In December zal de nieuwe kaart van ons restaurant weer in gaan. We zijn
druk bezig met de voorbereidingen.... Creatieve brainstorms, overleg,
testen en proeven. Allemaal niet erg zou je zeggen, klopt, maar wel heel
lastig!
Wat zijn nou onze klassiekers? Wat mag echt niet van de kaart af en wat moet er absoluut op komen?
Willen de gasten ieder seizoen een verrassend nieuwe kaart met allerlei
producten uit dat seizoen of willen ze eigenlijk er van op aan kunnen
welke gerechten ze kunnen verwachten op de kaart?
Stiekem willen gasten het allebei. Ze willen dat hun favoriet erop
blijft staan maar wel dat een restaurant mee gaat met haar tijd en de
tijd van het jaar.
Ook wij proberen hier op in te spelen, maar wat stays & what goes is
dan best een pittige vraagstelling. We voeren een kaart met een flinke
Franse knipoog, maar sommige Italiaanse of Aziatische gerechten lonken.
Wat doe je daar dan mee? Wie houdt er nou niet van een goede classy saté
of een mooi stuk rauwe tonijn en wasabi mayonaise?
Enkele dingen blijven op de kaart en enkele worden vernieuwd.
Cheesecake, die zal van mij nooit van de kaart gehaald mogen worden. Ik
ben er verliefd op en onze gasten met mij. Daarnaast zie ik ons
personeel de cheesecake tegenwoordig ook thuis maken dus dat zegt ook
wat!
Een groot voordeel tijdens het voorbereiden op een nieuwe kaart is het
proeven van nieuwe gerechten en daarnaast het aanschaffen van mijn big
guilty pleasure; nieuwe kookboeken! Hier wordt ik zo blij van als een
klein meisje van een barbiepop en een man van 40 met een snelle
sportauto.
Vandaag komt een vriendinnetje langs en gaan we ook lekker kokkerellen
dus ik ga heel hard werken en heeeel veel nieuwe winterse gerechten
proberen :)
It's a hard knock life.Smakelijk!
Monday, November 26, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Een nieuw begin!
Zo daar zijn we dan. Een nieuw begin!
Een nieuw begin op zo veel manieren, dat kan ik je zeker vertellen.
Zoals enkelen van jullie wellicht als wisten was ik bezig met de opstart van mijn eigen natural-fastservice concept in Utrecht, mijn prachtige woonplaats!
Dingen zijn allemaal wat anders gelopen dan verwachten en ondertussen ben ik al 2,5 maand samen met mijn vriend trotste eigenaar en manager van Hotel & Restaurant Parkzicht in Eindhoven.
Eindhoven? Ja...... Eindhoven!
Niks, food-capital of Holland, niks, beste bar van Nederland ... niks, 3 sterrenrestaurants in de buurt. Ook wonen de meeste van mijn vrienden in Rotterdam, Den Haag, Amsterdam, Bloemendaal, Utrecht, Den Bosch en Bemmel of all places. Niet in Eindhoven!!
Gelukkig woont 1 vriendin in Deurne en mijn familie in Valkenswaard waardoor ik toch een grote schare blij heb gemaakt (hoop ik) met mijn komst naar Eindhoven.
Mijn vriend, soon to be husband, a.k.a. Mr Rotterdam, moest ook even wennen aan het idee Eindhoven. Maar zelf ben ik nog degene die het hardste heeft geroepen; Eindhoven?? Dat nooit!
Zelf snap je natuurlijk ook wel dat voor een kans als deze, het overnemen van een fantastisch hotel in de stad met een groot restaurant dat altijd druk bezocht is geweest, een kans is die je maar 1 keer krijgt in je leven. Een kans die wij zeker niet aan onszelf voorbij wilden laten gaan!!
Drukke tijden volgden vanaf begin juni en een waar gekkenhuis kon je het ook wel noemen. Die rollercoaster waar we in kwamen, zitten we nog steeds in en het gaat maar door. Eindhoven? Dat zal wel wennen. Eerlijk gezegd door de drukte hier nog weinig tijd gehad om 'de beste binnenstad 2012' in te gaan, maar hier zullen we ook genoeg kunnen beleven!
Misschien is Eindhoven saai, misschien is het fantastisch. Kun je hier goed eten? Bij ons in ieder geval wel, maar de rest van Eindhoven & omgeving zijn we ook aan het ontdekken!
Sinds we hier zijn, zijn Restaurant Flo (In het Holiday Inn), Restaurant D'Oliveira (Valkenswaard), Restaurant Welp en Italiaanse topper Da Nello al aan de beurt geweest, er zullen er nog vele volgen! (vanavond gaan we bijvoorbeeld bij Eindhovens-Favorite Mangiare eten)
En bij de opening kregen we bloemen van de Karpendonkse Hoeve (1 michelin ster) en gisteren kwam Johan van Groeninge (van Avant Garde in het PSV stadion met 1 michelin ster) eten. Saai? Saai kunnen wij Eindhoven nog niet noemen! Genoeg eten, drinken, hotels en buzz in town :)
Keep you posted!
Monday, August 6, 2012
New focus
Just a message.... to let you all know... I will proceed in Dutch!
My English is fine but I feel more free and known in the Dutch language.
Doing this will increase
1. My Fun in writing the blog
2. The Dutchies fun in reading the blog
3. Hopefully the quality of the blog
Monday, April 16, 2012
Fancy Drinks & Living Room dinner in Utrecht.
Yesterday was a day with a bit of sunlight, a bit chilly but still inviting to get out of the house and do something.
After the movie we still had some time left before our reservation at C'est ça (which apparently is bizarre that we were able to make a reservation that same day). Since we had some time left we went for a glass of wine and beer in the centre. We chose to go to Four, the bar (and restaurant) in Hotel Dom just next to the actual Dom tower.
