Hemel & Aarde

Chef-Kok René van der Weijden van Hemel & Aarde weet te verrassen. Met name door de keuze van ingrediënten die samenhangen met het seizoen waarbij zijn voorliefde blijkt voor fermenteren. Ook de knipoog naar de Nordic Kitchen levert verrassende combinaties op. In het prachtige pand en dito restaurant voelt elke gast zich thuis en welkom. Een verfrissende kombucha met snijboon en verse kruiden triggert de smaakpapillen. In het menu wordt verse doperwt verdienstelijk gecombineerd met groene aardbei, citrus en milk curd met verveine. Ook in kombu gemarineerde kabeljauw met daslookschuim en lavas bekoort. De erbij geserveerde brioche met lavasvulling doet je echt zweven tussen hemel en aarde. Maar bijzondere smaakcombinaties hebben ook een gevaar: als de combinatie de plank misslaat krijg je smaaklawaai in plaats van een mooi rond gerecht. De langoustine met oesterblad, yuzu-ponzu en rundermerg gaat qua smaak alle kanten op en is te pittig. Ook de combinatie asperge-opperdoescrème en ponzu met koffie weet niet heel erg te bekoren. De verschillende bereidingen van lam met goulash-jus en de huisgemaakte tempeh van Hollandse granen met een saus van zonnebloempitten is wel weer een gedurfde en smaakvolle combinatie. Het dessert wordt ingeleid met geniaal ijs van zuurdesem en schraapijs van bosbessen. En het echte nagerecht van dunne plakjes peer, met amazake en warme karamelsaus met tijm is hemels. Al met al super creatief, maar soms wat te gedurfd. En dus luidt het credo: minder is meer.

First of all, applause for the service, which is attentive and professional throughout the evening without being overbearing. The timing is also flawless. In this distinctive interior of the monumental Polman's House, you go for a v...

Heaven and Earth offers 'an ode to the seasons' and focuses on the circular kitchen. The menu is dictated by what the earth currently has to offer. When we arrive for lunch, the door is still locked. Once inside, it quickly becomes apparent that the team does not yet seem fully prepared for the guests. There is animated discussion at a small table with a wine supplier, many tables remain unset, and we even spot dirty dishes. But alright, we are here for the food, and executive chef Rene van der Weijden certainly manages to impress. The welcome drink, kombucha, is delightful: refreshing and beautifully green, crafted with apple, cucumber, and angelica. The amuse, a seaweed custard with parsley and spider crab, is exceptionally soft, fresh, briny, and creamy. For our aperitif, we order the 'Expression' champagne from Geoffroy in Ay. The bottle appears to have been open too long, lacking both effervescence and the proper serving temperature. This first drink falls short, particularly given that Hemel & Aarde has housed an in-house wine bar since last spring, staffed by no fewer than three sommeliers. The Netherlands-farmed kingfish with amazake tastes fresh and delicate, served alongside a bouquet of sea herbs and puffed rice. The lacquered quail with oak mushroom from the main course is deliciously prepared on a Japanese grill. It comes paired with broccoli shoots, foxberries, and summer seeds. The other side of the menu features a vegetarian dish of artichoke barigoule, a robust vegetable jus, eggplant, and a luxurious sheep yogurt foam. We attribute the somewhat disorganized start to the absence of SVH Master Host Marco Westra, who typically leaves nothing to chance. Next time will be better.

Debuted last year and featured again in the columns of this guide this year. Hemel & Aarde is located in the former monumental Polman’s House and shares the same roof as Hotel The Nox. The interior is a beautiful blend of classic and modern, and the high, richly ornamented ceiling is a feast for the eyes. Chef de cuisine Rene van der Weijden has been supported since early 2023 by Master Host (SVH) Marco Westra, and both aim to elevate the restaurant to an even higher level together with their teams. Van der Weijden focuses on circular cuisine and makes extensive use of fermentation, preservation, and dry-aging. The emphasis in his menus is on vegetables. Guests can choose between two seasonally rotating menus: one featuring meat and fish, and a fully vegetarian option. Paired with a Jean Velut champagne, deliciously fresh with lovely bubbles, come tasty starters such as vichyssoise with jenever-infused speck and roasted leek alongside a potato rösti with watercress, dried scallop, and koji mayonnaise. Soon followed by generous slices of sourdough bread with a vadouvan butter that will have you licking your fingers. Dutch-farmed kingfish is prepared with lightly spicy flavors such as celery root, kohlrabi, horseradish, and mustard with broad bean juice. This is followed by polder lamb prepared in three ways. The neck is slowly cooked and barbecued, the perfectly seared loin is coated in a wild garlic crumble with Sichuan pepper, and the house-made lamb sausage is accompanied by a caramelized onion cream and a concentrated jus of wild garlic, watercress, and anchovy. The Austrian wine, Joiser Reben 2018 by Markus Altenburger, with notes of plum, berry, pomegranate, and coffee, provides an excellent pairing. With the coffee comes an exceptional treat: asparagus with fennel-caramel, egg with asparagus foam, and brioche crumble. A culinary experience to set your sights on. The Top 100 is within sight.