KOKS Michelin star

KOKS awarded Faroe Islands’ first star from the Michelin Guide

KOKS in the Faroe Islands has been awarded a star, by the Michelin Guide Nordic Countries 2017 – the first ever to be given to a Faroese restaurant. Announced this morning (22 February) at a prestigious ceremony held in Stockholm, KOKS’ Chef, Poul Andrias Ziska, was presented with the award by Michelin Guides’ International Director, Michael Ellis.

Ziska explains how proud he is to receive the honour on behalf of KOKS:

“On behalf of all the team at KOKS, I would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Michelin Guide Nordic Countries for this wonderful award. At KOKS, our aim is to create the ultimate dining experience – an experience strongly influenced by our deep-rooted Faroese traditions and the remarkable local produce found on our doorstep. This is our strength, and often our job is simply to let the extraordinary produce speak for itself.”

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 are proud of their distinct and unique culture and heritage; it is from this distinctive identity that KOKS emerged.

Situated in Kirkjubøur, on the island of Streymoy, KOKS was founded by Leif Sørensen, one of the creators of the New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto, and is characterised by its unique Faroese identity and by its commitment to the use of sustainable local products.

Ziska, born and raised in the Faroe Islands, took over the reins from Sørensen and, today – aged just 26 – he has built on previous successes to ensure that the restaurant continues to be at the forefront of the evolving and world-renowned Nordic food movement.

KOKS’ philosophy is simple and pure: making age-old food exciting to modern palates. Ziska and his team of innovators use Faroese produce – both coarse and fine, ancient and modern – to produce dishes that ‘capture the Faroese landscape on a plate’, whilst always keeping an eye on sustainability.

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. By doing this, KOKS follows the seasons and the bounty that they bring, transforming ancient culinary traditions into modern delicacies.

The new Michelin star builds on the previous successes of the internationally-acclaimed restaurant, KOKS having been awarded the Nordic Prize in 2015.

Visit www.visitfaroeislands.com for further information.