Back in the blessed year 2000 we arrived in Megève, to celebrate my fathers 60th birthday…we didn’t think we needed to book at the restaurant we were planning to visit, but how wrong we were! So, there we were, in Megève with no place to eat…

Fortunately enough, the Maître D was kind enough to recommend two places…one big name (but that place was likely to be fully booked too) and a small new restaurant…Flocons de Sel of a young, talented local chef, Emmanuel Renaut.

We discovered a small, cosy restaurant in the middle of town and it was love at first sight with the inventive, creative and terroir inspired cooking of chef Emmanuel. We visited the restaurant a number of times and then the years passed…
So now, 15 years later we were finally back…To celebrate my fathers 75th birthday this time… Obviously, expectations were high…since our last visit, the restaurant gained 3 Michelin stars, making it a member of the very exclusive club of the best restaurants in the world and it moved to a new, beautiful location just outside of Megève. Not only has it become a top place to eat, it is now also a luxury hotel.

We started off with a delicious Puligny Monrachet Les Aubes from JC Bachelet et fils, in the cosy sitting area by the fire place. This excellent 2012

Small tartelette from the garden, a little crisp of polenta, hay and juniper, the famous smoked milk dumpling, Savoie nut and mushroom biscuit and a cristalline of mushroom…a very promising start, illustrating both the chefs technical skills and his love for his terroir… The whole menu would be an illustration of these two important characteristics of Emmanuel.

We left the sitting area and moved a floor down, into the spacious dining room, with lots of wood and modern touches…the perfect mountain inspired setting for a great culinary evening. We opted for the 9 course “Randonnée en montagne” tasting menu, priced at 210 EUR…a very fair pricing considering the dishes chef had lined up for us…

The first starter was parsnip moelleux with beetroot, a jardinière consommé flavoured with horseradish and old Beaufort cheese. This was an outstanding first dish and a very convincing example of how a vegetarian dish can also be of a brilliant, 3* level.

As if chef wasn’t sure we were convinced of the huge potential of vegetarian dishes, he prepared us an exquisite second starter of wild mushrooms (Cèpe, Girolle, Pied Bleu), simply sautéed in butter, served with a smooth and creamy toasted bread and coffee sabayon…heavenly!!!

We continued with a succulent dish of crayfish from the Lac Léman, on a creamy juice of the shells, milk flavoured with autumn fruit (nut, chestnut and almond).

After this, came a perfect preperation of langoustines and caviar with fresh citrus zest, gentian root and parsley. One of the few dishes I ever ate in which the caviar survived next to the other ingredients.

A brilliant dish of Fera from de lake fillets was up next, cooked in salt, served with a subtle jus of hogweed, bringing a herby touch to the dish. I am not a huge fan of sweetwater fish, but I’d gladly make an exception for this dish ANYTIME.

The last fish dish was one of chef Renaut’s signature dishes, a crisp biscuit of pike, with a grilled onion jus and ground ivy…rich, lush, full bodied delight.

Time for a special moment…at the beginning of the meal, we had been asked if we liked game. We were about to find out why…as an extra dish, a perfectly golden brown Pithivier was presented to us, with a shiny, deep tasting brown sauce…courtesy of chef Renaut, as an extra dish. I always am touched when a chef offers me an extra dish…and even more so when it’s a Pithivier…as for me this classic of French cooking, is a culinary token of friendship and the ultimate welcome for a guest.

As a meat main course, Flocons de Sel traditionally let’s its guests make a choice from the à la Carte mains, served in a half portion. This allowed us to try three different meat preparations: suckling lamb, sweetbreads and venison…Great!!!

Time for cheese! A chariot containing perfectly ripe, local cheeses turned out to be the ultimate cheese aficionados’ wet dream….

Another originality of this restaurant is dessert. Indeed, every guest gets a different one…We were treated to lemon dessert, the famous woodchocolate and of course a series of mignardises…

Service was of the highest level: prompt, friendly and professional…and most of all…relaxed. The lady of the house was present, overseeing the whole operation and at the end of the evening we had a chance to great the chef and to have a chat.

So, what’s the overall conclusion? This was simply the best meal I ever had and I scored it a perfect 20/20. Nothing looked out of place; all dishes were perfectly balanced, full of flavours and textures. I just never had a similar experience before…

And finally this… Yes, fine dining is all about top ingredients, outstanding cooking techniques, immaculate service, excellent wine pairing…but most of all, it would be NOTHING without the passion of the Chef (and his team), his love for his terroir, his relentless search for perfection and eternal creativity.

