The open kitchen counter at Denhygge.
In Danish culture, hygge (pronounced as hyoo-guh or hoo-ga) is defined as evoking a sense of comfortable coziness and conviviality; to create a feeling of contentment and well-being. For an immersive hygge experience in the city, Denhygge Danish restaurant run by husband-and-wife team Niels and Olga Jensen, exudes that authentic feel.
Having worked in the corporate sector for years, Niels says opening Denhygge is a dream come true for him.
Sliced pork belly with aspic on rye bread. — Photos: CHING YEE SING
“Olga and I have been talking about running our own restaurant for the past 13 years. We’ve finally realised our dream and we’re happy to introduce traditional, home-style Danish food to the people here. For those unfamiliar with Danish food, sandwiches and pork are commonly eaten. Most dishes are eaten cold, but we do have some hot specialities as well,” he says.
Opened in November 2022, Denhygge’s current clientele comprises expatriates and adventurous Malaysian food lovers who are curious to try the restaurant’s specialities. Upon entering the restaurant, you’ll find a pragmatic, open-plan kitchen integrated into a modern, minimalist ambience. Rustic wood accents, a spiral staircase decked with miniature flags and large picture windows come together to evoke a warm, welcoming, homely setting. You can’t miss the Scandinavian touch in the decor and there’s even a “fireplace” to complete the scene.
Marinated herring with egg on rye bread.
On our maiden visit, we had a hard time deciding which smørrebrød (sandwiches) to sample. Niels informs us that the nuts-and seed-laden dark rye bread used for their sandwiches is specially made to their specifications by a Malaysian artisan baker.
Our first choice of Marinated Herring on Rye Bread with Egg proved on-point. Accentuated with a mildly sweet and aromatic curry spiced mayo, sliced red onion and crispy pork lard, the whole ensemble tantalised our palate with a milieu of tart-tangy-briny-sweet accents. You can hardly find any marinated herring sandwich in Kuala Lumpur, so this is a classic staple that’s worth trying.
Whetting our appetite further was another delicious sandwich – Roast Beef on Rye Bread. Enhanced with creamy remoulade spiked with horseradish and fried onion, we enjoyed the tender slices of roast beef immensely.
Roast beef on rye bread.
Non-beef eaters should find satisfaction in the Rullepølse – delectable sliced pork belly seasoned with spices served on rye bread with onion and aspic. The little cubes of aspic – a savoury meat jelly resulting from cooking down pork jus and browned onion – added a sublime, full-bodied flavour to the dish. This sandwich is distinguished from other normal ham and cold cut sandwiches by its unique meat and spices combination.
Another indulgent treat worth savouring was the Pork Liver Pate. Served on top of rye bread, the generous slices of pate had a smooth richness that was nicely balanced by slices of pickled cucumber whilst crisp-fried bacon pieces lent textural contrast.
Generally, all the sandwiches were wholesome and delicious, though we wished the dark rye bread slices were larger because the nutty, rustic bread served as a great canvass for the ingredients to come together and shine.
Pork liver pate on rye.
The sandwich prices range from RM20 (regular) to RM35 (large).
Realising most Malaysians prefer hot dishes, Niels strives to please with special offerings such as Stegt flæsk – Danish-style Fried Pork Belly (RM55). Served with boiled potatoes and creamy parsley sauce, this speciality is a customary Danish Christmas dish. The thin fried pork slices were crisp and almost crunchy, similar to local roast pork. However, we found the texture somewhat hard and dry. Some days, Denhygge offers Danish stews.
For dessert, we opted for Danish-style Apple Pie (RM18) instead of rice pudding.
Olga says a mixture of red and green apples is used to achieve a balance of sweet and sourness in making the pie.
Danish-style fried pork belly with potatoes.
“We serve it with macaroons (crushed almond flour cookies), red currant jelly and lightly sweetened and vanilla-accented whipped cream,” she says.
It was a most befitting treat to wrap up our first hygge experience at Denhygge. This was but a brief introduction of Danish culinary culture, and Niels says he’s working on adding more Danish dishes to the menu.
DENHYGGE DANISH RESTAURANT
F13, Empire Damansara Perdana,
Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
012-824 0020.
Business hours:
Mon-Sat: 10am to 10pm (last order 9 pm)
Closed on Sundays.
