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 

L’Air du Temps is Sanghoon Degeimbre’s 2* restaurant situated between Brussels and Namur (Belgium). 

San’s cooking is light, creative and full of flavours. I admit, this is not without risk and yes, every now and then something can seem unbalanced or out of place, but hey…that’s a risk I gladly take at this exquisite restaurant.

Not today though, today we were served a real feast. Absolutely amazing cooking…consistent top level from appetizer to mignardise. Super!

Du très très grand San as they say in French…impressive. 
Skillful preparations based on the treasures from their own garden and from regional growers and producers. Real culinary masterpieces without ever getting lost in overly artsy fartsy posh show cooking. 
This restaurant also excels in paring the great dishes with herb infused water (through ultrasound extraction). This combined with a few glasses of well chosen wine made this once again a memorable experience.
www.lairdutemps.be