De Schone Van Boskoop

Wouter Keersmaeckers is one of the most thriving forces in contemporary Belgian haute cuisine. He is a chef that passionately loves the product and who always cooks in order to bring out the best in each ingredient. A perfectionist when it comes to cooking times, he seeks to strengthen the natural flavors of the components and preserve the characteristic textures of each element. His sauces and accompaniments are created to elegantly satisfy our palates with balanced and recognizable flavors, rather than simply striving for shock value. The originality in his cuisine is born of a conscientious and methodical labor. This is a solid, lucid, intelligent culinary proposal, steeped in personal character, slightly autodidactic, in which the constructions are well concretized and resolved.
A first example of the immaculate nature, lightness and essentiality of the creations here has to be the hop shoots with scallop tartar, the latter being served almost raw in large slices to better appreciate the intrinsic quality of the shellfish, over an exquisite, bold olive oil emulsion infused with blond beer and topped with a scattering of chervil leaves that contribute a sweet tone to the light bitterness of the dish. Similar criteria and characteristics are found in the king crab with intense foam made with butter and seaweed that reinforces the oceanic character of this majestic crustacean, all crowned with an appetizing adornment of bok choy. The Norway lobster with glazed salsifies, white truffle and Parmesan cream is honorable and precise. Spectacular for both its size and succulence, the stuffed morel mushroom with a delightful combination of pork, foie gras and truffle, served with a succulent fowl and mushroom broth containing a brunoise of carrots and crisp chard. The squab – fat, bloody, delicate, is presented in the middle of an irresistible garden of peeled beans, Jerusalem artichoke, barba dei frati lettuce and black truffles. The sausage with truffle and white cabbage puree is authentically beautiful in its essentiality. The Dams Mokke salad was brilliant as well, containing endives, watercress, broad beans, lentils… draped in melted cheese and covered with white truffle – a satiating savory dessert with impact. Three different times in the meal pineapple was employed to confirm the savoir-faire of this professional who dominates the marvels of the culinary arts.
The three preparations of beef with vinegar and capers: sweetbreads, tongue and brains and Dutch oysters stand out along with those combined with Norway lobsters and seaweed (shuka wakame). Delightfully satisfying.