Born in Jutland, Denmark, Rasmus Munk did not have any culinary history in his family. Purely by chance, he decided to attend culinary art courses at the Danish association Silkeborg. He started to fall in love with cooking, entered various student competitions for young chefs and went on to work at various kitchens in London, England and in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In 2015, he opened the first version of Alchemist. There, he created one of his hits, a lamb tartare that promoted the Danish blood donation campaign. He eventually closed it in 2017 and relaunched the much grander iteration in 2019. Situated in an old shipyard, it boasted 5 different rooms, each replete with its own audio, visual and sensual experience in addition to the courses (or "impressions" as they are called) served.

Just seven months after the new opening, Alchemist was honored with Two Michelin Stars as well as a Green Star. In 2024, it was ranked 8th by The World’s 50 best restaurants. Rasmus Munk was voted as #1 top chef by The Best Chef 2024 ranking. Recently, in 2025, Alchemist is ranked as the 5th best restaurant by The World’s 50 best restaurants.

In this episode, Chef Munk talked about his Holistic Cuisine manifesto, the difference between Alchemist and other restaurants, how he creates his dishes, the future of fine dining and more.

Don't miss these Stoveside Stories - and bon appetit!