We opted for five courses and then topped up with oysters – so we missed out on the combination of quail, duck liver, wild garlic and prawns – but if something is missing, that’s a reason to come back! The oysters beforehand were definitely worth it, they were fresh (anyway, right?) and wonderfully nutty. In the run-up to the real menu, we took some bread with us – home-baked sourdough bread, which was unfortunately so good that one slice wasn’t enough. There was also butter decorated with the KK restaurant logo – a terrible duo. You don’t want to stop, even though you know there are several more courses to come! Together with the amuse-bouche (a very spicy slice of poultry pâté plus a cup of veal bouillon), this was actually a perfect evening meal! But – and this was probably the intention – it was also an inspiration for what was still to come. However, the surprises were not yet anticipated…
For example, the crispy pig’s ear (from the butcher, not the bakery) that had joined the lettuce. It came à part with the mackerel, which was basically raw and merely flamed. The bite-sized morsels were separated by slices of strawberry – whoever comes up with something like that would also come up with the idea of serving magnolia sorbet as the ideal combination with mackerel. The service staff seem to be no strangers to guests’ astonishment: yes, that’s how they all look, said the service staff member presenting the dish and smiled back at the pass. There was really only one or two bites between looking surprised or disconcerted and praising the chef for his idea and the team for implementing it. In principle, we were ready for more afterwards!
If it hadn’t been for the purely vegetarian course of all kinds of greenery, which the women (of course) were perfectly happy with and even praised – but I struggled. The wild mix of bimi – broccoli – kombu – miso – amaranth looked good, but for me (who really like vegetarian food and am used to it) it didn’t come together to form a tingling taste. Seeking consolation, I reached for a glass, in which a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi from the organic Sabbionare winery casually proved how different flavors can come into their own in one sip.