bites abroad

Join our intern Hannah as she explores Copenhagen's culinary scene, from local recipes to hidden restaurants, and sharing ideas for our dining program at Elon.

Meet Hannah

Meet Hannah Jordan, our amazing Elon Dining intern from California! She’s a strategic communication major who’s currently studying abroad in Copenhagen. While we miss her on campus, we’re thrilled that she’s kicking off a new series, taking us along on her culinary adventures. Each week, she’ll dive into local recipes, visit hidden gem restaurants, and share her experiences with us. Hannah is also keeping a detailed food journal, and each week’s journey is documented right here. Plus, you can watch her videos on the Elon Dining Instagram page. We’re excited to see how her discoveries inspire new flavors for our dining program, and we can’t wait to see what delicious finds she brings back!


Week 1

Watch on Instagram

Reffen Copenhagen Street Food
Outdoor Food Market
Copenhagen, Denmark
8/19/24

               As my first stop on this incredible journey, I decided to visit the commonly talked about “Reffen.” Before coming to Copenhagen, every influencer, previous DIS student I was in communication with, and almost anyone who has ever been to and loved Copenhagen, has been to this Copenhagen street food market. “Reffen” is the largest street food market in the Nordics, offers food from all around the world, and is a vibrant waterfront destination. It was once a neglected harborside lot, yet it has transformed into a bustling hub where food lovers, artisans, and music enthusiasts come together to enjoy a unique cultural experience. I felt extremely peaceful here. The atmosphere was both calm and engaging, with families, friends, and students sitting by the water, savoring and sharing dishes from around the world. I felt at peace, yet still so engaged in the different types of people around me.

               I went with a few friends who are also foodies like me, and we decided to get three dishes to share. We started off with chipotle chicken tacos which were decent. I am not sure how popular and authentic Mexican food is here, and I am spoiled with California Mexican Food, so I wouldn’t get this again. The chef was extremely nice though and gave me a student discount! Then we tried a Korean chicken rice bowl which was very good. It had a spicy sauce that definitely caught me off guard, but the mix of the sauce with the chicken and vegetables was a perfect combination. Lastly we had my favorite dish, which was a truffle, cheese, and potato pizza. The combination of the truffle mixed with the cheese couldn’t have been a better duo. It melted in my mouth and bursted with flavor. Other than the endless food options, the setting of “Reffen” was quite perfect. The sun was setting, people were talking and drinking, music was playing, and everything felt content. I will definitely be back and can’t wait to try new foods the next time I visit.

Overall rating: 8.8/10


Atelier September
Restaurant
Copenhagen, Denmark
8/20/24

               For brunch one morning I went on a quick walk around the block to commonly talked about “Atelier September.” One of my friends who lives in my building recommended this restaurant to a group of us, and it didn’t disappoint. The line was out the door when we arrived, we had to wait about 30 minutes to sit down. The restaurant itself had a great atmosphere as well. It was very minimalistic but had a fancy feel to it. I noticed that my friends and I were speaking at an average level, but we were by far the loudest ones in the room. I have realized that Danish people are very reserved and only speak when they really have something important to say!

               I ended up ordering the french omelet which I always see on social media, but have never tried for myself until now. It’s prepared in a way that makes the omelet smooth as silk on the outside, moist and creamy on the inside, with a tender egg wrapping a filling of softly scrambled eggs. It was SO fluffy and flavorful. It didn’t seem to have that many spices, but it was perfectly salted and paired so well with the bread and whipped butter that came on the side. It also had a bit of a pepper kick that I would normally assume to be too overpowering, but it paired so nicely with the salt and soft egg consistency. The slice of sourdough made the meal more complete. It was paired with the most delicious whipped butter I have ever had in my life. It was so light and melted perfectly onto the bread. The eggs wonderfully softened in my mouth and overall it was a delicious meal. I have a few other friends who have gone recently as well and they have absolutely loved the food.

Overall Rating: 7.9/ 10


Wulf and Konstali
Restaurant
Copenhagen, Denmark
8/23/24

               After getting a little lost on the metro, I was able to make my way to probably my favorite restaurant I’ve tried so far, “Wulf and Konstali”. “Wulf and Konstali” is a brunch place where you can choose your personal mix of 5 or 7 delicate dishes. There are more than 20 different variants, consisting of classic brunch dishes, kitchen’s favorites, meat and fish, fruits and greens, sweet treats, and their very own baked goods. I ended up selecting 5 dishes which included a chocolate croissant, scrambled eggs with chives, organic yogurt with raspberry compote and almond-quinoa granola, a smoothie bowl with numerous toppings, and a poppy-seed waffle with raspberry whipped cream. All of this was $20 which was one of the cheaper places I have been to in Copenhagen so far, and so much was included. We filled out these little slips, selecting which options we wanted, and I was in heaven. The raspberry compote on the yogurt was by far one of the sweetest yet freshest things I have ever tasted, and although I am not a poppy-seed fan, the waffle was absolutely delicious. It was on the thinner side which made the outside a little crispier and I loved it. The eggs were also very fluffy, something I’ve noticed they do here in Copenhagen, and I was definitely full after this meal which made me like it even more. I am excited to come back and try 5 new things!

Overall rating: 9.3/10


Patagonia Grill, at Seaside
Restaurant
Copenhagen, Denmark
8/25/24

               Today’s meal was very exciting because I met my visiting host family! Through my program here in Copenhagen, we are given the option to meet with a Danish family throughout the semester and I was assigned a lovely family of four. I met with Mia, the mom, and Karoline, the daughter, and we had such a lovely meal. They decided to take me around the city and we stopped at this beautiful outdoor food venue called Seaside. Seaside offers homemade delicacies from all corners of the world, and the food is prepared in seven independent kitchens under one roof. I decided to get a steak salad from “Patagonia Grill” and we were able to sit in Seaside’s maritime surroundings overlooking the harbor. My salad was very interesting. I wasn’t used to this, but the steak was cold and sprinkled with salt. I will say the salt made it SO much better. It was a flaky salt that had a little crunch to it, and it brought out the flavors of the steak. I didn’t love the chewy consistency of the cold steak, but I did really enjoy the lettuce, tomatoes, and dressing. It kind of tasted like a caesar dressing, but a little sweeter. The salad also had snap peas in it which was such a surprising yet pleasant crunch. I don’t think I’ve ever had a salad with full snap peas, and I really enjoyed it. The setting of the place made the meal so much more enjoyable. It was right along the water and everyone was just enjoying their meals and company. I enjoyed, but next time I come to this place I will try something different.

Overall Rating: 6.8/10


Wrap up

               I have been here for about a week now and I have felt extremely lucky. I feel so comfortable, my roommates are amazing, everywhere is so clean, the public transportation has been extremely easy to adjust to, my classes seem awesome, and I am just feeling so thankful. I feel very independent here as well. I am able to walk around any time of the day and not worry too much about what is going on around me. I can go to a grocery store, coffee shop, almost all cuisines of restaurants, and more within a 5 minute walk, and I feel like such a woman! I am so excited for the rest of this journey and cannot wait to experience more delicious food experiences and enjoy my time here.


Photos from the Week!

Bites Abroad Collage Week 1