L'air du Temps

The cuisine of Korean Sang-Hoon Degeimbre assembles the culinary cultures of France and the Far East in a highly interesting fashion while impregnating them with a distinct identity all their own. Supported by discipline as well as personal and professional seriousness, this project is so particular it has been admitted into the highest circles of Belgian cuisine, a place that the most advanced press in the country has awarded it, with such reputable colleagues as Pieter Van Doveresn, Willem Asaert y Jan Scheidtweiler. The philosophy of the chef has decisively contributed to this, as is evident in the name of the restaurant – a clear, progressive look and feel. Juicy and contemporary proposals, he interweaves erudition and fantasy to tell a fascinating tale. The constructions are very polished, technically well resolved, conveying original flavors that are delicate and balanced – sapid surprises without astringencies. It’s hard to say whether it’s refined exoticism or exotic refinement. The exquisite sense of taste he possesses is transmitted to the compositions, very colorful creations with attractive shapes. We are, without a doubt, talking about an eminently creative cuisine with an eastern body and Asian roots.
The never-ending series of “mises en bouche” and “mignardises” speaks to the painstaking effort made here and the high goals that the chef has marked out for himself. Unmistakably, the most brilliant part of the menu is the dessert section, deserving of the highest accolades reserved only for the finest establishments. Sweet dishes of universal appeal that respond to the concepts and techniques of the vanguard: spheres, liquid nitrogen, etc. The “cryomeringue” of the well-known “cuberdon” candy is astonishing, the sweet sorbet of olive oil in caramel paper, the apricot soufflé and, truly tremendous, the spheres of yoghurt with mango-pineapple soup – an exquisite and refreshing composition inspired by the image of fried eggs with the colors inverted.
Three dishes that every gourmet should try and repeat: the “kiwitre”, a marvelous oyster, meaty and bursting with oceanic flavors, served over a bed of kiwi brunoise encircled by a sweet coconut cream adorned with a touch of squid ink; the red tuna sushi is insightful in its disintegration, offered with Belgian caviar and a “ras el hanout” mayonnaise, as if it were a salad adorned and enriched with an infinity of contrasts; the squab of Waret was stately, fat, bloody, buttery, delicate… served over a pleasant bed of artichoke-lime couscous, tonka bean juice and stimulating spices.