This is really something I haven't seen before in Utrecht and it felt like walking into fancy New York suites. Looking at the docking stations, yoga mat, enormous spaces for your clothes, whirlpools and a perfect view over Utrecht. Two suites had the luxury of a rooftop terrace and one had a full view over the Dom tower from the bed. I was truly amazed by the gorgeous suites and it's a shame that I already have a (my own) bed in the heart of Utrecht, so never really a reason to stay in a hotel :)
This first got me and Derk to the cinema (Wolff city Bioscoop Utrecht) to see the movie Hugo in 3D. This was a great start of our afternoon and the movie was amazing. A good story with great effects and added: some childish humour, made it a great movie.
After the movie we still had some time left before our reservation at C'est ça (which apparently is bizarre that we were able to make a reservation that same day). Since we had some time left we went for a glass of wine and beer in the centre. We chose to go to Four, the bar (and restaurant) in Hotel Dom just next to the actual Dom tower.There were only a few seats taken on this quiet Sunday in town. We took a seat at the bar and were served by a very friendly girl. She served us a glass of wine which wasn't on the wine menu but apparently her favorite. I have to say, it was a really tasty and wonderful Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Momo.
We also got the chance to take a look at some of their suites, in one word WOW!
This is really something I haven't seen before in Utrecht and it felt like walking into fancy New York suites. Looking at the docking stations, yoga mat, enormous spaces for your clothes, whirlpools and a perfect view over Utrecht. Two suites had the luxury of a rooftop terrace and one had a full view over the Dom tower from the bed. I was truly amazed by the gorgeous suites and it's a shame that I already have a (my own) bed in the heart of Utrecht, so never really a reason to stay in a hotel :)Since we already had reservations we had to take a rain check on the restaurant, which also looked very attractive. A bit chiq, a bit fancy, great interior design and a menu that we'd love to try out some day.
So we jumped back on our bikes, towards C'est ça. It's near Griftpark in a neighbourhood with hardly any shops or restaurants and so on. So it was a little search before we found it!
Right when we entered the chef had a good and friendly look at us and welcomed us to the restaurant, right from his kitchen. In a few seconds one of the ladies welcomed us and invited us to pick any table that we'd like to sit. The ambiance was one of a living room, a cozy old fashioned living room.
The concept of this restaurant is that there's a 5 course dinner made by the chef and only if you have any diet/veggie wishes than you may indicate them and they will adjust the menu. Otherwise, you'll only be surprised. And so we were.
There were several wines to chose from but the advice was to go for the viognier, it was 70% matured on oakwood. It had a nice fruity but bitter taste and really popped our taste buds.
Our first surprise was a terrine of lamb, truffle mayonnaise and a little clove of garlic that was blanched in milk. Usually I'm not a big fan of terrines but this was really tasty and had a good meat bite other than I'm sometimes disappointed by all the gelatin I find in terrines.
The second surprise was a big old fashioned bowl with a creamy tomato and fish soup and a large serving spoon and two plates. This was not weird, it even made us feel more at home and relaxed and we enjoyed another glass of the viognier.
Our third surprise was the main course. It was a piece of tail of the monkfish. A good firm bite and very tasty fish with a saffron sauce, sea lavender and a cream of potato. Also this dish was accompanied by the viognier, a perfect combination.
The fourth surprise was a cheese platter with a soft cheese that was put on the plate when served, which looked like an epoisses. The blue cheese and a hard cheese from the Jura were very tasty as well. We accompanied this dish with a young glass of port and a matured glass of port. The differences were very big and actually I wish I also had chosen the matured glass of port.
Our fifth and final surprise was the dessert. The dessert was a yogurt bavarois that clearly also contained lemon. It was accompanied by an amazing home made chocolate liquor.
All the time we felt very at home and the personnel really did everything they could to make us feel this way. This by giving us everything we need, but also not being in the way. They've been absoluty kind and helpful and everytime we had a doubt about what to drink they came with more bottles to let us try which one we'd like best.
This is a service I think every restaurant should have. From a restaurant side: the tastier choice is more likely to be the more expensive one and guests will go for a better taste once they've had it. Also I usually don't like liquors but after tasting the chocolate liquor I couldn't get enough of it!
From a guests side: Once you've tasted something you know so much more than many words can tell you. You know you make the right choice once you've tasted!
So... it's a win-win in my opinion :)
Anyway, the whole day was a perfect Sunday and I've enjoyed it to the max.
Great movie, fancy drinks and a surprising and really perfect dinner!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Time for a recipe... Tomato & Bread soup
It's time for another recipe and I'd like to share one of my favorite soups with you.
This Tomato & Bread soup (Pappa al pomodoro in Italian... it's an Italian/Tuscan dish!) is good for a lazy sunday on the couch but also a perfect special dish during a homecooked dinner with friends. The great thing is, you can use up all your 'old' bread that's left over, so you're also thinking yield management ;)
The reason I love this soup is because it can fill you up, no sugar is used, the tastes of the different ingredients mix up so wel, you can make it all organic, it's veggie (Personally I'm an occasional veggie.. once or twice a week) and it makes you look like a great chef .. ;)
So, no long talks this time, here's my recipe. It's based on different recipes from Jamie Oliver, Amber Albarda and some recipe websites.
What do you need?
- 500 grams cherry tomatoes. (fresh and deep red, prefferably bio/organic)
- 3 cloves of garlic - cut into slices
- a large bunch of fresh basil (chop the stalks and tear up the leaves - keep seperately)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tins of peeled tomatoes (prefferably the bio/organic)
- Sea salt and Pepper
- One red pepper (throw the seeds out)
- Some freshly grounded Pecorino
- 2 large handfulls of bread ( I love using sourdough bread )
What to do?
Prick the cherry tomatoes and toss them with one sliced clove of garlic and a quarter of the basil leaves. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, put them in a roasting tray or baking dish and cook in the oven at 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 for about 20 minutes. Make sure the tomatoes are not on top of the other but all seperated. The reason for doing this is so that their flavour becomes intense and concentrated.
