Author Archives: dilipvw

To Tripadvisor or not?

 I have had many conversations about the pro’s and con’s of Tripadvisor…in conclusion I would say it can give a good indication on the quality of a restaurant or hotel you are planning to visit, but it’s not conclusive at all…Indeed, the audience contributing to this travel site is just too diverse…the chances are too high that they are too much off from your own profille (i.e. preferences, weakspots, etc…).

This being said, do I contribute to Tripadvisor myself? YES!!! I do it to support hardworking chefs and hotel staff who deserve to get credit for their work. Just because the lack of consistency in the reviews, where a brilliant Japanese restaurant can get a bad review from someone just because that person isn’t into Japanese food, really gets on my system…
The more you write the better, people can get accustomed to how you write and evaluate places and the figures on the screenshot just show you what a massive medium Tripadvisor is…

Love it or hate it, there’s just no way around it…you just need to learn how to live with it and use it to your advantage….
 

BREAKING NEWS: LONDON/ Lee Skeet/ Residency Cooking/ Hackney Empire/ Fish/ Devon

Lee Skeet, former chef at Michelin-starred Hedone, is cooking at Stage 3 at Hackney Empire for a four-week residency in July 2015.

Following a very successful stint at Carousel, Marylebone in April, and then a sell-out three day pop-up in Brixton, this is Lee’s first solo venture. He is, however, not short on experience. Most recently working a senior position in the kitchen at Hedone, Lee has also put in the hours and sharpened his skills at restaurants Marcus Wareing and Tom Aikens – as sous chef of the latter -after beginning his career at Gordon Ramsey at Claridges.

Having grown up on the beaches of North Devon, fish and seafood is Lee’s first love, and it will be the focus of the menu at Stage 3. Fresh off the day boats of Devon and Cornwall early each morning, whisked up to London in time for dinner service that same day.
Guests at Stage 3 will enjoy a set four courses of cooking inspired by Lee’s roots in Devon and informed by his experience in London. Dishes strike a balance between classic and contemporary, with familiar ingredients carefully selected, perfectly handled, and presented in innovative combinations. It’s adventurous cookery, anchored in flavor.

The menu will reflect the best quality produce available that day.
This event runs Wednesday to Saturday evenings for four weeks, from July 8th to August 1st. Tickets are £38 and are available at Billetto (billetto.co.uk/en/users/lee-skeetimage2).

If you manage to secure a table and your at the venue, do take the time to check out the art exhibition by Lee’s girlfriend, Emily Weaver!

Contact: @leeskeetlondon
facebook.com/leeskeethackneyempire

Flemish Food Bash: July 5th 2015 Oostduinkerke (B): noon till 06:00 am

IMG_0010Vincent Florizoone is not only a very talented chef, he’s also a man with a plan…and an almost unlimited passion for his profession… All of these remarkable qualities have led to the development of the Flemish Food Bash concept…a culinary get together of chefs, mixologists, butchers, bakers, you name it… Add to this other creative masterminds like barbers, tattoo artists and much more and you get an amazing event…with 5000 crazy, ethusiastic visitors.

The second event of this kind is going to take place on the beach of Oostduinkerke, Belgium on July 5th…You’ll get a chance to taste the kitchen of no less than 40 chefs…for a total of 20 (!!) Michelin stars…The world’s best restaurant for one day…On top of this, you’ll see 20 of the world’s best Mixologists at work and you’ll be able to drink 30 different beers from world class nearby brewery De Struise Brouwers.

More importantly, the whole idea behind this gathering is the interaction between all the people ‘performing’ on that day and all the visitors…no boundaries, no distance between the people…exchanging ideas…sharing a common passion for excellence… Yes, there are some really big names present, but there’s also a prominent place for young ambitious chefs who get an exceptional stage to show the culinary world how they see the cooking of the future… A magic blend between talent, terroir and top ingredients with an international twist. A festival of taste, sharing and friendship…

I can not wait to be there!!! It is going to be an unforgettable day…

FULL LINE-UP AND TICKETING AT: http://www.flemishfoodbash.com

Flemish Food Bash in the media:

