Amsterdam – Rays Picks NYC

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Daalder
Lindengracht 90
1015 KK Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 20 624 8864
Official Site

Finding a place to dine in the Netherlands on a Monday is quite a challenge since most of the top and Michelin rated restaurants are closed. Luckily Daalder, a restaurant located in the residential neighborhood of Jordaan in Amsterdam, was open. A quick research online produced nothing but praises and it’s considered to be one of the most exciting restaurants in Amsterdam.

In charge of the kitchen is Executive Chef Gulle De Beer, who previously worked at some of Amsterdam’s notable restaurants that has included Ron Blaauw, Envy, and Bord’ Eau. On my visit sous-chef Freek van Noortwijk was at the helm and since a la carte was not an option (only set menus of 3, 4, 5 and 6 courses for dinner and lunch) I allowed the Chef to work his culinary magic and requested the six course.

Chef van Noortwijk started with a few snacks of smoked almonds that I bypassed and grissini’s with fresh chick pea cream.

The amuse bouche of fresh salad with Dutch shrimp, cabbage,turnip and spring onions with cream of cauliflower, kaffir lime, curry and green apple was a terrific, light and refreshing start.The lively tartare of salmon with varieties of beetroot, horseradish cream, watercress, herring caviar and shallot rings was my first course. The exquisite combination of flavors melded beautifully.

A second course of sea bass on bread crust, variety of fennel and sauce of Pernod had a nice delicate texture. It was followed by pasta shell with cubes of smoked eel, cream of Jerusalem artichoke, salcornia and bread crumbs. The smoked eel permeated the sauce making it not only memorable, but my favorite dish of the tasting.

Thigh of chicken with parsnip cream, anise mushroom, capers, beurrenoisette and a crouton of sourdough which was cooked perfectly was flavorful. For the main course, I was served a Hoisin glazed cheek of veal with spicy bean salad, rice cracker, bok choy and sour cream. Veal cheek has an excellent soft texture and the spiciness was enough for my palate to handle. More heat can be added if requested.

The Chef was accommodating to my request of five savories and one sweet for dessert. He prepared a variety of mango with white chocolate cream, Thai basil ice cream and coconut crumble. The combination of sweet and sour was excellent and the right ending for this meal.

The sequence of courses in my tasting was harmonious and the wine pairing that I requested went perfectly. High quality cooking, yet reasonably priced for a restaurant of this caliber. This was one of the cheapest meals I’ve had in Europe, six courses (60 euros) along with the wine pairing totaled to $104!

Chef van Noortwijk’s talent in the kitchen did not disappoint and exceeded my expectations. The flavor profile in each dish combined with fresh local ingredients was masterful.

Wine Pairing:

Since it was Monday, Daalder was not busy and the server was able to pay a lot more attention to me. Service was relaxed, friendly and unpretentious. Even Chef van Noortwijk, though he was busy prepping for dinner service, was still able to stop by my table a few times to chat.

Daalder is a tale of two restaurants. From the outside it looks like an ordinary bistro blending with the rest of the neighborhood. Its long blond wooden bar, uncovered tables paired with hard wooden seats in the front gave a homey vibe where one can get a drink or garb a quick bite to eat. Towards the back of the restaurant, behind the bar, the setting changes a little. There are cloth covered tables with neatly arranged silverware to go along with comfortable padded chairs. Its white washed walls are decorated with several paintings. A large colorful peacock painting on top of the open kitchen looks out toward the dining room completes the interior.

Highly rated by Gault Millau and other media outlets, my meal at Daalder is comparable if not better than other top rated restaurants that I’ve been to. There is serious talent here that is highly underrated and fails to be recognized by the Michelin Guide. On their home page the restaurants goal is to become “the simplest ‘Michelin Star Cafe’ in the world”. Hopefully they can get one this year, as it deserves one.