Heat some olive oil in a large pot and add the remaining garlic and the basil stalks. Stir around and gently fry for a minute until softened. Add your tinned tomatoes, then fill the tin with water and add that. Break the tomatoes up with a spoon or a fork, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
Tear the bread up into pieces and add them to the pan. Mix well and season to taste. Tear in the basil leaves and let the soup sit on a low heat for 10 minutes. By this time your roasted tomatoes will be done, with juice bursting out of their skins, so remove them from the tray, remembering to scrape all the lovely sticky bits from the bottom. Pour them into the soup with all the juices, basil and oil from the tray.
Give the soup a good stir – you're looking to achieve a thick, silky, porridgey texture, so feel free to adjust it with a little water. Then remove it from the heat and add 6 or 7 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and some fresh red pepper.
Divide between your bowls and serve with a little extra basil torn over the top if you like. The most important thing with this soup is that you have a wonderfully intense sweet tomato basil flavour. Add some freshly grounded Pecorino in the end.
You can easily keep this soup in the refridgerator after it cooled down. It might even be better the next day.
All I'd like to add; Enjoy!!!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Italia! C'è la vitta bella! (& the food too!)
This post on my blog is about many of my passions, actually I don't know where to start and what to say. There are so many things I'd like to say about Italy and how much I love this country for so many reasons.
Let me start by saying why I went to Italy last weekend...
On January 26th this year, my boyfriend has asked me to marry him! In the last 6,5 years we've been talking about getting married abroad many times and Italy was our number one choice. Now that we are getting married (hope you weren't waiting for my answer... ofcourse I said yes!!!) the decision was made easily and in the end of September this year the big day will take place in Siena, Tuscany.
When looking at locations we fell in love with Siena and the Fattoria ('Farm'-- wine & olive oil) where we will stay with our guests. Naturally we couldn't book it without checking it out for ourselves so we booked a weekend (what a hard knock life we have..). The weekend of 23 to 25 March was the opening weekend of the Fattoria and therefore on Friday we were forced to visit Siena for food and drinks. This was everything but a dissapointment.
First of all, Siena is so impressive with it's beautiful little streets, little shops, the Duomo, Santa Maria della scala and Piazza il Campo. One word: Gorgeous!
We were hungry so one of the first (out of many) cute little espresso bars with a lunchmenu was our pick. Starving... so no time to take a good look at the menu... 'we'll see!'. The menu that showed some tacky pictures of some of their dishes looked like one in a too crowded touristy place. Well... it wasn't crowded at that time but thinking... we WERE in a touristy place. What do you think of the food and the service in such places usually? Well... I don't think I have to ask.
But, as you know, we were in a cute city in Italy, this is where there's one thing they do understand: FOOD! We had a plate of cured/dried meat and two small pasta's. Maybe it was the fact that we didn't expect a lot and we were hungry but really, delicious!
The meat is in no way comparable to the meat you get in Dutch 'simple' restaurants but more similar to the meat you get on an expensive plate in a fancy / chique restaurant. When you close your eyes, it will feel like you're really there. 'Il conto' wasn't mentionable and we left the espresso bar happy and satisfied.
Ofcourse, tourists that we are, we wanted to eat or drink something at Piazza il Campo. We, Dutch that we are(!), liked to grab a nice beer and 'Bar Birreria' looked like it could meet our wishes. With several beers on draft and many beers on bottle we had all the choice we needed. The Belgian brown beer I ordered unfortunately wasn't available anymore (looking at the ladies frowned face it seemed like I was the first in 10 years to ask for it LOL) so I got an English one. All fine, nessun problema!
Il conto surprised us a little more here since the beers were around 6/8 euro's. This shows again that beer isn't really Italian and you'd better go for a glass of amazing local wine (3 euro's!).
In the evening we wanted to enjoy some Italian foods in our villa at the Fattoria and therefore visited a small deli shop and went for the most delicious looking mortadella, salame, peccorino cheese, blue cheese and pane (bread), and we couldn't resist a piece of local specialty torta (sort of a cake). That evening we enjoyed all this with a bottle of complimentary wine of the hotel. Really amazing and so delicious that every bite surprises you.
You really taste the purity and authenticity. All the flavours are as they should be and I don't think there's anywhere in the world where you can get such pure food that tastes so amazing.
The next day we had coffee and later a lunch at Piazza il Campo, also a place where you don't expect too much quality and high prices since it's mainly tourists visiting. It surprised us in everyway possible. The prices were low and the food was again... delicious. Crispy bruschetta as it should be and a beautiful salad and a 4 cheese pizza. Really, I absolutely love the pizza from Pizzeria Il Mondo in Utrecht but it would never win from this one!
Later on at the Fattoria we had a wine tasting of all the delicious wines that the Fattoria has to offer and small bites weren't skipped here either. The Italians know their way to spoil us, and themselves!
A little tipsy after not only 'tasting' we went to the Fattoria's restaurant where we were pampered with a great 3 course dinner with local dishes such as boar. Also the amazing Italian man who served us (imagine; 70 years old, twinkling eyes, small, a pasta-belly and oh so charming) really wanted us to also have the grappa after this amazing dinner. We couldn't say no to these twinkling eyes and tried it. Really... that's the only thing I don't like about Italy! So sorry for the fans but grappa is not my favorite :) So strong and I totally lost the nice tastes of dinner in my mouth. Vino Santo (holy wine - a sweet dessert wine) was more soothing for my mouth :-)
Soddisfatto e molto felice we left the restaurant and went up to our villa.
Before we left we made sure to bring some of the Chianti Classico riserva and olive oil home with us!
Italy, ti amo, a presto!
Let me start by saying why I went to Italy last weekend...
On January 26th this year, my boyfriend has asked me to marry him! In the last 6,5 years we've been talking about getting married abroad many times and Italy was our number one choice. Now that we are getting married (hope you weren't waiting for my answer... ofcourse I said yes!!!) the decision was made easily and in the end of September this year the big day will take place in Siena, Tuscany.
