Mikael Svensson is one of the leading names in contemporary Nordic haute cuisine and the creator of Kontrast, a restaurant located in the Vulkan neighbourhood of Oslo, with two Michelin stars and a Green Star for its commitment to sustainable gastronomy. His career combines training in some of Europe’s most demanding kitchens with a focus on local produce, hyper-seasonality and responsible resource management.
At Kontrast, almost all ingredients come from small, local organic producers and sustainable fisheries, and working with whole animals, preservation and fermentation techniques are integrated into the daily routine in the kitchen. The proposal is complemented by a parallel fermentation project, b.culture, which transforms by-products into condiments and pantry preparations distributed in several European countries and the Middle East. This interview reviews his professional evolution, the philosophy of Kontrast and his vision for the future of haute cuisine and sustainability.
From your early professional stages in kitchens in Norway, Sweden and Spain to the opening of Kontrast in Oslo, what have been the milestones that have marked your transition from trainee chef to chef with your own clearly defined project?
I don’t think any particular milestones have marked my transition, as you learn something new at every place you work. You learn things that you end up taking on, such as skills and habits, as well as things you wouldn’t necessarily implement yourself. There’s a lot to learn about how different businesses and workplaces are operated. Every experience I’ve had has helped me decide what I want to represent and how I want to run Kontrast.
You have worked at establishments such as Le Canard in Oslo, 28+ in Gothenburg and three Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain. How did these experiences influence the development of your own culinary language and the philosophy you now uphold at Kontrast regarding local produce and extreme seasonality?
They have all given me great skills and knowledge of various cooking styles. My time in classic kitchens as a young chef gave me a strong base for Kontrast, which I still lean on today. A lot of my cooking style is based on my training as a young chef.
My time in Spain opened my eyes to a wider range of techniques and a greater sense of playfulness on the plate. This was also around the time when I began to be more conscious of waste in the kitchen. Many restaurants highlight “high-value” cuts and ingredients, leaving the rest to waste. This was when I began exploring ways to be creative with every part of an ingredient and embracing seasonality. Extreme seasonality depends on where we are in the world. I want my food to represent where you actually are, and when.
Kontrast relies on organic, wild and locally sourced ingredients, with direct relationships with livestock farmers, farmers and fishermen. How does this network of suppliers work in practice, and how does it influence the creation of the menu and the daily dynamics of the Restaurant?
It’s a constant conversation with our suppliers about which ingredients they have access to, what is at its best quality, and how long we might have access to it. Sometimes they mention crops or ingredients we haven’t thought about, which sparks inspiration for a new dish. While it can be limiting, it also makes us embrace creativity.
At times, we almost have too many ideas about what we want to put on the menu, while at other times, especially in winter, a storm at sea may limit access to seafood and certain vegetables. It forces us to adapt and give guests a menu that truly represents Kontrast, Norway and the seasons.
The restaurant has been awarded two Michelin stars and a Green Star for its commitment to sustainability. What do these awards mean to you and the team?
It’s a great acknowledgement of us and the work we do, and we were all very proud when we received it. My goal has always been to continually develop the workplace and constantly improve the guest experience, the menu, and our sustainability. While the awards validate our work and mean a lot to both the team and me, the response we receive from our guests every night means the most.
Alongside Kontrast, you co-founded b.culture, a project that converts kitchen by-products into fermented products distributed in Norway and other international markets. What role does fermentation play in your cuisine, and how does this project connect with a broader vision of food waste and the gastronomic value chain?
B.culture plays a big role in my cuisine and cooking, as we have used fermentation as a preservation technique with summer ingredients to be used in winter at Kontrast since the start. It’s a great way to use trimmings and peels to enhance flavours and get them back on the menu.
With our focus on seasonal and local ingredients, I found myself missing imported ingredients such as soy and miso. I’ve always liked what they bring to a dish’s flavour profile. That’s how my business partner, Will Moffat, and I came up with b.culture: to make good use of by-products. We first started at Kontrast, examining what we were wasting and what ingredients could be utilised; then we slowly began talking with other restaurants and suppliers, using their by-products as well. This was a great way to develop more interesting flavours and products that I was missing in my cooking.
As b.culture grows, we can make a bigger impact on the issue of food waste, tackling larger problems within the food industry and transforming what is seen as waste into new products, building a more circular gastronomy.
Looking ahead, how do you imagine Kontrast evolving in the coming years in terms of sustainability, relationship with the environment and the diner’s experience, and what challenges do you identify for haute cuisine restaurants that aspire to maintain a balance between culinary excellence and environmental responsibility?
We will continue working along the same path we always have, assessing what we are currently doing and how we can improve it. This includes connecting with farmers to determine what we can purchase from them to help make their farms more organic and sustainable. Similarly, we expect fish and seafood to be caught using sustainable methods. We all need to rethink what we consider standard ingredients in haute cuisine, and accept that some products may no longer be viable if they cannot be sourced responsibly. That shift will inevitably shape how fine dining looks and tastes in the years ahead.
At Kontrast, my focus is on continuing to develop the cuisine while reducing waste and working more intelligently with what each season provides, finding more ways to expand on what we already do, always aiming for a dining experience shaped by flavour, seasonality, and place – one that evolves throughout the year, offering guests something different every time they visit.
