Now, *this* was something great! Seriously, if you’re going to be in Utrecht make sure to book a table there (maybe be wiser than me, I’ve been in Utrecht for one year and only managed to eat there the last day because I kept trying to book for the same evening / weekend). I was alone and I ended up at the kitchen table, which of anything means at least being able to ask anything about the menu and observe the routine. The staff was friendly and you could see the passion in the development (especially the young ones got so excited when I complimented them).
Anyway, I said enough, time to go in depth about the food:
* To begin I had a beer, specifically a Brother Adam, a blend of 1/4 red wine and 3/4 blonde beer. Interesting combination and indeed a good one to drink while having the entree. * **Amouse**: their bread with caramelised carrots cream, it was actually more than that but sadly I forgot take notes. The bread tasted very homemade and could have improved a bit (amusingly similar to mine), the jam however was great and the sweetness balanced well the dense bread. * **Entree**: the beet and popped sorghum’s earthiness was perfectly complemented by the fermented green strawberries * **Sweet potato**: they make some sort of soy sauce using the used coffee grounds and shoyu, umami and tart. * **Pairing**: Dutch apples, pears, nothern grape and fermented walnuts. Thick, sweet and slightly sparkling. I liked it, but maybe too “sweet on sweet” for the potato dish * **Salsify**: what really shined there were the textures, truly a pleasure, from the crunchyness of the hazelnut to the thick smoothness of the whey sauce. No need to state the obvious about the flavour. * **Main course pairing**: especially designed for the leek, a beet kvass flavoured with lavander. Balanced and delicate. * **Leek**: barbecued, the outer part was used for a mayonnaise, around some beet kimchi, paprika spiced sauce, flower sprouts. Nothing to add. What I need to add, however, is how simple yet good was the Dutch white beans cream under the roasted russet potatoes.
Here I was undecided, they tempted me, and given how good the rest of the evening had been I just followed on and decided to agree and have both desserts.
* Since I was going to have two desserts I asked something like a tea, they had a digestive herbal tea, not as mind-blowing like their pairings but enjoyable. It came with two candies: carrot and porcini powder and apple with licorice. Those candies were tasty but the only thing I would have changed about the whole dinner (they could have gone heavier with licorice and the carrot-porcini one was a bit too sweet to truly show the flavours). * **Cake of figs**: I’ll keep in mind the fig-mint pairing, because it works * **Amazake ice cream**: fermented buckwheat and koji, with (colza? I forgot) oil and crispy caramelised sunflower seeds, soft pinecones. It was shockingly good, it left me amazed, really, wow! The perfect ending of a perfect dinner. So creamy, slightly salty, so intense! Again, wow.
So yeah, 6 courses, a beer, the tea was on them and 2 pairings for a total of 80€, definitely worth every cent, would recommend. Also I truly don’t get wine pairings when you can play around and create something truly fitting and actually interesting like they did.
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Now, *this* was something great! Seriously, if you’re going to be in Utrecht make sure to book a table there (maybe be wiser than me, I’ve been in Utrecht for one year and only managed to eat there the last day because I kept trying to book for the same evening / weekend). I was alone and I ended up at the kitchen table, which of anything means at least being able to ask anything about the menu and observe the routine. The staff was friendly and you could see the passion in the development (especially the young ones got so excited when I complimented them).
Anyway, I said enough, time to go in depth about the food:
* To begin I had a beer, specifically a Brother Adam, a blend of 1/4 red wine and 3/4 blonde beer. Interesting combination and indeed a good one to drink while having the entree.
* **Amouse**: their bread with caramelised carrots cream, it was actually more than that but sadly I forgot take notes. The bread tasted very homemade and could have improved a bit (amusingly similar to mine), the jam however was great and the sweetness balanced well the dense bread.
* **Entree**: the beet and popped sorghum’s earthiness was perfectly complemented by the fermented green strawberries
* **Sweet potato**: they make some sort of soy sauce using the used coffee grounds and shoyu, umami and tart.
* **Pairing**: Dutch apples, pears, nothern grape and fermented walnuts. Thick, sweet and slightly sparkling. I liked it, but maybe too “sweet on sweet” for the potato dish
* **Salsify**: what really shined there were the textures, truly a pleasure, from the crunchyness of the hazelnut to the thick smoothness of the whey sauce. No need to state the obvious about the flavour.
* **Main course pairing**: especially designed for the leek, a beet kvass flavoured with lavander. Balanced and delicate.
* **Leek**: barbecued, the outer part was used for a mayonnaise, around some beet kimchi, paprika spiced sauce, flower sprouts. Nothing to add. What I need to add, however, is how simple yet good was the Dutch white beans cream under the roasted russet potatoes.
Here I was undecided, they tempted me, and given how good the rest of the evening had been I just followed on and decided to agree and have both desserts.
* Since I was going to have two desserts I asked something like a tea, they had a digestive herbal tea, not as mind-blowing like their pairings but enjoyable. It came with two candies: carrot and porcini powder and apple with licorice. Those candies were tasty but the only thing I would have changed about the whole dinner (they could have gone heavier with licorice and the carrot-porcini one was a bit too sweet to truly show the flavours).
* **Cake of figs**: I’ll keep in mind the fig-mint pairing, because it works
* **Amazake ice cream**: fermented buckwheat and koji, with (colza? I forgot) oil and crispy caramelised sunflower seeds, soft pinecones. It was shockingly good, it left me amazed, really, wow! The perfect ending of a perfect dinner. So creamy, slightly salty, so intense! Again, wow.
So yeah, 6 courses, a beer, the tea was on them and 2 pairings for a total of 80€, definitely worth every cent, would recommend. Also I truly don’t get wine pairings when you can play around and create something truly fitting and actually interesting like they did.