When looking at locations we fell in love with Siena and the Fattoria ('Farm'-- wine & olive oil) where we will stay with our guests. Naturally we couldn't book it without checking it out for ourselves so we booked a weekend (what a hard knock life we have..). The weekend of 23 to 25 March was the opening weekend of the Fattoria and therefore on Friday we were forced to visit Siena for food and drinks. This was everything but a dissapointment.
First of all, Siena is so impressive with it's beautiful little streets, little shops, the Duomo, Santa Maria della scala and Piazza il Campo. One word: Gorgeous!
We were hungry so one of the first (out of many) cute little espresso bars with a lunchmenu was our pick. Starving... so no time to take a good look at the menu... 'we'll see!'. The menu that showed some tacky pictures of some of their dishes looked like one in a too crowded touristy place. Well... it wasn't crowded at that time but thinking... we WERE in a touristy place. What do you think of the food and the service in such places usually? Well... I don't think I have to ask.
But, as you know, we were in a cute city in Italy, this is where there's one thing they do understand: FOOD! We had a plate of cured/dried meat and two small pasta's. Maybe it was the fact that we didn't expect a lot and we were hungry but really, delicious!The meat is in no way comparable to the meat you get in Dutch 'simple' restaurants but more similar to the meat you get on an expensive plate in a fancy / chique restaurant. When you close your eyes, it will feel like you're really there. 'Il conto' wasn't mentionable and we left the espresso bar happy and satisfied.
Ofcourse, tourists that we are, we wanted to eat or drink something at Piazza il Campo. We, Dutch that we are(!), liked to grab a nice beer and 'Bar Birreria' looked like it could meet our wishes. With several beers on draft and many beers on bottle we had all the choice we needed. The Belgian brown beer I ordered unfortunately wasn't available anymore (looking at the ladies frowned face it seemed like I was the first in 10 years to ask for it LOL) so I got an English one. All fine, nessun problema!
Il conto surprised us a little more here since the beers were around 6/8 euro's. This shows again that beer isn't really Italian and you'd better go for a glass of amazing local wine (3 euro's!).
In the evening we wanted to enjoy some Italian foods in our villa at the Fattoria and therefore visited a small deli shop and went for the most delicious looking mortadella, salame, peccorino cheese, blue cheese and pane (bread), and we couldn't resist a piece of local specialty torta (sort of a cake). That evening we enjoyed all this with a bottle of complimentary wine of the hotel. Really amazing and so delicious that every bite surprises you.
You really taste the purity and authenticity. All the flavours are as they should be and I don't think there's anywhere in the world where you can get such pure food that tastes so amazing.
The next day we had coffee and later a lunch at Piazza il Campo, also a place where you don't expect too much quality and high prices since it's mainly tourists visiting. It surprised us in everyway possible. The prices were low and the food was again... delicious. Crispy bruschetta as it should be and a beautiful salad and a 4 cheese pizza. Really, I absolutely love the pizza from Pizzeria Il Mondo in Utrecht but it would never win from this one!
Later on at the Fattoria we had a wine tasting of all the delicious wines that the Fattoria has to offer and small bites weren't skipped here either. The Italians know their way to spoil us, and themselves!
A little tipsy after not only 'tasting' we went to the Fattoria's restaurant where we were pampered with a great 3 course dinner with local dishes such as boar. Also the amazing Italian man who served us (imagine; 70 years old, twinkling eyes, small, a pasta-belly and oh so charming) really wanted us to also have the grappa after this amazing dinner. We couldn't say no to these twinkling eyes and tried it. Really... that's the only thing I don't like about Italy! So sorry for the fans but grappa is not my favorite :) So strong and I totally lost the nice tastes of dinner in my mouth. Vino Santo (holy wine - a sweet dessert wine) was more soothing for my mouth :-)
Soddisfatto e molto felice we left the restaurant and went up to our villa.
Before we left we made sure to bring some of the Chianti Classico riserva and olive oil home with us!
Italy, ti amo, a presto!
Monday, March 26, 2012
De Treeswijkhoeve... Ultimate Pampering on a Michelin star level
Last Friday I had the privelege to attend a meeting followed by a dinner in Michelin star restaurant de Treeswijkhoeve.
The meeting started at 3.30 pm and everyone (mainly men 45 to 70 years barring a few exclusions) had to come straight out of other meetings so unfortunately we didn't have the time to enjoy the spring sun on the terrace beforehand.
During the meeting we received water, coffee and tea accompanied by some caramel/nut biscuits. Without a doubt home made and delicious. When the meeting ended somewhat before 6 pm we took a sprint outside to the terrace to enjoy the last rays of sunlight. During the aperitif we were already surprised with some little bites. These consisted of special combinations with for example a crème of avocado with soy and citrus. Sardines, artichoke, tuna and a lemoncake and also a crème of Jeruzalem artichokes, hazel, ryebread with smoked beef of the MRIJ-ox. (fire red Dutch cows)
If these weren't enough surprises, at the table we also received several dishes and each dish was a surprise. Also each dish was accompanied by perfect glasses of wine. The wine-food combinations were perfectly chosen.
Unlike other times I've visited de Treeswijkhoeve the serving by one lady was poor.
I'm not sure if the lady enjoyed serving us as a group the entire time. The smile was sometimes hard to find and at some points she forgot to explain what was on our plate and which wine was served. Also some questions about beverages that were not agreed beforehand were 'something she'd had to look into', whereas I always enjoy a more enthusiastic response.
However.... I've worked in hotels and restaurants for many years and I understand the feeling of serving a group of guests who are there for a meeting in comparison to a table for two who are there for the food and the experience.... Still, not the way to work it but after one sip of wine or one small bite of our dishes it was all forgotten!
We received scallops, lobster, cod and lamb and all executed in such a way your sight finds it a delight, your mouth finds it comforting and you mind keeps exploring and tries to recognize all the tastes. I love this combination!