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Bord’Eau
Nieuwe Doelenstraat 2
1012 CP Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 20 531 1705
Official Site

De L’Europe Hotel in the center of Amsterdam is one of the most luxurious accommodations in the city. Owned by the Heineken family and made famous by Alfred Hitchcock when he chose the hotel as a location for his film Foreign Correspondent. It also houses the two Michelin star restaurant Bord’Eau.

Opened in 2012 Bord’Eau received its first star after only a few months in operation, then the second star a year later. In two years the restaurant propelled to gastronomic feat, accomplishing that which is rarely done.

Bord’Eau is located in the lobby of the hotel, its contemporary designed dining room has evenly spaced tables covered in white cloth to match with comfortable ivory padded chairs.Gold rounded plates hang above, filling the low ceilings, while the walls are adorned with metallic gold. There are windows sizeable enough to provide plenty of natural light in the room. Sets of two top tables by the windows overlooking the Amstel River is preferred seating if available. There’s also a private dining enclosed with glass cases that display an array of bottled wine.

The restaurant offers two set menus, a five course for 98 Euros and the six-course for 10 euros more. A la carte is also available but on my visit I had the six course tasting.

My meal began with a cup of strong flavored duck broth with added spices that I found pleasing. Following the broth were a crisp, sweet and salty lobster canapé and a sour, yet alluring, oyster with red wine canapé.

Tasting Menu:

Afterwards a smooth and creamy foam of risotto, truffles and egg yolk was served. Tartare of veal, caviar and marrow that was simply sublime was next. A combo that is always wonderful.

My first official course was beetroot baked in salt and crust with wasabi ice cream, an interesting marriage of Asian flavors. The fresh vegetables and the cold temperature from the ice cream was ingenious. A big piece of succulent scallop with cream of artichoke and black truffle was the next course. The sweet deep sea flavor of the scallop and earthiness of the generous shaving of black truffles was immaculate.

Langoustine with jus, coconut served with tempura vegetables, and hand of Buddah was the next course. An Asian inspired dish where the langoustine was perfectly prepared with the sauce enhancing the taste.

Next was the fillet of sole and fennel, crunchy and stewed with gnocchi, zest of lemon and sea urchin sauce. The different flavors profiled in this dish worked in harmony with one another.

The lone red meat on the menu was the Duck a la Royale with young turnip and salted lemon that was too salty if eaten by itself. Head sommelier, Dennis Apeldoorn, was genius in pairing Austrian St. Laurent wine that reduced the saltiness and turned it into an enjoyable dish.

The dessert was a piece of art and visually stunning. Crystallized sugar, in the form of a green apple where the inside was made of green apple sorbet shaped to replicate the apple core. Even the seeds where made of chocolate! It sat on top of caramel and walnuts. If there was a perfect ten dessert this would be it. This alone highlighted the tasting menu.

Along with my tasting I added the wine pairing for 78 Euros that Dennis Appledorn paired with each course brought out an additional level of taste. The wines are predominantly French which was fitting for this restaurant.

This was a fantastic meal, as the dishes were sophisticated as well as well put together. The man responsible for the kitchen is Executive Chef Richard van Oosetnbrugge. He previously oversaw Restaurant Envy in Amsterdam before being tapped to handle all of De L’Europe Hotel eateries. His French cuisine, using local ingredients, at Bord’Eau has earned him the GaultMillau Chef of the year in 2014.

Like any fine dining in Europe the service is professional, a bit uptight but welcoming. The staff were friendly and I liked the fact the maître d recognized that I was a solo diner and provided reading materials while I waited in between courses. The service matched the food and made my dining experience at Bord’Eau an outstanding one.

Wine Pairing:

Visitors come to Amsterdam for the famous canals, architectures and even the Red Light district. As far as being a fine dining destination, it’s still not there. It has plenty of good restaurants and the ethnic food scene rivals that of New York City. What it lacks is fine dining that will put it on the map of gastronomy. With the emergence of Bord’Eau this restaurant might actually do that.

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Tag: Amsterdam

Daalder

Bord’Eau **