Impressive lineup for second Flemish Food Bash

http://welovecooks.nl/foodevents/flemish-food-bash/

http://www.westhoek.be/nieuws/52414/flemish-food-bash-n-2-een-dag-beste-en-grootste-restaurant-in-de-wereld

http://www.ambiance.be/nl/artikel/flemish-food-bash-op-het-strand

http://bezoeker.koksijde.be/activiteitendetail/8402/flemish-food-bash

http://www.hln.be/regio/nieuws-uit-koksijde/culinair-event-flemish-food-bash-strijkt-neer-op-het-strand-a2203979/

http://www.detafelvantine.be/bericht/het-beste-n-grootste-restaurant-de-wereld-voor-1-dagnacht-flemish-food-bash

OPINIATED ABOUT DINING EUROPE TOP 100+

Okay, so yesterday was a bit hectic… it’s time to look back at the list of OAD TOP 100+ Europe and I would also like to send out some congrats to the chefs on the list I had the pleasure to meet once or more than once and who give their everything with their teams to satisfy their (demanding) customers day after day…respect to you: Kobe Desramaults (#4), Quique Dacosta (#5), Frank Cerutti/ Louis XV (#6), René Redzepi/Noma (#9), Couillon Alexandre/La Marine (#14), Gert de Mangeleer / Hertog Jan (#21), Thomas Bühner/ La Vie (#22), San Degeimbre / L’Air du Temps (#26), Herr Harald Wohlfahrt/ Schwarzwaldstube (#27), Chris Bau / Schlossberg (#30), Elena Arzak (#33), Albert Adria / Tickets (#38), Emmanuel Renaut/ Flocons de Sel (#39), Tim Raue (#40), Syrco Bakker Pure C (#41), Jean-François Piège – Page Officielle(#55), Mikael Jonsson / Hedone (#60), Brett Graham / The Ledbury (#65), Nicolai Nørregaard and Rasmus Kofoed Kadeau (#66), HKK (#75), David Toutain (#92), Atsushi Tanaka (#96), James Knappett /Kitchentable (#100) (and all the chefs who didn’t make it into the top 100)

Chiltern Fire House, London:

 Wanted to see for myself what all the fuss about this place was…and honestly, it’s an incredible place to discover…In the heart of London….what a transformation of this former fire station…and an atmosphere that sends shivers down my spine. I will let the pictures speak for themselves…best thing to do is go there and see it, live it, enjoy it… 

http://www.chilternfirehouse.com
                   

Kaagjesland, Reeuwijk-Dorp, NL, 1*

   

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 As often, I had known about the existence of this restaurant for quite a few years but it wasn’t till late 2013, shortly after they received a Michelin star that I paid them a first visit. A promising visit but I needed a second to see how they would deal with the new status as one of Hollands fine dining places. 

Last week, I had the unexpected pleasure of visiting Kaagjesland for the second time. How happy I am to  have been back! 
The chefs treated me to a delightful lunch as you will see from the attached pictures. The cooking here has clearly been fine tuned even more, getting to a level that doesn’t leave the slightest doubt about the Michelin starred status. 
High level ingredients perfectly prepared and a wonderful ballet of flavours and textures. Really a flawless meal with tasty dishes, seasonal ingredients and perfect technique. I was quite speechless honestly to find this level of cooking in this rather unknown part of the Netherlands when it comes to fine dining. 
Carla is the perfect hostess giving you a warm welcome and serving you in an efficient and friendly way, the kitchen team deliver consistently good plates that are not only very good to eat but also great to look at…what more to wish for? Oh, I shouldn’t forget to mention the stunning views on the polders. Lovely stretches of dark green grass, farm animals grazing…birds…nature at its best, despite being situated in one of Europe’s most densely populated countries.  
BTW, this area of the Netherlands is very well known for its tree and plant nurseries…as these trees and plants were transported over water, a lot of the properties here are surrounded by lovely canals. Why not combine a meal at Kaagjesland with a nice walk or bike tour? Especially in spring it’s a truly magnificent sight. 
http://www.kaagjesland.nl

Crazy four hands…Martin Zahumensky vs. Vincent Flori Florizoone @ Grand Cabaret (B)

Thursday April 16th 2015… A day that will go down in the history books as EPIC…. Two great friends who happen to also be great chefs…A fantastic mixologist…A stunning beerbrewer…A crazy DJ and two hot bunnies…and last but NOT LEAST…Emilie, Carlo and Arthur…and all the helping hands that stayed humbly invisible to us…great food and drinks ands wicked party that went on and on and on… but most of all, great, warm people….Thanks y’all…I have never experienced ANYTHING like this!!!! Enjoy the pics and see you next time for sure…. Full menu is included in the picture series… 

                   

Yes we can! High level gastronomy in Luxembourg…Ma Langue Sourit/Moutfort/L/1*

I had a very good meal at this restaurant in December 2014… As I wanted to share my experience with a few fellow foodies, I came back here this week to enjoy chef Cyril Mollard‘s most recent creations.