Everytime we thought, this probably is our main course another dish came out of the splendid kitchen of Dick Middelweerd. Even dessert was served in two courses. After that, our coffee was also accompanied by very special sweets such as a home made 'caramel bar' with sea salt on the side.
This is what I call ultimate pampering! Dish after dish and one even more surprising and tastefull than the other.
I've been here before and I surely will be back. Each time this kitchen surprises me!
The meeting started at 3.30 pm and everyone (mainly men 45 to 70 years barring a few exclusions) had to come straight out of other meetings so unfortunately we didn't have the time to enjoy the spring sun on the terrace beforehand.
During the meeting we received water, coffee and tea accompanied by some caramel/nut biscuits. Without a doubt home made and delicious. When the meeting ended somewhat before 6 pm we took a sprint outside to the terrace to enjoy the last rays of sunlight. During the aperitif we were already surprised with some little bites. These consisted of special combinations with for example a crème of avocado with soy and citrus. Sardines, artichoke, tuna and a lemoncake and also a crème of Jeruzalem artichokes, hazel, ryebread with smoked beef of the MRIJ-ox. (fire red Dutch cows)
If these weren't enough surprises, at the table we also received several dishes and each dish was a surprise. Also each dish was accompanied by perfect glasses of wine. The wine-food combinations were perfectly chosen.
Unlike other times I've visited de Treeswijkhoeve the serving by one lady was poor.
I'm not sure if the lady enjoyed serving us as a group the entire time. The smile was sometimes hard to find and at some points she forgot to explain what was on our plate and which wine was served. Also some questions about beverages that were not agreed beforehand were 'something she'd had to look into', whereas I always enjoy a more enthusiastic response.
However.... I've worked in hotels and restaurants for many years and I understand the feeling of serving a group of guests who are there for a meeting in comparison to a table for two who are there for the food and the experience.... Still, not the way to work it but after one sip of wine or one small bite of our dishes it was all forgotten!
We received scallops, lobster, cod and lamb and all executed in such a way your sight finds it a delight, your mouth finds it comforting and you mind keeps exploring and tries to recognize all the tastes. I love this combination!
Everytime we thought, this probably is our main course another dish came out of the splendid kitchen of Dick Middelweerd. Even dessert was served in two courses. After that, our coffee was also accompanied by very special sweets such as a home made 'caramel bar' with sea salt on the side.
This is what I call ultimate pampering! Dish after dish and one even more surprising and tastefull than the other.
I've been here before and I surely will be back. Each time this kitchen surprises me!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Restaurantweek - Potential regular guests or a waste of money?
The national restaurantweek (RW) has become a major event for foodies in the Netherlands over the last years. Two weeks per year one can go to a restaurant for a reduced menu price.
There are a few motives to go....
(1)All foodies with a limited budget can finally go to that restaurant everyone speaks about or they have wanted to go to so many times, (2)budget or discount freaks can literally say "Eat your heart out richies! I'm eating at a fancy restaurant!", or (3) people explore new restaurants they had never heard of before but was the only restaurant available that had a michelin star. Motives to join restaurant week differ from person to person.
So .... what's in it for a restaurant? Will they gain new regular guests or is it really just a waste of money?
In my opinion, this really is up to the owner of the restaurant and how they play the RW-game.
Some restaurants give a menu in this week that is hardly worth more (maybe even less) than the price one pays for RW. Believe me, people notice!
Other restaurants make it so exclusive that it is easy to believe that the regular amount you pay is way overpriced.
Or... a restaurant can do it the way 'Het Arsenaal Paul Fagel' in Naarden vesting surprised me and my fiance last night. First of all the exterior was already welcoming and impressive. Inside we were warmly welcomed by the hostess and still were able to choose a corner seat. I always prefer a corner seat, where we have a good view over the restaurant. In this way besides being in good company, drinking great wines and tasting a delicious meal, in the meantime we can monitor everything that is happening in the restaurant. (Maybe these are Natural Hotelschool instincts?? ;-) )
'Het Arsenaal Paul Fagel' first offered us an aperitif and presented us the RW menu. In this menu they showed the menu which consisted out of three gorgeous sounding courses. Besides this, which I find very smart, they offered the option of an extra course between starter and main course and the option to change dessert into cheese. Naturally there's a surcharge for these extra dishes.
Also the suggested wines were presented and an option to have a look at the winelist.
In this way the restaurant offered us to go with the RW menu which is low in price and gave suggestions how we could make it more special or more to our taste. We decided to include the suggested wines and change dessert into cheese ( don't get me wrong, I need my sweets but we considered we'd get some chocolate once we ordered our coffee.... - which we did ! )
The menu was surprising, michelinstar quality and tasted delicious. With a starter of seabass which was only marinated and not cooked, panfried or anything we really had a new experience. The tame duckbreast was good in flavor and had a subtle rim of fat. The sauce of wild mushrooms and the garlic mousseline finished the dish perfectly.
The selection of cheeses went so well with the fig and nut bread and with our coffee and tea we got our expected selection of special sweets. I always love the way they still give you a piece of chocolate brownie since everyone just loves it, but make it look so chic.
So the big question in this story is if a great restaurant should join in with a popular/folksy offer. My answer to this is that if you do it right, it is NEVER a waste of money!
With doing it right I mean that you should offer a good menu and make sure you can upsell to guests that enjoy the extra value and care not to make a difference in approach to RW guests and other guests.
Remember the different motives for people to join RW I mentioned earlier? You can get a profit out of all of them!
1. The foodies that always wanted to eat at your restaurant first of all will share with all their friends that they finally are going to eat at your restaurant. Once they are there and experience the great atmosphere and taste your refined dishes and they can see that it is worth to come back at least a few times for special occasions. For all the other weeks and occasions you can point out that you also have a surprise menu or a simpler menu which is lower in costs than eating à la carte. Now for sure they will be back!
