Fredrik Berselius cooks the New York larder through a Swedish lens. Aska — the word is Swedish for "ashes" — is the only two-Michelin-star kitchen in Brooklyn, a ten-table room on the southern edge of Williamsburg where a single Nordic tasting menu goes out each night from an open pass. Berselius opened the first Aska in 2012, closed it, and relaunched here in 2016; the second act is the one that earned the stars.
The Kitchen
Berselius works in the New Nordic idiom and reads it the way Copenhagen does — fermentation, foraging, ash and bark — but he sources the Northeast rather than the Øresund, so the cooking lands as its own dialect instead of a Noma tribute. The grilled Norwegian langoustine tail with gooseberry is the dish to judge him by: sweet shellfish, sharp green fruit, a whisper of smoke, nothing surplus. The slow-cooked hake under aged beluga caviar and a dark-beer cream sauce is the other signature, and it carries the kitchen from austere to lavish on a single plate.
Dinner is one tasting menu, prepaid at booking: $250 for the nineteen-course, $175 for the ten-course, taxes and service included. The pairing leans Nordic and German Riesling rather than reaching for the Burgundy reflex, and most bottles sit under $120. Aska has held two Michelin stars across the 2023, 2024 and 2025 guides and took a three-star review from the New York Times — a Brooklyn room that out-cooks most of Manhattan's starred dining.
The Room
The space at 47 South 5th Street is dark, low and deliberately austere: bare wood, candlelight, ten tables and an open kitchen that doubles as the theatre. It is quiet enough to talk, but the meal asks for your attention, so conversation runs in the gaps between courses rather than over them. Dress is smart-casual, and a jacket reads correctly without being required. Tables are prepaid and released a few weeks out, and the room seats only twenty-odd guests a night, so plan around it.
Practical Info
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Best for a Milestone Dinner
Book Aska for the meal that is the occasion itself — an anniversary, a landmark birthday, a celebration where the food is meant to be the event rather than the backdrop. Three reasons it works: the single tasting menu removes every decision, the ten-table room makes the night feel private, and the langoustine and caviar courses give you built-in moments of shared pleasure. It is also an understated choice for a closing-the-deal dinner where you want Brooklyn credibility rather than a Midtown expense-account cliché.
Not For
Not for a casual walk-in or a quick bite — Aska is a prepaid, nineteen-course Nordic tasting that runs close to three hours, with no à la carte and no last-minute table.
Reservations
Aska books through its own site and OpenTable, with prepayment at the time of booking. Aim two to four weeks out for a weekend and a few days for a weeknight; cancellations are accepted up to a set window before service, after which the prepaid menu is non-refundable. Flag allergies and dietary needs when you book — the kitchen will adapt the tasting with notice but cannot improvise on the night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aska worth it?
Yes, if a tasting menu is the kind of evening you want. Aska is the only two-Michelin-star kitchen in Brooklyn, and Fredrik Berselius cooks a New Nordic menu sourced from the Northeast rather than imported wholesale from Copenhagen. At $175 for ten courses or $250 for nineteen it is expensive, but it is among the most serious cooking in New York. Go for the food, not the scene.
How much is the tasting menu at Aska?
Aska serves one tasting menu in two lengths, prepaid at booking: $175 for the ten-course and $250 for the nineteen-course, taxes and service included. A wine pairing leaning Nordic and Riesling adds to that, though most bottles on the list sit under $120. There is no à la carte; the price you book is broadly the price you pay.
How hard is it to book Aska?
Harder than most, because the room holds only ten tables and reservations are prepaid. Book two to four weeks ahead for a weekend and a few days out for a weeknight, through Aska's own site or OpenTable. Tables release in batches, so set a reminder for when the window opens. Weeknights and early sittings are the easiest to land.
What is the dress code at Aska?
Smart-casual. There is no jacket requirement, but this is a dark, considered two-star room where people dress for the occasion, so a jacket or a sharp outfit reads correctly. Trainers and gym wear look out of place. Think date-night or celebration smart rather than black tie; the room is austere but the crowd is dressed.
What should I expect at Aska?
Expect a roughly three-hour New Nordic tasting in a ten-table room with an open kitchen, where the cooks often serve the plates themselves. The menu changes with the Northeast seasons, but the grilled langoustine with gooseberry and the slow-cooked hake under beluga caviar are the dishes to look for. It is quiet, focused and intense — a meal to pay attention to, not a backdrop.