Zeeland, in the Netherlands, is in fact kind of a part of Flanders….therefore people there are almost completely like Flemish people, hard working, passionate professionals who’d die doing their jobs with their heart…just like, say, Sergio Herman…Now he’s had quite a few exceptional characters passing through his kitchen in the days of the legendary 3* restaurant Oud Sluis…Filip Claeys, Tim Boury, Syrco Bakker, Nick Bril…but also a young guy from Australia, Luke Armstrong. I’ve always liked Luke, his clear and determined view on gastronomy, his relentless hunger for perfection, his endless energy…so I decided to keep an eye on him. After years of perfecting his cooking skills throughout Europe, it was with great pleasure that I visited him at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze in posh Mayfair, London, UK tonight. 
Maze is situated within the Marriot hotel and was, until shortly, known as the place where Jason Atherton delivered his credentials to the culinary world. Now we all know how the story went between Gordon and Jason, so not sure this is really helping Luke..

But hey, as the people from Flanders and Zeeland, Luke was born in a country full of stubborn and determined people, Australia. So a couple months ago, Luke took over as head chef, with a clear mission, give the fullest expression to his cooking style and regain the lost Michelin star…
Allow me to cut some corners here and to make a long story quite short. Luke delivered a stunning performance tonight. Using first class ingredients to create technically challenging dishes packed with well balanced flavors is a real achievement. Especially since he took over the kitchen just 4 months ago after well, a few difficult years for Maze which eventually led to the loss of their Michelin star. Everything tonight was delicious, from the first appetizers to the perfect refreshing Pavlova… His (shell)fish dishes were so good that they even challenge the epic ingredient quality levels over at Hedone. 
The pictures speak pretty much for themselves. If you are in London, you just have to try and eat here….you will not regret it… 
There’s no doubt that the lost Michelin star is going to be won back soon…and we have the kind people of Zeeland to thank for that as Sergio has had an unmistakable influence on the chef Luke Armstrong has become, despite his young age. Of course this would not have been possibly without Gordon Ramsay and his executive team who really have given the opportunity to Luke to reshape and rethink things here either. I am very curious to see how the symbiosis between Luke and Gordon will further influence the culinary style of Maze in the years to come, so YES, I’ll definitely come back!

My score for this meal: 17/20

https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/maze
   
    
    
    
    
 

Still setting the standard for Chinese fine dining in London for me. Consistent high quality for years and years. Well done Alan Yau!
   
    
    
    
       

Pieter D’Hoop is a talented food photographer from Brugge (Bruges), in Belgium. I first met him during Flemish Food Bash 2 in Oostduinkerke. He immediately impressed me with a series of pictures of both food and people that caught the atmosphere of the event in a brilliant way. So I decided to take a closer look at his work…

After his start as an independent photographer, Pieter quickly started focussing on food and restaurant photography. He soon developed his very own style, which is defined by extreme attention to detail and a very straightforward approach of the dishes and settings he’s been shooting. You actually get the feeling that you could pick up your fork or spoon and just start eating away at the dishes in his pics.

Pieter had the pleasure and privilege to be a fly on the wall in many Belgian and Dutch restaurants, which at times allowed him to be a silent witness to the fantastic dynamics of how a restaurant works and operates from dawn till dusk. A great example of this are the unique pictures below, which he took at one of Belgium’s 3* restaurants, Hertog Jan, where he was following both the front of house staff and the kitchen team during a whole day.

It goes without saying that Pieter is also a foodie and a very creative home cook. We will most certainly see much more of his work in the near future as he has some very nice restaurants lined up for future shoots.

Enjoy the beauty of his pics…and if you’re getting hungry, blame him, not me 😉

www.pdsign.be

When Sofie Delbeke and Matthieu Beudaert moved their Michelin starred restaurant to a beautiful house in the heart of the historical city centre in Kortrijk (West-Flanders, Belgium), they quickly realized the huge potential of the first floor, above their first restaurant, Table d’Amis…and so they started planning the creation of a second, one… Gust Gastrobar.
The idea here is to offer hearty, tasty local dishes and some terroir specialties, from close by and further away. All of this, brought with a good portion of Michelin know-how and experience, but with a definite no-nonsense, informal approach.

The dining room is wrapped around the open kitchen and has been styled in a clever way, perfectly marrying design and the grandeur of this historical building. The large windows offer nice views and there’s a big terrace for warm summer days.

