Pastorale

Two styles harmoniously coexist within the work of the studious, dedicated chef Bart De Pooter. On one hand, he constructs creative, groundbreaking proposals, found especially in the appetizer portion of the first part of the tasting menu; and on the other hand, more conventional articulations in the main dishes that are labor-intensive with an array of elements surrounding a solid main ingredient, always of exceptional nobility and perfectly prepared. The best example of this? The majestic lobster medallions, cooked at 72ºC/162ºF for 12 minutes, limitlessly immaculate and meaty with a sapid adornment of raw, sautéed asparagus, slices of the same vegetable briefly cooked in a concentrated asparagus broth and a grated asparagus puree served with wine vinegar, along with a few drops of tarragon mayonnaise topping the shellfish. Along a similar line we come across another star dish: giant eel, thick, fat, juicy, flavorful and impeccably cooked at 52ºC/126ºF for 45 minutes, deboned and reconstructed without a single fissure, crowned with boiled artichokes, an exquisite artichoke puree and olive spheres. The unilaterally grilled cod (seared on only one side), juicy and rose-colored, is completed with a few delicious black pepper breadcrumbs, a drizzle of yoghurt and a broccoli-salicornia symphony.
The starters are enormously substantial; the clarity with which they are dressed, with a touch of daring in each one, leaves no one indifferent. This is the case for the mojito, a lucid little glass, refreshing and fiery, with ice-blended Casia honeydew melon and green spicy paprika, submerged in a translucent gazpacho–memorable. In keeping with the brilliance, freshness, lightness and color: herring filets, raw and in brine, topped by a translucent jelly of tomatoes soaked in wheat alcohol, served over a beefsteak tomato and watermelon tartare dressed with a splash of chardonnay vinegar. Another spectacular dish, radiating purity, the tomato toasts topped with steak tartare, crowned with marinated sardine filets and served alongside a frozen basil powder; the dish is completed, in a separate space, by a roll of raw beef stuffed with arugula, pine nuts and cheese.
The Prim Holstein cutlet, from a 7 year old cow (whose waistband has been put to rest for a while), red, buttery, is bursting with flavor… It is dressed with rings of a jelly made from smoked onions boiled in consommé, red wine shallots, glazed scallions and roast potatoes, as well as a meat sauce perfumed with cinnamon and licorice, demonstrating yet again the intellectual and practical force that stands behind each of Bart De Pooter’s dishes. He is a reflective, technical, elegant and balanced chef who exalts the complexity in each of his constructions, at times with wisdom, at others, with brilliance. Both these approaches are present in the mango sorbet with banana, orange and lemon juice, lemon cream and lemon cake.