Oud Sluis by chefs Ronnie & Sergio Herman.
Father & Son: €210 (8-course)
Feeling & Taste: €150 (4-course)
Open lunch and dinner. Closed on Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday lunch.
We weren't that late but the kitchen was already running at full speed and all tables were occupied other than our table for two. Interestingly, they provided a pencil and a blank booklet to every guest allowing them to take notes of the dining experience.
To get the show started, Sergio initiated the 4-hour epic meal by getting us to lick on a thin piece of wooden plaque which had tiny mushrooms resting on a bed of tofu paste along with yuzu balls and wakame. A little bit of texture; a little bit of acidity; it was a very unique opening. Definitely set the tone for an adevnturous meal!
Salted butter and seaweed butter.
This was just the beginning of a series of amuse bouche! A long plate which consisted of cucumber, white radish, and a weird looking root vegetable. I liked the exotic flavour from the cream of bumbu, an Indonesian spice mixture.
We loved the seafood here last time and were excited to see this scallop tartare served on its shell with a touch of mandarin. Fresh scallop, fruity mandarin, and a slight crunchiness from the kamut on top - it certainly lived up to our expectations!
Flavours from Catalonia - a small bowl of fideuà noodle with shrimp, ham, squid, and red pepper. Odd to have a relatively simple dish, but it was delicious!
More treats, and I was certainly not complaining! A cup of black pudding covered in celeriac foam with sweet onion, beetroot, and a cute lego block of green apple sorbet!
They really pampered us with lots of little surprises. A mini pot contained braised oxtail, a soft poached yolk, sage cream, chicory, and hanging across was a focaccia stick topped with artichoke cream and wild mushroom. Very tasty but a perhaps a bit too filling for amuse bouche?
One more treat, served on a round piece of paper, before the actual tasting menu.
Marinated Atlantic cod guarded by pickled vegetables with mussels underneath. The mussel shell was filled with bergamot ice which served as a palate cleanser before the first course. Great idea to cleanse the tongue after such an elaborate opening scene! Very thoughtful!
It seemed like we already had a full tasting experience but this eye appealing "ocean full of shrimp" was only the first course! Even the plate had an ocean theme!
There were two preparations of scallops. This gorgeous masterpiece was a result from a collaboration work with a local artist.
The golden necklace was made from chicken stock jello. The scallops were beautifully cooked with the natural seasoning from the caviar and a hint of sweetness from the Jerusalem artichoke purée and hazelnut. Superb for the eyes, and even better for the palate!
The second serving of scallops had an aroma coming from the roasted pine branches underneath the shell. This jumbo scallop was of a decent size with a moist centre but the chorizo, parsley root, wild mushroom, and a lingering smoky flavour were altogether distracting the elegant flavour of the scallop!
The second oyster serving was smoked oyster covered with black truffles, but unfortunately it was totally overpowered by the burning smell from the smoke underneath. What a waste of black truffles! The oyster was completely lost in both courses.
For the fish course, the arrangement of winter vegetables was very delectable but it was a shame that the turbot itself was a bit bland…
The plate for our main course arrived. As we were explained, it represented a pasture with barriers, the living environment of the cows!
And here came the Flemish cows, chargrilled with rosemary burning below!
The server instructed us to "bring the cow back to their pasture" before eating! I appreciated the idea and I quickly realised that the beef was indeed incredible, tender with a good flavour, but the shinny "barrier" gelatine was more for the theme than for the palate.
And to wrap up the main course, placed on a bone was beef tartare and bone marrow.
By finediningexplorer in 2012