The menu is divided into kleine gust (the starters), grote gust (the mains) and zoete gust (desserts). The wine list offers a very large (in variety and price) choice of top quality bottles…you can see the hand of the charming hostess of Table d’Amis, Sofie Delbeke in the way this wine list was conceived.

Kleine gust offers a series of homemade starters and a selection of cheeses and cured meats to get things goin. In fact, if you are 4 or more it really becomes interesting because you can order a nice selection from the menu and share. Ideal to create a relaxed atmosphere, tasting all the goodness that they serve here, talking about food and wine, well, in other words having a good time… I had the delicious cheese croquettes made with the local cheese ‘brique des flanders’. Crisp on the outside, silky smooth and perfectly hot on the inside…and with a very pleasant, surprising spicy touch…mmmmmmmmmmm.

The main dishes are prepared on the Mibrasa grill and can be ordered with side dishes that are charged separately, which is very common in the UK but relatively new in this part of the world… The difficult task of making choice between so many good things is yet again a challenge if you’re eating alone…so hard!!! From the selection of meats and fish, I went for the pork cheeks prepared as a stew with Gouden Band, an excellent local beer, and Wostynmosterd…with fries and salad as sides. Pork with a nice, slightly fatty texture, not dry at all, divine sweet/sour/bitter sauce, perfectly balanced…a real treat!

I was a bit in a hurry so I skipped the sweets and went straight for coffee…still enjoying the nice meal I just had…Perfect and friendly service made this a most enjoyeable overall experience.
When in Kortrijk, make sure to visit Gust…you won’t regret it… Surely I will be back here and hopefully in good company so that I can taste much more of what the boys in the kitchen have in store. 

http://www.gastrobargust.be/  

 So, the year end is creeping up on us and it’s time for me to take a look back over my shoulder to my culinary year 2015…not in dishes but in chefs…because without chefs and their brilliant teams of sous, chefs de partie, etc…, waiters, maître d’s, dishwashers and cleaners, there simply wouldn’t be any fine dining at all. This is my way of saying ‘Thank you’ to all the hardworking professionals out there who made my 2015 into yet another culinary grand cru!

Here are, in (almost) arbitrary order, a number of people I want to put in the spotlights this year…

GEERT VAN HECKE, Chef at De Karmeliet, 3* in Brugge (B), I just have to start with chef Van Hecke. He is one of the key people who have shaped my passion for fine dining. His restaurant started next to my elementary school and later on moved to my street, the one and only Langestraat, where chef achieved the Champion’s League status of 3* which he proudly held ever since for over 20 years now! #RESPECT Thank you chef for your years of dedication and hard work, for what you have passed on to new generations of top chefs and most of all, for your warmth and kindness. It has been a privilege and honor to dine at De Karmeliet over the last twenty years, hope to be back soon for a last meal before the doors close for ever.

MIKAEL JONSSON, Chef at Hedone, 1*, in Chiswick, London (GB), what can I say Mikael, we were welcomed like princess when we came back to your restaurant earlier this month, after a long one year absence and we ate like kings. Your obsession for sourcing topnotch ingredients and for skillfully transforming them into pure, delightful dishes makes your restaurant into one of Europe’s prime foodie destinations. Your bold move to downsize has raised more than one eyebrow, but I can testify, it’s a huge success! It was so great to talk to you for well over an hour after service, getting an even better understanding of your cooking philosophy and almost endless knowledge about ingredients.

CHRIS BAU, Chef at Victor’s Gourmet Schlossberg, 3*, in Perl-Nennig (D) Dear Chef, how lucky am I to have your restaurant so close to where I live!! It’s become a yearly ritual to visit Schlossberg to enjoy your work, which is almost an artform…You master the combination of European cooking, local ingredients and Japanese influences to perfection. The beautiful plates that are coming out of your kitchen look so impressive that it’s a shame to eat them…or no, they are definitely so good that you just HAVE to eat them…and the wines….aaahhhh the wines play an important part in making a visit to Schlossberg truly unforgettable, also thanks to the irreplaceable sommelier Daniel… Thank you for your friendship and your hospitality!