2. The budget or discount freaks, yes you're right. You are never going to see them again! However, if you make sure they enjoy their perfect night out they will tell everyone how fancy their dinner was and how fantastic it was to eat for such a reduced price. They will not forget to mention how expensive the restaurant usually is. This is what makes you remain to have a certain exclusivity! You don't want to lose this over a few discount freaks, it can only help you to make your restaurant sound even more special.
3. The guests that went to your restaurant by 'accident' since your restaurant was the only one with a michelin star or that one restaurant with some remaining seats and great reviews..... these guests are the guests with the lowest expectations and therefore the guests that you will be able to surprise the most! Once you've surprised these guests and pampered them they for sure can be your new regular guests. Welcome !
So, (and this goes for everything) if you do it, do it right! You won't regret it.
I will for sure return to 'Het Arsenaal Paul Fagel' and if you were wondering.... my motive probably was type 3 this RW and for my fiance type 1. However for some restaurants I also am a discount freak, and proud of it :)
Have you joined Restaurantweek? Please share!
There are a few motives to go....
(1)All foodies with a limited budget can finally go to that restaurant everyone speaks about or they have wanted to go to so many times, (2)budget or discount freaks can literally say "Eat your heart out richies! I'm eating at a fancy restaurant!", or (3) people explore new restaurants they had never heard of before but was the only restaurant available that had a michelin star. Motives to join restaurant week differ from person to person.
So .... what's in it for a restaurant? Will they gain new regular guests or is it really just a waste of money?
In my opinion, this really is up to the owner of the restaurant and how they play the RW-game.
Some restaurants give a menu in this week that is hardly worth more (maybe even less) than the price one pays for RW. Believe me, people notice!
Other restaurants make it so exclusive that it is easy to believe that the regular amount you pay is way overpriced.
Or... a restaurant can do it the way 'Het Arsenaal Paul Fagel' in Naarden vesting surprised me and my fiance last night. First of all the exterior was already welcoming and impressive. Inside we were warmly welcomed by the hostess and still were able to choose a corner seat. I always prefer a corner seat, where we have a good view over the restaurant. In this way besides being in good company, drinking great wines and tasting a delicious meal, in the meantime we can monitor everything that is happening in the restaurant. (Maybe these are Natural Hotelschool instincts?? ;-) )
'Het Arsenaal Paul Fagel' first offered us an aperitif and presented us the RW menu. In this menu they showed the menu which consisted out of three gorgeous sounding courses. Besides this, which I find very smart, they offered the option of an extra course between starter and main course and the option to change dessert into cheese. Naturally there's a surcharge for these extra dishes.
Also the suggested wines were presented and an option to have a look at the winelist.
In this way the restaurant offered us to go with the RW menu which is low in price and gave suggestions how we could make it more special or more to our taste. We decided to include the suggested wines and change dessert into cheese ( don't get me wrong, I need my sweets but we considered we'd get some chocolate once we ordered our coffee.... - which we did ! )
The menu was surprising, michelinstar quality and tasted delicious. With a starter of seabass which was only marinated and not cooked, panfried or anything we really had a new experience. The tame duckbreast was good in flavor and had a subtle rim of fat. The sauce of wild mushrooms and the garlic mousseline finished the dish perfectly.
The selection of cheeses went so well with the fig and nut bread and with our coffee and tea we got our expected selection of special sweets. I always love the way they still give you a piece of chocolate brownie since everyone just loves it, but make it look so chic.
So the big question in this story is if a great restaurant should join in with a popular/folksy offer. My answer to this is that if you do it right, it is NEVER a waste of money!
With doing it right I mean that you should offer a good menu and make sure you can upsell to guests that enjoy the extra value and care not to make a difference in approach to RW guests and other guests.
Remember the different motives for people to join RW I mentioned earlier? You can get a profit out of all of them!
1. The foodies that always wanted to eat at your restaurant first of all will share with all their friends that they finally are going to eat at your restaurant. Once they are there and experience the great atmosphere and taste your refined dishes and they can see that it is worth to come back at least a few times for special occasions. For all the other weeks and occasions you can point out that you also have a surprise menu or a simpler menu which is lower in costs than eating à la carte. Now for sure they will be back!
2. The budget or discount freaks, yes you're right. You are never going to see them again! However, if you make sure they enjoy their perfect night out they will tell everyone how fancy their dinner was and how fantastic it was to eat for such a reduced price. They will not forget to mention how expensive the restaurant usually is. This is what makes you remain to have a certain exclusivity! You don't want to lose this over a few discount freaks, it can only help you to make your restaurant sound even more special.
3. The guests that went to your restaurant by 'accident' since your restaurant was the only one with a michelin star or that one restaurant with some remaining seats and great reviews..... these guests are the guests with the lowest expectations and therefore the guests that you will be able to surprise the most! Once you've surprised these guests and pampered them they for sure can be your new regular guests. Welcome !
So, (and this goes for everything) if you do it, do it right! You won't regret it.
I will for sure return to 'Het Arsenaal Paul Fagel' and if you were wondering.... my motive probably was type 3 this RW and for my fiance type 1. However for some restaurants I also am a discount freak, and proud of it :)
Have you joined Restaurantweek? Please share!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Restaurant (tot) Straks in Utrecht
Last week a girlfriend of mine from Amsterdam came to Utrecht for a drink, something to eat and a lot of catching up to do.
Than the big question popped in my head.... an important one! Where to go?
Utrecht is a city where the girls wear flat boots, jeans, a nice warm coat and wear their hair in a bun. A little make up and yes, we're ready to get our ass into the city centre. Same for the guys, why take the trouble of a little more hairstyling and a 15 min sunbed some times in wintertime?? Restaurants overall are down to earth, easy and mainly just if we don't feel like cooking and want to hang out with our friends with a good glass of wine.
than...
