Hertog Jan Bruges
Originally established as an inn, later transformed to a bar, then a brasserie and finally a restaurant run by Chef Gert de Mangeleer. Now, it is not just a restaurant, but a world class restaurant, accelerated through the ranks, earning its 1st star in 2005, 2nd in 2009 and the ultimate 3-star in 2012, making it the most recent 3-star addition to Belgium's culinary scene.
Hertog Jan Bruges
A modest dining room with an entirely transparent kitchen for all the guests to see. Gert's cuisine is obviously getting attention beyond the local gourmands as we noticed the table of Taiwanese people behind us and a group from the States and Hong Kong sitting next to us!
Hertog Jan Bruges
<a href="https://hertog-jan.com/en/" target="_blank"><u><b>www.hertog-jan.com</b></u></a> Chef: Gert de Mangeleer<br/>Tasting: €155 (6-course) €125 (4-course) À la carte menu: About €80 for main course<br/>Closed on Sunday and Monday.
Hertog Jan Bruges
The manager immediately filled our glasses with local water distilled with local rocks. Interesting!
Hertog Jan Bruges
House champagne was a choice of André Clouet Brut or Rosé to accompany the <b>"teasers"</b>, a set of five amuse bouches. A foie gras cream centre bounded by a cute crumbly dome, resting on a thin passion fruit base. Rich foie with fruity base enclosed by a sweet pastry, a perfect foie gras treat!
Hertog Jan Bruges
The next item seemed to be an Indian influenced snack - a curry dusted poppadom looking disk made of potato with a dipping on the side.
Hertog Jan Bruges
This small plate was just about the ingredients - wedges of avocado completely coated with tomato powder and uniquely served with olive oil. I definitely prefer my avocado to be more ripe.
Hertog Jan Bruges
The amuse bouche continued with a bowl blanketed by foam. Underneath was a gazpacho cream with basil, green olive and crouton. Crunchy and refreshing on the palate.
Hertog Jan Bruges
Small plates kept on coming! At the bottom were lentils and meat from pork's head; layered on top was an onion-dominating salsa and garden herb garnish.
Hertog Jan Bruges
And one last surprise, potato custard topped with coffee dust and Mimolette cheese shaving. The cheese was mild enough to allow the hint of coffee to shine through. Seductive! By far the best item and no wonder this is one of his signatures.
Hertog Jan Bruges
Fresh bread with butter and olive oil.
Hertog Jan Bruges
Our first course, the most simple but the most expensive course of the meal - watermelon, mozzarella, radish and Osetra caviar. Yes, it was a generous quenelle of caviar!
Hertog Jan Bruges
The watermelon was sweet along with the mild fresh cheese to highlight the deep saltiness of caviar. Pairing with caviar is always difficult but they cleverly paired with a Belgium beer which worked particularly well!
Hertog Jan Bruges
Another highlight of the meal was this beautiful piece of marinated salmon standing on its edge with a long strip of burned cucumber lying on top. This is <b>Gert's version of sushi</b>!
Hertog Jan Bruges
The two types of cream were made from soya and rice topped with crispy rice! The comprehensive flavour really resembled sushi, but a much more playful texture. It was a brilliant dish! One more twist was a thin pickled ginger underneath the cucumber. Amazing!
Hertog Jan Bruges
More seafood -- <b>lobster tail</b> cooked in vanilla oil
Hertog Jan Bruges
... finished with a lobster bisque sauce and Tonka bean dust. The lobster was fresh and precisely cooked with a wonderful texture; the bisque had a great depth of crustacean flavour. Another excellent dish except for the unnecessary intense acidity from the shallot and vinaigrette mixture at the bottom.
Hertog Jan Bruges
As labelled on his menu, "a walk through our garden inspired by <b>Bras' gargouillou</b>", compose of 45 different vegetables, herbs, and flowers - this course was a great way to display Gert's garden.
Hertog Jan Bruges
Hmmm, it was not as elegant as Bras' gargouillou... Not only were some pieces too chunky, the flavour of the vegetables and herbs were just not at the same level. It was just a salad plate, a rather big salad plate that we all started to feel full after this course!
Hertog Jan Bruges
One more dish before the main. A combination of foie gras with <b>beetroot</b>, cherry sauce, and for some reason a few thin strips of eel at the bottom. What a bizarre combination of ingredients and flavour!
Hertog Jan Bruges
A <b>lamb tasting</b> with blobs of carrot and orange cream. A saddle of fillet on the left and meat from the neck on the right. The fillet was fine and tender with a nice pink centre; the neck was well braised to fork tender and cleverly coated with quinoa to replicate a crispy skin!
Hertog Jan Bruges
What's better was the deep fried meat from the shoulder which was a fun complement to such a high quality lamb dish.
Hertog Jan Bruges
Verbena flower as an interlude before the sweets! Exquisite!
Hertog Jan Bruges
A very light dessert to start. A combination of pistachio, sorrel and green tea. Chilled, nutty, herby, a touch of sweetness and bitterness, a wonderful refreshing dessert!
Hertog Jan Bruges
The second dessert which looked similar to the first one but was composed of wild strawberry and raspberry, with an aromatic rose water poured on top. A lovely fruity dish!
Hertog Jan Bruges
I loved the progression of the final few plates of desserts -- a light start followed by a fruity one, and ending with a powerful finale. The final dessert didn't look too much different from the first two either, but consisted of chocolate, caramel, and hazelnut.
Hertog Jan Bruges
For petits fours, three tiny circular chocolate pyramids of three different flavours: milk, sesame, and beetroot.
Hertog Jan Bruges
And finally crispy citrus cream rolls to finish.
Hertog Jan Bruges
Though there were maybe one or two courses which did not work for me, most of them were top notch courses. No doubt that this is a cuisine showcasing regional ingredients where simplicity is the focus.