Emmanuel Renaut, I would just like to say THANK YOU…for the warm welcome, for your divine culinary creations, for the friendliness of your staff and most of all for having stayed the great, warm person you already were over a decade ago. We felt incredibly welcome and we enjoyed every second of our stay…see you soon! We will be back….

http://www.floconsdesel.com

Quite recently, chef Jonsson announced his decision to change the concept of his much acclaimed Chiswick (London) based Hedone restaurant. The restaurant is to have less seats, going from 40 covers to just 18 and the cooking is to become individualized, table by table. Needless to say that we were very much looking forward to our visit. 
We were warmly welcomed by hostess Aurelie who led our party of six to our favorite table, just next to the pass with great views on all that takes place in the buzzing open kitchen. With chef Mikael plating just a few feet away. 
As usual we opted for the Carte Blanche menu which is, for now, still priced at a very reasonable 125£ pp. We also went for the wine pairing at 110£ pp. 
To start we received a series of nibbles of traditionally high standard. The new creation of Fish and Chips with mushy peas was stunning. A delicate crisp, with a stick of beautiful cod and the rich pea dip got us all very excited. The traditional umami flan (ouch, I forgot to take a pic) was made with Parmesan this time and was equally stunning. 
The starters of crab, oyster and scallops were once more a perfect illustration of what it’s all about in this restaurant. Top ingredients cooked to perfection in dishes that are simple to understand and tasty, with a beautiful complexity but always perfectly balanced. The only point of discussion we had at our table is the slight dominance of the Amontillado foam with the scallops. The oyster dish on the other hand, was one of the very few dishes with caviar I’ve eaten were the caviar really works perfectly well and has a real uplifting effect. 
The main of hare was excellent too in large part thanks to the sauce which was just simply out of this world…soooo good. 
Of the two desserts my preference went to chef’s interpretation of Tarte Tatin which had a very nice sweet and sour taste. 
We had another great meal at this restaurant and I can’t wait to go back!!! Thank you Mikael and Aurelie.

www.hedonerestaurant.com
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
 

Sergio Herman is what I would call the ultimate chef, he is the embodiment of culinary and hospitality perfection. This probably pushed him to the limits and beyond of what a human being can deal with and so he decided to boldly close down his 3*, Oud Sluis. To reinvent himself, to surprise the world with a new, broader concept, bringing his perfection to all aspects of the dining experience. 
So, one has to understand that the idea of this restaurant was not to replicate Oud Sluis. No, the idea here was to create the ultimate restaurant experience for foodies and regular diners alike….in an exceptional setting…and boy did they succeed!!!!
Both the exterior as well as the interior of this completely refurbed former chapel on this old military site are mind blowing. 
From the moment you walk in, you are literally sucked into the magical experience as you are led into the dinning room by the charming hostesses. 
Tables are carefully located in the huge space, offering everyone enough privacy and a nice comfort zone to lay back, relax and venture off on a unique journey into the world of Sergio and Nick. 
This is one of the places where the attention for detail is really everywhere…and specifically also in the aperitifs. So, go for one of the cocktails that certainly are among the nicest I ever had. 
Another great thing about this restaurant is the menu…and its price…100€ for 8 courses and a seemingly endless selection of appetizers and mignardises is a bargain…wine prices are very reasonable too.
Flavours from all over the world, clever compositions, balanced and tasty, never overwhelming. They are in a way the perfect reflection of what Sergio and Nick’s philosophy are…you feel their open mind, their passion for traveling and discovering food from near and far in the plate…and you see that an international team of top professionals is playing culinary Champions League here, day after day. 
As in the past, nothing is out of balance, nothing looks out of place. From the brilliant first Indonesian nibble which had amazing depth of flavour over the delicate, full lobster dish to the hare and of course, last but not least, the stunning apple desert of Jaclyn, the talented young patissière…everything was exactly what it had to be…perfectly executed food that created a perfect symbiosis with the interior, the staff, the music, the atmosphere. 
Well, boys and girls…you definitely nailed it…very very good meal, exceptional location and charming staff. Great job Nick and Sergio!!!! 
Not sure that Sergio’s life has become easier, as he maybe would have hoped, this man is just so driven by perfection that he’ll always be living at 200 miles per hour 😉

A unique experience. I’ll be back!!!

http://thejaneantwerp.com/?lang=en

De la très grande classe hier soir au Two6Two à Strassen avec une impressionnante démonstration culinaire de trois chefs talentueux et en plus hyper sympa. Que dire d’autre que MERCI à Julien Elles, René Mathieu et Loïc Villemin. Messieurs, ce fût un régale. Fière de voire vos réalisations et quelle belle publicité pour la gastronomie dans la grande région.
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
   

Pleasant revisit to this restaurant. My last visit dated back to 2002 or 2003 when legendary Gérard Rabaey held 3* here. 
In 2011, Stephane Decotterd took over the helm after having worked in the restaurant since 1998….together with his charming wife Stefanie, whom he met at the restaurant where she worked as sommelier. 

The restaurant currently holds two stars and is soon to undergo a dining room transformation which will complete the transition from the previous owner to the current. 

