Foodies are an interesting bunch, and a group to which I enthusiastically belong. From magazines to cookbooks to entertainment, I simply can’t get enough of gorgeous images of food, restaurants, and insider looks at the inner workings of a kitchen. That’s what makes “The Most Remote Restaurant in the World” so intriguing. This documentary follows Chef Poul Andrias Ziska and his culinary team as they face the challenge of opening a Michelin-starred restaurant, KOKS, in the most picturesque and remote area of Greenland.
While this detailed documentary will bore some, those who have an interest in the restaurant industry and a knowledge of or love for gourmet food will get a lot out of director Ole Juncker‘s film. In what feels like part reality show, part “The Menu,” and part “The Bear,” the documentary covers everything from the selection of the location, design and decor, menu planning, ingredient sourcing, staffing, and the struggle with the small population of locals who aren’t fond of the culinary circus that’s arrived in their isolated village (population: 50). It feels staged at times, especially as Juncker seems to force a bit of the conflict between the residents and Ziska, and the planning and endless discussions about everything from seasoning to paperwork feel like filler as a plot device.
When a local man mentions how the restaurant is too expensive for those who live there, it adds a different perspective to the entire mission. Why build a dining establishment for the elite in a place that is only accessible via a one hour boat ride through the Ilulissat Icefjord glacier, costs hundreds of dollars per plate, and can only serve 30 guests per night? That’s an entirely different level of privilege that seems unnecessary, especially when Ziska and his team begin to face serious challenges from construction, power, water, and even food. This is a place where elite foodies pay dearly for travel and the rare opportunity to dine there.
A good portion of the film documents Ziska’s insistence on using only sustainable, indigenous ingredients that are sourced from the local land and sea. He literally goes out hunting seals and works with a local whale fisherman to curate items for the 22 course tasting menu. It is a hands-on operation, from sourcing to prepping.
There’s an artistry to the work too, with plate after plate of drop-dead gorgeous meals emerging from the kitchen. Many of the dishes are, and I am giving you fair warning, barf-inducing. No matter how adventurous your palate may be, I would personally have a difficult time eating things served at KOKS. There’s a white whale and seaweed salad dressed with seal blood, musk oxen simmered with reindeer fat, and don’t forget the dessert of onion and garlic fudge. The presentation of these dishes is beautiful but equally stomach-churning, especially the native bird ptarmigan that is grilled and served on the bone — including the entire feathered wing that diners are to use as a utensil.
“The Most Remote Restaurant in the World” is a terrific way to learn about the food culture of a faraway pace. The documentary captures the stresses of running a high-end restaurant in a challenging, remote location. It’s a story where everything that could go wrong and couldn’t go wrong actually goes wrong, which sort of makes this a battle cry of all restaurateurs.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 