Amsterdam, the city where every girl tries to wear the latest fashion, wears the most gorgeous jewellery, leather pants, short jackets (brr!!) and looks like she just came from the hairdresser (maybe she did..). Also, there ain't a day without heals, not even when you have to walk the bumpy streets of the city centre. Also the guys... when there's one ray of sunlight somewhere in the day, or it might be predicted sometime next week, the sunglasses can be found in their shiny and super styled hair. No time for easy shoes, but only the best shoes from the best brands can be found on their feet. Eating out is daily business and it's the place where you can see and can be seen. (mainly also because their kitchens are the size of our Utrecht restrooms....). After the wines, the fancy cocktails are the first to be seen.
So.. there's my struggle, do I want to show a bit of my precious and down to earth Utrecht? Or do I want to go fancy and show off that Utrecht isn't all that simple??
I chose to go for a night in between, show a little bit of both. Where?
I took my friend to restaurant tot Straks (still confuses me whether it is with or without 'tot'). This restaurant is located between Central Station and the 'Oude gracht', in a street full of nice restaurants. The entrance looked welcoming and was quite fancy (Utrecht-speaking). We were welcomed by the friendly personnel, however also was pointed out that we had reservations at 18.30 and it was already 18.50. Well... if you make an appointment you better keep it, otherwise watch your back 'cause this guy will come n get you!
We had a charming high table besides the kitchen which gave us a good view over the restaurant and the kitchen.. That's how I like it!
Since during and after our first prosecco it turned out we really had some catching up to do and we couldn't stop talking the waiter already brought us some really tasty bread with olive oil and some sort of flavoured butter. After a while we could finally make our choice and were served with some good wines and a delicious starter. Also the main was really good and tasty and timing was perfect. The chef in the kitchen even took a moment (after seeing me staring into the kitchen all night... :) ) to ask us if we were happy.
For dessert they offer the guest to chose a selection of 3 out of 7 different offered desserts. I chose the chocolate brownie (never to be missed), cheesecake (another one to eat once in a while) and breadpudding. I started with the breadpudding which was nice, soft and tasty, exactly as it should be! However... the brownie and cheesecake, two of my favorites, were filled with too much butter, creamcheese and because of that were stone-hard and not half as tasty as all the other dishes that night. Definitely a shame...
But... when we take the whole evening into consideration I can't complain. The service was good, the food was even better and the ambiance in the restaurant was very pleasant.
Was it Amsterdam? no. Was it Utrecht? Maybe it was, but definitely one to visit again! Even with friends from Amsterdam ;-)
Than the big question popped in my head.... an important one! Where to go?
Utrecht is a city where the girls wear flat boots, jeans, a nice warm coat and wear their hair in a bun. A little make up and yes, we're ready to get our ass into the city centre. Same for the guys, why take the trouble of a little more hairstyling and a 15 min sunbed some times in wintertime?? Restaurants overall are down to earth, easy and mainly just if we don't feel like cooking and want to hang out with our friends with a good glass of wine.
than...
Amsterdam, the city where every girl tries to wear the latest fashion, wears the most gorgeous jewellery, leather pants, short jackets (brr!!) and looks like she just came from the hairdresser (maybe she did..). Also, there ain't a day without heals, not even when you have to walk the bumpy streets of the city centre. Also the guys... when there's one ray of sunlight somewhere in the day, or it might be predicted sometime next week, the sunglasses can be found in their shiny and super styled hair. No time for easy shoes, but only the best shoes from the best brands can be found on their feet. Eating out is daily business and it's the place where you can see and can be seen. (mainly also because their kitchens are the size of our Utrecht restrooms....). After the wines, the fancy cocktails are the first to be seen.
So.. there's my struggle, do I want to show a bit of my precious and down to earth Utrecht? Or do I want to go fancy and show off that Utrecht isn't all that simple??
I chose to go for a night in between, show a little bit of both. Where?
I took my friend to restaurant tot Straks (still confuses me whether it is with or without 'tot'). This restaurant is located between Central Station and the 'Oude gracht', in a street full of nice restaurants. The entrance looked welcoming and was quite fancy (Utrecht-speaking). We were welcomed by the friendly personnel, however also was pointed out that we had reservations at 18.30 and it was already 18.50. Well... if you make an appointment you better keep it, otherwise watch your back 'cause this guy will come n get you!
We had a charming high table besides the kitchen which gave us a good view over the restaurant and the kitchen.. That's how I like it!
Since during and after our first prosecco it turned out we really had some catching up to do and we couldn't stop talking the waiter already brought us some really tasty bread with olive oil and some sort of flavoured butter. After a while we could finally make our choice and were served with some good wines and a delicious starter. Also the main was really good and tasty and timing was perfect. The chef in the kitchen even took a moment (after seeing me staring into the kitchen all night... :) ) to ask us if we were happy.
For dessert they offer the guest to chose a selection of 3 out of 7 different offered desserts. I chose the chocolate brownie (never to be missed), cheesecake (another one to eat once in a while) and breadpudding. I started with the breadpudding which was nice, soft and tasty, exactly as it should be! However... the brownie and cheesecake, two of my favorites, were filled with too much butter, creamcheese and because of that were stone-hard and not half as tasty as all the other dishes that night. Definitely a shame...
But... when we take the whole evening into consideration I can't complain. The service was good, the food was even better and the ambiance in the restaurant was very pleasant.
Was it Amsterdam? no. Was it Utrecht? Maybe it was, but definitely one to visit again! Even with friends from Amsterdam ;-)
Monday, February 27, 2012
How I just love surprises...
How often does it still happen, being surprised in a restaurant?
Most restaurants think that if they meet your expectations, they're doing a great job. Well, I think at that time you're doing an OK job and who knows, you might see mee again!
However.. if you surprise me and raise above these expectations, that's when you're *shining*! You make me want to come back and I surely will.
In my opinion the choice wether to return to a certain restaurant or not, is based on a few key factors;
- The people ; the people that work at the restaurant are the ones that represent your idea's, your values, your concept! Nothing more anoying than an employee that has a huge hangover or is just grumpy for his soccer club lost the last match. The employees are the face of the company and they are the ones that can surprise you, make you feel welcome and part of the concept.
