THE HEAD CHEF and co-founder of Noma, René Redzepi, resigned yesterday, after 35 former employees had gone public with his workplace abuse from 2009 to 2017.

Everyone seemed unusually friendly when we dined there at the end of May 2007. I even noted Redzepi’s sweet smile, as he worked at a bench overlooking the dining room.

Redzepi had opened Noma with a partner in 2003 in an old Copenhagen warehouse, which was being transformed into “North Atlantic House”, so they were to celebrate ingredients from Denmark, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

I remember numerous snips of this and that by way of found grasses, flowers, etc, before such additions became more common. I particularly recall tiny, cold, dense oysters.

The meal was unforgettable for its completeness, which means not just the food, but also that port location, and more. Our daughter and I sat outside in the late-afternoon sun waiting for Marion to cycle around the docks from her conference. My beautiful German Riesling seemed to be made for gazing at the city centre across the harbour, or back at the spiral church tower that Dorothy had just climbed.

And there was the exemplary kindliness. One notable instance was that, after they had found somewhere to stow Marion’s bike, they let us linger with her beside the water, bringing out an extra round of marvelous crisps of fish and chicken skin.

The thing we could never forget, however, concerned our severely disabled son left back in New Zealand. Marion and Dorothy were keen to phone him. Since this evening was an appropriate time to call, we inquired about a nearby public phone. They insisted on using theirs. But you don’t understand, we said, this is a phone call to New Zealand.

Given Lawrence’s brain damage, “phoning” really meant singing to him. When we were back together, a little emotional, the waiters slipped us small, black, textile handkerchiefs.

Noma proved much “less” – friendlier and more intimate – than might have been imagined from the hype, which, of course, was working up to it being named world No. 1 restaurant for several years (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2021). In 2007, I witnessed nothing but serious care and concern.