The Thing/La cosa
There’s something utterly appealing about eating in a desolate location, barren, harsh weather (snowfall, storm as opposed to ray of sunlight), fire’s crackling inside and if the food’s decent then that’s definitely ‘The Thing’ for me. So little surprise that top on my list of the most desirable restaurants first is Faviken (in world’s end, literally) and then the other one ‘in de wulf’ which we are lucky to have it close to home but still off the beaten path, so much so that you would probably be better off staying overnight in one of its chic and basic farmhouse or taking a siesta in its sofas if for lunch before finding your way home.
Our first visit was in a November’s Sunday night when the first frost set in and we’ve been raving about ‘in de wulf’ since. I was most impressed first by the fact that 15-odd generally tattooed chefs had respectively brought 15 dishes to the table; it feels much more intimate and possibly just right to hear the very person prepared the dish talk about the dish. Secondly, the dishes are prepared with such diverse and at times imaginative techniques: smoke, marinate, ferment, poach and yet the end result is something über pure and concentrate. Third, this sense of making the best out of what the environment is on offer. If the soil is poor, then take advantage of the sea; if the sunless land breed tasteless tomato, then shed light on the good old potatoes or guess what nameless but amazingly flavoursome mushrooms abundant in the surroundings.
Can the second visit be as good if not exceeding? it’ June, day time, balmy temperature, but still somewhat breezy, and endlessly rainy typically in this part of the world, same windy road (though we didn’t miss the exit this time); arrival is through the kitchen, we know the formula: 15-course-long menu, dear and daring young chefs from home and abroad dash in with the dishes, they talk the dish in a subdued loving manner like the parents talk about their grown-up children, then the flavour hits our palate:
Undoubtedly summery yet with undertone of the gutsiness just as in the westernmost Heuvelland you can sense the wind and rain even in the middle of the summer.
We were in love once again with the wonderful world of ‘in de wulf’.
So we are slightly saddened to know ‘in de wulf’ will whisper its adieu at the end of the year and its chef Kobe ventures to new restaurant concept (something to do with play with fire, literally), but the truth is for such a restaurant to remain ‘The Thing’, the only self-respecting way is, much like many legendry artists, took its own life before passing its sell-by date.
And I took a myopic relief that there are still chances to taste its autumn and winter menu before so long.
