restaurant continues to be at the forefront of the evolving and world-renowned Nordic food movement.
KOKS’s philosophy is simple and pure: making age-old food exciting to modern palates. Ziska and his team of innovators use seasonal Faroese produce – both coarse and fine, ancient and modern, to produce dishes that capture the Faroese landscape on a plate. Rather than chasing the new, or novel for its own sake, every effort is put into exploring the ancient practices; drying, fermenting, salting and smoking.
Poul Andrias commented on the news that KOKS will retain its Michelin star for 2018, saying: “We are more relieved than anything, really. We wondered if the relocation might mean that we lose the star, but we are overjoyed to have retained it.”
“The new setting for the restaurant will, we think, breathe fresh life into KOKS, and will excite both past customers and newcomers alike.”
A year on from having been granted the Faroes’ first Michelin star, KOKS is looking forward to welcoming even more visitors in 2018 and to presenting the Faroe Islands’ unique culinary essence to visitors from both near and far.
For more information about KOKS, visit www.koks.fo.
For more information about the Faroe Islands, visit www.visitfaroeislands.com