In de Wulf

[felixhirsch]

This one needs to be watched. The cooking here is amongst the most interesting modern food I have come across in a while, whilst remaining very close to nature and the regional products. The decor is absolutely lovely and one feels like in heaven, when staying there. If he doesn't get a 2nd star this year, I would really be a little startled, as the meal I had here was worth a good 2*.

Anyone who is in that area can combine it with a meal at Hof van Cleve, which is only a good 50km or less away.

One of my favourite restaurants at the moment.

[Sea Urchin Ragout]

I'll second that. Their accommodation is stunning too. There are several 1 stars and even a two stars within a 20 minute drive so the area is something of a hotbed of culinary delights.

[Harters]

I’m one of those people who think there’s no such thing as the perfect restaurant experience. So, let me get the negatives about In de Wulf out of the way early on.

Well, the seats in the bar area aren’t very comfortable.

And that’s it.

As for the rest, it was all bang-on. We liked the room; service was perfect with front-of-house taking care of cutlery, crockery and drinks, while chefs bring the food and explain what’s what about it (in English – which is just as well as our Dutch is just about non-existent).

There’s only a tasting menu offered – the full menu at €120 and a slightly shorter version at €100. Of course, we went with the full monty. That starts with an array of canapés. The chefs start bringing them while you’re in the bar and they continue once you’re at the table. A beetroot crisp enclosing an intense beetroot cream; an onion beignet that was a masterclass in onion beignet making; pork scratching with mustard cream; a little biscuit topped with Jerusalem artichoke mouse and a slice of artichoke and, finally, cockles with a little scattering of herb.

Then onto the main “land and sea” menu.

Escabeche of sea bass, crab and celery – lovely flavours in themselves but with an added dimension of intense cold of a frosting created by nitrogen.

Oysters were poached in a sauce made from local whey, enriched with mustard seeds. There was a slight strangeness to the creaminess of the sauce but it worked surprisingly well with the still salty oyster.

Dover sole provided the basis for possibly the only dish which didn’t totally hit the mark. The fish, beautifully sweet, was a tad overcooked. It came with leaves of swiss chard which encased a “porridge” of millet, topped with a scattering crunchy millet.

Back on form with lobster and potato. The spud adding interesting texture in that it was a very thin slice of potato, still retaining a little bite, rolled to encase a small amount of potato mousse. A little sauce and a sprinkling of foraged wood sorrel completed the plate.

Cooked and raw hopshoots were an entirely new experience for us. They came with an intense bay cream , reminiscent in texture and depth of flavour of an Indonesian peanut satay sauce – but with the bay providing a really big kick of flavour.

Next up, a celeriac dish was explained before being served. A whole root is wrapped in hay and then a thick salt crust before being cooked on the BBQ for four hours. Left to cool, it’s then thinly sliced and served with a very fresh local goats curd. Absolute stunner of a dish.

Pencil thin leeks, sweet in themselves, were roasted and served with a honey vinaigrette, along with some parsley to cut through the sweetness and some fatty veal marrow to do the same. Perfectly tender lamb neck came with ramsons and red onions – pretty much spring on plate to my mind.

And then onto desserts:

- goats yoghurt served with malt and a think crispy yoghurt “meringue” set with liquid nitrogen.

- chocolate ganache topped with, and perfectly complemented by, a beetroot and rosehip cream, encased in a beetroot “meringue”. This looked wonderfull and tasted none too shabby.

- and to finish, a simple plate of fresh pear, pear sorbet and sorrel. Clean, crisp and refreshing.

There was excellent coffee and a selection of chocolate petit fours.

Throughout, flavours whilst skilfully complex, had retained a cleanness which allowed all the individual elements to be recognised. There was not a single jarring note of incompatible tastes.

We visit Flanders most years to follow an interest in the Great War. That will still be the reason for future trips but now we know there’s an extra-special place to eat only a few minutes from Ieper, where we stay.

[Andy Fenn]

Just wandered upstairs to my room after an absolutely stunning meal at In de Wulf. Mind-blowing. 8 amuses and 11 courses, without a single dud. Some dishes left me speechless. Lightness of touch, but without the reluctance to season properly that you find in some modern chefs. Intelligent use of local herbs and flowers, top quality ingredients, and wonderful flavour combinations. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. Only 40 minutes from Calais - go.