The cooking style of the chef, originally from nearby Fribourg, is definitely terroir oriented and technically high level with an undeniable classic French base. 
Throughout the tasting menu, the chef deliberately opts for different styles of cooking and plating. This way, he wants to show the wide array of skills and know-how present within his brigade. This can be slightly confusing for some. 

Product wise, we see a chef who is proud of his roots and terroir and rightfully so! Different types of fish, mushroom and venison are sourced locally as well as the famous cream from Gruyère, near chef’s home base Fribourg. 

The wine list is extensive and especially in the Swiss wine section they have some solidly good stuff like the brilliant, but hard to find, Sauvignon Blanc from the Geneva area, from Pellegrin. Thumbs up for the very competent and friendly sommelier. 

Service was perfect and consistent with what one can expect from a 2*. 

Overall, this was a very good meal worthy of the 2* status. All in all not cheap but for this, the strong local currency is to blame and not the restaurant. Curious to see how this restaurant will evolve as there still is upward potential so I’ll keep an eye on what happens in the charming locality of Brent with beautiful views on Lac Leman. A delicate exercise awaits this chef, fine tuning the cooking style and menu conception to go for the 3* status…

Score: 17/20

http://www.lepontdebrent.ch

What happens when you bring together a talented young chef and a talented, slightly older 😜 chef? Right, you get one hell of a menu, culinary firework. That’s exactly what happened at the Quatre Mains dinner of Loïc Villemin (Toya, 1*, Faulquemont, F) and Cyril Molard (Ma Langue Sourit, 1*, Moutfort, L). Both chefs prepared a series of bites and dishes, and each chef choose one ingredient that the both of them had to transform into their personal creation. Quatre Mains are no guaranteed success but this one was of very high level. Both chefs have similar cooking styles and managed to come to a very well balanced, almost harmonious menu. Tonight was all about having fun, sharing experiences and most of all about delightful culinary creations. Thank you Loïc and Cyril!
   
    
    
    
 

So proud and happy to announce one hell of an achievement by a great chef friend of mine and superbe human being….Sanghoon Degeimbre of l’Air du Temps has just been awarded the ‘Chef of the Year 2016’ title by the prestigious GaultMillau Guide for Belgium…..It’s been a while that I have been waiting for this title to be given to San….Indeed, with the move to his new location at the end of 2012, his cuisine and cooking skills have taken a quantum leap….Literally cooking next to the beautiful garden that delivers him soon many ingredients and in an environment that couldn’t be more zen, San has fully deployed his skills, presenting a perfect symbiosis between Belgian terroir and his roots in South Korea. Multiple trips to his home country have had an important impact on his cooking style and have allowed him to brilliantly master the blend between Asia and Europe, bringing together the best of both worlds.
What else can I say but CONGRATULATIONS and RESPECT to you San and your excellent team of hard working, passionate people making l’Air du Temps a top foodie destination, time and time again…See you very soon my friend and cherish this moment…you deserve it soooooo much!!!!!

Culinary multi-tasker, showing loads of creativity and above all, one hell of a nice fellow….check-out the pictures of a fascinating meal prepared by one of Italy’s topchefs, Carlo Cracco… Some bold choices and combinations made this a very interesting meal, offering the experienced foodie something quite unique and enjoyable…. Extensive wine list with a beautiful selection of Italian wines…what did you expect 😉

http://www.ristorantecracco.it/en/ 

Refined contemporary Italian dining at Antonio Guida’s recently opened Seta. 

Seta is situated in the splendid Milano Mandarin Oriental hotel which opened its doors late July of this year in a former bank building. 

One has to admire the work that has been done here. The result is beautiful. 

Next to the lively bar, we find the fine dining restaurant of the hotel, Seta. 

We opted for the tasting menu which gave us a pretty good insight into the culinary universe of the chef. 

As you can see from the attached pictures, we were treated to a series of tasty, colorful dishes. Everything remained well within safe territory but who would blame the chef for playing it safe in the early days of this new restaurant?

Very nice wine list and good service, even though it could be more passionate and personal. 

For sure recommendable if you’re looking for high-end fine dining with great wines in a beautiful setting. 
http://www.mandarinoriental.com/milan/fine-dining/seta/ 

So I was in Bruges for a few hours and with barely more than a half hour for lunch, I decided to go and visit my good friends Bruno and Bas Timperman at Bistro Bruut. 
I wasn’t about to regret it and neither would I soon forget my visit. 
What Bruno served in his ‘lunch menu’ blew me away.
From the pickled red onion with mussels to the absolutely FAB smokey mushroom with foie which he served as small appetizers to the deliciously creamy eel and kohlrabi starter, followed by the 20/20 Cod, purée and cabbages main to end with his famous sorrel Icecream/Tarte Tatin interpretation….Amazing. 
Today’s meal was really characterized by smoothness and overall balance. Especially the main dish was world class cooking. 

Bruno, you did it again! 

http://www.bistrobruut.be