In de Wulf
Elderflower Sparkling Soda, Quince, Juniper
Sorrel, Chicken – Skin, Mousse, Ivy, Rhubarb
Radish, Goat’s Cheese
Celeriac, Nasturtium
Dogfish, Young Peas, Egg – Walnut Oil, Verbena, Vinegar
House Sourdough, Hand Churned Butter, Rapeseed Oil, Salt
Cauliflower, Buttermilk Cheese, Acacia Flowers
White Asparagus, Sea Lettuce, Squid
Runner Beans, Gherkin, Tagete – Borrage Flowers, Goat Milk
Toast – Local Cheese, Onion, Horseradish
Lobster from Oosterschelde – Stock of its Head
Zurkelstoemp – Potato Roasted in Ash Crust, Foraged Sorrels, Egg Yolk
Seawolf, Beach Herbs, Leek – Stew of the Bones
Ravioli, Pork, Mustard – Leeks, Trotters, Tails, Spinach, Elderberries
Lamb, Lovage, Rhubarb
Pigeon, Jugged and Hung 2 weeks, Aged 6 weeks and Roasted in the Hay
Buttermilk, Red Beetroot, Nasturtium Bulb
Strawberry, Pineapple Weed – Foraged Berries Smoked on the Coals
Goat’s Curd, Daisy – Milk, Stems, Cream
Smoutebollen, Juniper –Pork Fat Fried
Raspberries, Yogurt – Smoked Butter Crust
Ostensibly the impetus for a trip to Belgium, Chef Kobe Desramaults’ late 2015 announcement of intent to shutter his Michelin Starred Space in Dranouter at the end of 2016, it was with great anticipation and a long drive in the fog that the car was parked at In de Wulf for a three-and-a-half-hour meal that included everything from an informative kitchen visit to a literal power-outage.
Still a very young man despite the substantial accolades and two more restaurants in Gent, Desramaults’ ascent to fame began after the passing of his father thrust him into the role of Chef at the small family-owned Inn and having climbed to prominence by way of a style that trends “new-Nordic” in its focus on foraging and presenting a menu largely crafted by indigenous ingredients the tasting-menu only format is presented as a flurry of small bites slowly evolving in terms of both size and complexity, a total of twenty plates and one beverage served at the cost of just under $200US this particular Tuesday Evening.
Known for its rustic architecture, the dining room really no more than a converted cabin with an elevated platform featuring two tables at the far end affording a wide view of the room, it was after seeing and hearing tale of the restaurant’s evolution and focus on sustainability that a seat was finally taken and with everything from butter to charcuterie, cheese and bread made in house there is little doubt that the team of fifteen Chefs and Stages who also function as servers is incredibly in-tune with the Chef’s concept, each item presented with thorough detailing and plenty of pride shown.
Criticized by some, recently, for becoming too Vegetable-focused and thereby forgoing some of the wild-caught game presented at meals past, there is little doubt that a meal at In de Wulf focuses strongly on the local wilderness as well as that of nearby France, but whether presented with a broad leaf of Sorrel topped in Chicken Skin or a delicate tart marrying Radish to Goat Cheese the flavors always seem to come across with a bold confidence and understanding of what it is like to truly embrace nature, the topped Egg filled with Dogfish and Young Peas dazzling with a base of custard that came across as both smooth and vibrant simultaneously.
No doubt a place where Bread and Butter will prove irresistible to all but the most restrained, the Sourdough also offered at De Superette in some ways redefining the genre with a robust crust that tastes lightly burnt around a crumb that is nutty yet as soft as Wonderbread back home, the arrival of silverware announces the start of In de Wulf’s larger items and starting off with a chilled soup of Cauliflower and skimmed Buttermilk Cheese with Acacia Flowers the menu rapidly moves through a vegetable foray unlike almost anything seen Stateside, the White Asparagus made the star with Squid taking a backseat while the Runner Bean porridge went sour only to be brought back into context by a small toast of melted cheese with Wild Onions and fresh Horseradish.
At this point turning to more meaty items, a short period dining by candlelight remedied by one of the Chefs being sent to flip a breaker, there was certainly no lack of power when it came to Lobster poached in butter with a stock of its own carapace and coral, the followup titled “Zurkelstoemp” literally seeing a small Potato cut from an Ash crust at tableside with each diner encouraged to mash it with Egg Yolk and a variety of foraged Sorrels.
Seeing wolffish on a menu for the first time, the Atlantic bottom-dweller surprisingly mild when served adjacent Leeks and a foamy Stew of its Bones, the aromatics were upped significantly by a lone ravioli stuffed with Pork Trotters, Tails and Mustard in a vibrant green bath of Spinach and Elderberries, the fatty cut of lamb to follow offset by Lovage and charred Rhubarb while a final savory of 8-week aged Pigeon disproved any rumors of Desramaults losing his curveball as funky flavors came across in-full from flesh that may as well have melted without use of teeth.
Not really expecting much from dessert, the table next to mine having already completed dinner that was perhaps expedited by the staff as the couple had spent nearly a quarter of the time making out, it was with great surprise that each of the three courses, as well as mignardises, were actually quite pleasant, the first going bitter by degrees with Buttermilk and Beetroot before progressing to charred Berries beneath ice cream made from Pineapple Weed, the “Goat’s Curd, Daisy” described as a ‘lifecycle’ as the flower feeds the local livestock whose milk is used to make the custard beneath.
http://www.indewulf.be/