After a series of tasty appetizers we got off to a great start with the Moelleux de sandre, oignons des Cévennes, truffes noires, pain de mie croustillant…a perfectly executed fish quenelle with fried onions and truffle…a deep, rich flavored dish…We would love to see how this dish would taste if a saltwater fish would be used to add maybe a more intense fish taste to the quenelle…16/20

Second was the Noix de Saint-Jacques saisie, beurre salé, pieds de  brocolis, choux pointus, jus de coquillages…a lovely preparation of scallop, grilled on the shell, with textures of brocoli, green cabbage and a light creamy shellfish jus….a classic of chef Mollard and one hell of a good dish…18/20

The chef really likes to work with pork from the famous Livar pig, so we continued with Poitrine de cochon livar braisé, pomme de terre alliance, mousseline aillée et croustillante, potage parmentier...very very good…17/20

A final fish starter was served: Médaillon de lotte cuit vapeur,  épice rêve de cochin, bouillon anisé, poireaux, fenouil…again a well balanced dish showing the skill of the chef both technically and in his way of composing his dishes…17/20

We got a little extra dish the chef wanted to try on us and boy were we happy he did! The dish that came next is the textbook example of what I really look for when going to a high level gastronomic restaurant…the dish that leaves you speechless…perfect execution, perfectly balanced, great textures and flavors, well measured acidity…a thin slice of marinated John Dory, a sorbet of Kalamansi, confit Kumquats, a crunchy sesame cracker and a lovely soy based sauce….THIS IS IT….This dish makes a visit to this restaurant a MUST….really..20/20.

On to the mains…a very good heart of veal sweetbread was served with a cylinder of salsify and a mille feuille of turnip from Les Paniers de Sandrine…a local organic veg farmer..Sadly here, the veal reduction was slightly to salty…Noix de ris de veau, réglisse, salsifis, millefeuille de navets boule d’or, Sarazin torréfiés…14/20

Following this we had Pièce de Blonde d’Aquitaine rôti, poivre kumpot, carottes, moelle fumée, condiment confit , jus au genièvre…A straightforward, tasty preparation of beef aged for 45 days that worked really well…18/20

On to the last part of the meal…desserts…

First up was the Ganache chocolat Illanka du Pérou, café, crumble cacao, marron glacé… a dessert that made someone who’s not really into chocolate like me eat every last bit on the plate….the chocolate taste was not overwhelming (63% of cocoa)…great…17/20

Chef Mollard is smart enough to know that the last dish may very well be the one the customers remember best…so he decided to blow us away once more with his Tartelette citron Meyer de chez Bachès, confiture de  pamplemousse, sorbet épinette…a divine combination of delicate, perfect pastry, airy light lemon foam and a pine sorbet…magical!!!…19/20

In december I was already impressed and happy to find this level of cooking but what Cyril showed us today was without doubt some of the best cooking I enjoyed in Luxembourg so far…

A special mention also for the sommelier who, after the bottle of white from the already legendary Abi Duhr which we picked ourselves, made us discover two really nice reds, one from the south of France and one from Germany (Pfalz)…he did a great job!

Service was, as always, very efficient, friendly and professional.

Conclusion

Yes we can!!! High level gastronomy in Luxembourg…it’s possible…this is cooking that can stand the test of comparison with many ‘fine dining’ restaurants in Europe…I even see potential for this restaurant to be amongst Europe’s finest in a few years…I’ll definitely be back….soon…

Based on today’s visit, I give Ma Langue Sourit an overall rating of 18/20

http://www.mls.lu

IMG_0001 IMG_0002 IMG_0003 IMG_0004 IMG_0005 IMG_0006 IMG_0007 IMG_0008 IMG_0009 IMG_0010 IMG_0011 IMG_0012