I personally think that at Starbucks I'm always surprised by the pleasure that employees seem to have helping me. I always walk out with a smile.
- The menu strategy ; the menu strategy is a key factor because they have to serve the food that you love. This could be a renewing, trendy menu strategy with dishes that consist of 'a cube of this, a mousse of that and a hint of that' but could also be French classics or Spanish tapas. The menu should be understandable and there should be a relation between the dishes, the prizes and sizes. Besides that, definitely important is that the kitchen crew should be able to prepare these dishes with great taste, and joy.
A menu that surprised me was the menu of Loetje (with 4 locations in the Netherlands, www.loetje.com). It is very simple and easy and actually what they say is; please just eat our steak, it's the best in Holland! It can surprise you because it sounds simple, it looks simple but the taste is overwhelming!
- A lasting impression ; the lasting impression of a restaurant can be made by several things. This could be the amazing interior design, the exciting experiences the restaurant gives, the historical building, the perfect location and the great taste of the food. For me lasting impressions mostly come from personnel that know their restaurant and menu and are passionate about it. Also romantic settings in historic buildings such as in Hotel Karel V in Utrecht will leave a lasting impression on me.
And when the people, the menu and the lasting impression are checked..... consistency is key!
So surprises can be in unexpected places and it differs for every guest. I'd like to see it as that guests are like lemons..... They all look the same at first, however when you take a closer look they have a different form, a different background, different looks and a different taste. Anticipate on that!
My advise: Don't promise to much, but surprise your guests!
Let me know the restaurants that suprised you! Curious for your experiences.
Most restaurants think that if they meet your expectations, they're doing a great job. Well, I think at that time you're doing an OK job and who knows, you might see mee again!
However.. if you surprise me and raise above these expectations, that's when you're *shining*! You make me want to come back and I surely will.
In my opinion the choice wether to return to a certain restaurant or not, is based on a few key factors;
- The people ; the people that work at the restaurant are the ones that represent your idea's, your values, your concept! Nothing more anoying than an employee that has a huge hangover or is just grumpy for his soccer club lost the last match. The employees are the face of the company and they are the ones that can surprise you, make you feel welcome and part of the concept.
I personally think that at Starbucks I'm always surprised by the pleasure that employees seem to have helping me. I always walk out with a smile.
- The menu strategy ; the menu strategy is a key factor because they have to serve the food that you love. This could be a renewing, trendy menu strategy with dishes that consist of 'a cube of this, a mousse of that and a hint of that' but could also be French classics or Spanish tapas. The menu should be understandable and there should be a relation between the dishes, the prizes and sizes. Besides that, definitely important is that the kitchen crew should be able to prepare these dishes with great taste, and joy.
A menu that surprised me was the menu of Loetje (with 4 locations in the Netherlands, www.loetje.com). It is very simple and easy and actually what they say is; please just eat our steak, it's the best in Holland! It can surprise you because it sounds simple, it looks simple but the taste is overwhelming!
- A lasting impression ; the lasting impression of a restaurant can be made by several things. This could be the amazing interior design, the exciting experiences the restaurant gives, the historical building, the perfect location and the great taste of the food. For me lasting impressions mostly come from personnel that know their restaurant and menu and are passionate about it. Also romantic settings in historic buildings such as in Hotel Karel V in Utrecht will leave a lasting impression on me.
And when the people, the menu and the lasting impression are checked..... consistency is key!
So surprises can be in unexpected places and it differs for every guest. I'd like to see it as that guests are like lemons..... They all look the same at first, however when you take a closer look they have a different form, a different background, different looks and a different taste. Anticipate on that!
My advise: Don't promise to much, but surprise your guests!
Let me know the restaurants that suprised you! Curious for your experiences.
The best.. and I say ABSOLUTE BEST Flourless chocolate cake ever :)
It is easy to make, looks like a party and is a perfect end of a great dinner. As it has no flour in it, it is also perfect for people who can't eat flour etc.
Here's the recipe
You need:
300g broken chocolate (I prefer dark chocolate!)
225 caster sugar
180ml boiling water
225 salted butter, cut into cubes
Some butter for greasing
6 organic eggs, separated
1 tbsp vanilla extract (you may also use vanilla sugar)
For the topping:
200 ml of mascarpone
All sorts of berries, pick the ones you love!
1. Great and line the base of a solid bottomed 23cm round cake tin (springform)
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
3. Pulse the chocolate and sugar in a food processor until fine. After that add the boiling water, butter, egg yolks and vanilla.
4. Whisk the egg whites until still and slowly fold them into the chocolate mixture
5. Pour the mixture into the springform and bake for about 45/50 minutes. The top will be cracked !
6. Take out the cake, it will collapes into itself. Don't worry, it is supposed to. ;-)
7. Let the cake cool and put it in the fridge for a few hours
8. When you serve it, top it with the mascarpone and your favorite berries.
9. ENJOY!!
This is my version on a recipe by Sophie Dahl.. love her!
Relatively New Winecafé at Neude, Utrecht: Lefebvre
In these first few months of 2012 I've visited Lefebvre a few times. This winecafé located at Neude in Utrecht is an absolute new favorite of mine. The trendy though relaxed atmosphere makes me feel welcome to visit with either good friends or my parents.
Their way of making me drink a good wine on a budget or spend a little more on an even better wine is perfect to me. Also the origin of the wines differs greatly, from Germany to Libanon, New Zealand, Italy and more!
A nice selection of tapas made my evening with the girls a perfect night out!
(check out http://www.wijncafelefebvre.nl/ )
Their way of making me drink a good wine on a budget or spend a little more on an even better wine is perfect to me. Also the origin of the wines differs greatly, from Germany to Libanon, New Zealand, Italy and more!
A nice selection of tapas made my evening with the girls a perfect night out!
(check out http://www.wijncafelefebvre.nl/ )
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