It has been some months since my last visit, but still one to remember… for the good, but also for the bad unfortunately. Some happy moments, great company and nice looking dishes! But absolutely no WOW effect and even overpriced at some levels. And please do understand me, this is one of Antwerps, or even Belgium’s best restaurants and chefs and you will have an amazing night out with amazing and unique food and food-pairing, still I expected more… Looking back now, I do not even know why, it was just the feeling we had at the table. Which by the way was shared by my love, my sister and my brother-in-law. All of them just as experienced…. Feel free to tell me your opinion or review…

Pictures, opinions and good/bad points below:

Great contemporary interior! And an even better, perfectly served Campari / Perrier.

Okay, some “amuses” to start with, almost too much, but is that really possible?

Taco’s of Jerusalem artichoke with pickled peas cream, or buck-thorn foam, mini lentils and sepia “cake”.

Or starters like liver of “Lotte” with cauliflower kimchi… great names, great presentations. And still, I feel like I need to apologize, because it was all good but all in the same pallet of flavors.

This one I loved, Pork “ragu” with braised Brussels loaf and foam of “welcks” if you know what that is 🙂

For me the most stunning dish of the night, Oysters with “Takoyaki” which is a traditional Japanese snack with chopped or minced octopus. Together with the bitter Radicchio, also a great achievement.

Sea bass, with come small clams, seaweed, spring onions and water cress broth. Nice in possibility, for me a bit boring, both in texture and taste. It was pure, but not amazing.

Goose liver with Miso, always good for me, together with the eel very refined. No kick again, just great cooking.

Nice simmered beef stew with baby carrots, Panisse, sweet onion and tarragon. Again good just not great. But with a surprise side dish of smoked short rib. That made it amazing, best deep smoky taste and a reall additive to the whole course:

With the bone marrow it was very good indeed.

Best part for me coming up:

The “cheese chariot”. Fresh, unique choice and brought by an expert, like a kid in a candy store. Would come back for this…!!!

Desserts coming up as well, I did not eat for 3 days after this:

Chocolate, marshmallow, Yuzu, sesame all perfect. Lovely texture and rich in taste. A bit on the heavy side…

Salted milk ice-cream, that is a first! With pine tree extract, pear and honey. Very sweet, almost too sweet, but the milk ice did its work.

And a last special surprise:

A little “Madeleine”cake.

So give me my coffee and the check please…. but NO, Mr. Vicky had another surprise up his sleeve:

A “little” dessert chariot as well…. crazy man!

and a small special to really end the night:

To be honest, I cannot even remember exactly what is it and when we had it….

So my points are:

Staff; very correct, very stiff and almost grumpy at times…. I know this is often the case in old style Michelin restaurants, it just is not my style… I prefer a laugh and a cry together. So not 1 single mistake, just to formal for 2019… 8.8 out of 10

Coziness; 10 for the view and a 10 for the style. But also very clinical and neat in a strange way. warm and cold at the same time…. 9.2 out of 10

Food; No mistakes made, just overall it felt like a lot of foams, broths, sauce and other soft structures. Also I expected to be “WOWED” much more. So all good, some great and a few even amazing. Just not every dish was like that. 9.4 out of 10

Price; Maybe the worst part, paying 36 euro for tap water??!! all poured behind the counter? Overall, average price of 220 euro including wine… still at a total of over 900 euro it was not just a standard night out… 7.9 out of 10

Together with the lack of parking and the very high pace of the food coming out it was not perfection…

 

Overall score of 8,8 for me…