SANGHOON DEGEIMBRE, Chef at l’Air du Temps, 2*, in Liernu (B), over the years our friendship and mutual respect has grown strong like the best steel…every visit to your beautiful restaurant and its gardens is like a fairytale…with your dedicated team of hospitality professionals you turn every meal into a whirlwind of discoveries both for the eyes and the palate. Not only Belgian but also European top level…and most of all, a truly unique dining experience…My home away from home. X

EMMANUEL RENAUT, Chef at Flocons de Sel, 3*, in Megève (F), My meal here was the first ever to get a 20/20 score…so yes, the perfect meal does exist. Particularly pleasing for me since Emmanuel Renaut is the only 3* chef I’ve known in the days when he had no stars. Despite his quick ascension to the top of world gastronomy, Emmanuel managed to remain…well…Emmanuel…a humble and warm man and at the same time incredibly driven 😉 His love for the mountains, his seemingly simple, but detailed approach to the conception of a dish and his incredible technical skill make his restaurant the finest I have ever eaten at, world-class, no doubt.

TIM BOURY, Chef at Boury, 1*, in Roeselare (B), West Flemish people are known to be hard working people who take their jobs very seriously and who don’t talk more than is strictly necessary. Well, that is a pretty good description of Tim Boury…till you get to know him better. Then, you realize he is all that and on top of that he is a damn good cook who developed his very own style…and a great guy. I had my best lunch of the year here with the grilled beef served on a mini bbq on the table as an absolute culinary high. The service is also remarkable and in the good hands of his wife Inge and the young but very professional front of house team. Tim, I have to say, I expected your 2* this year but for some mysterious reason Michelin decided to ignore the whole of West Flanders, not only you, so I guess it will be for 2017 (fingers crossed)!!!

LOÏC VILLEMIN, Chef at Toya, 1*, in Faulquemont (F) My dear Loïc, on two occasions this year, you showed me why you were rightfully the youngest chef to get a Michelin star in France. Your cooking is super well mastered, technical, inventive and extremely well balanced… Your potatoes cooked in clay were simply extraterrestrialy good! I have not often seen such talent as yours. I will keep a close eye on your work and evolution for sure…can’t wait to be back in Faulquemont

CYRIL MOLLARD, Chef at Ma Langue Sourit, 1*, in Moutfort (L) Cyril, for me it has been an excellent year for Ma Langue Sourit. I must have eaten some six times at your restaurant which allowed me to be repeatedly charmed by the consistency of your tasty creations. What an evolution in the plate and in the service you have gone through! Your restaurant is ready for the next level…it’s tangible when you dine at your restaurant…except for the guides who seemed to have ignored this completely this year.

MARCELO BALLARDIN, Chef at Oak, in Gent (B), Marcelo, I decided to give you a place in my list despite not having eaten at your restaurant…though I did have the occasion of eating your food at the GaultMillau 2016 press lunch and at Horeca Expo. You move me with your cuisine. The way you delicately integrate Brasilian influences into your dishes is superb. You create dishes that express your unique vision on cooking and I cannot wait to discover more in 2016!!! By chance we could extensively exchange views and ideas and I was amazed about the river of ideas coming out of you 😉 I am sure you are one of Belgium’s top talents for the years to come…
WILLEM HIELE and BRUNO TIMPERMAN, Chefs of Willem Hiele in Oostduinkerke (B) and Bruut in Burgge (B), Willem and Bruno, I just have to mention you guys in one breath…you are to me, two brothers from, obviously, two other mothers…You are both perfect representatives of all that seasonal terroir cooking should stand for. The way the two of you met and how you stick together like glue, with an amazing four hand dinner as a result is so cool.
It’s not only great to eat your food, but equally great to hear you talk about your ingredients, cooking techniques and dish creations…I have spent hours and hours with you guys and it’s been unforgettable…especially the two of you making me scrambled eggs with chives, brown shrimps and whit truffle at 03:30am, just because I was getting hungry again was just EPIC. Big kiss to both of you…you cook from the heart, pure, no bullshit…love it!!!! 

VINCENT FLORIZOONE, Chef at Grand Cabaret in Nieuwpoort (B)…Flori, you are one crazy but special guy….talented chef and relentlessly motivated organizer of a great chef and foodie get together which has already become a reference, Flemish Foodbash…It’s been one hell of a tough ride for you this year, both personally and professionally and I have stood right next to you during some unbelievable moments but also during some tough challenges…respect my friend…and I wish you all the best for the future, once the doors of your legendary Grand Cabaret will close in a few days from now!!!!

Love you all, a big thank you and see you next year for more culinary adventures!! Best wishes for 2016!!!!

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