Ger-Nis INTERNATIONAL, LLC

De Kas

De Kas
Kamerinlingh Onnenslaan 3
1097 DE Amsterdam
Netherlands
www.restaurantdekas.nl

“A kitchen surrounded by fertile soil where vegetables and herbs thrive … Where daylight shines in from all sides and where the chefs are free to express their creativity daily using the best the season has to offer. It seems an obvious concept, but I spent twenty years surrounded by white tiles under fluorescent lighting before I came up with it.”
~Gert Jan Hageman

In 2001 Michelin Stat Chef Gert Jan Hageman decided to take a new direction in life. He had stumbled upon an old greenhouse that had belonged to the Amsterdam Municipal Nursery.  Holland, one of the largest greenhouse countries in the world, has greenhouses dating back hundreds of years. The greenhouse that Gert ran across was built in 1926 and was quite run down, but his vision, although not yet concrete, was building within him.  With the help of his friends and family and the municipality of Amsterdam, the glass greenhouse was converted into a restaurant with its own unique greenhouse and nursery. The growing paradise is located right on the outskirts of the main part of the city, just a few minutes from the central station. You’re sure to feel like you are in the country but still in the city. The restaurant features the freshest of seasonal ingredients straight out of their greenhouse. The seasonality does not end there. They source only seasonal and sustainably raised meats and seafood, local dairy and other goods from nearby farmers and artisans.

De Kas has one defining feature that lasts the whole year round, and that is the use of fresh herbs on the menu at all times, grown and picked right in their own gardens, either inside the glasshouse or on the surrounding grounds. Whether it’s the bright day light that shines in or the full moons that glimmers, the magnificent exuberance experienced dining beneath pure glass is extraordinarily remarkable.

On a cold week in February, I found myself in Amsterdam for work. I had one day free by myself. I had wanted to attend De Kas for years, but typically I’d been in Amsterdam only one day at a time, and it was always Sunday- the one day of the week they are closed (as are most of the restaurants)!  But this particular Saturday as I stood alone debating on whether to go to a fancy, high-end, world renowned restaurant all by myself.  The opportunity to eat at De Kas was too much to refuse. I jumped in the cab, headed there early due to jetlag and I figured sitting alone earlier in the evening would feel more comfortable.  After a short cab ride from central Amsterdam, I found myself looking at this glasshouse in the middle of the town!  I see a lot of greenhouses in my line of work, but this was special. 

Upon entering I see lush gardens filled with winter herbs and greens. It was flooring, to say the least.  I asked the maitredee if I could tour the gardens and gave her a little insight on why I was interested (what I do for a living and what my interests are).  They gave me the grand tour and then sat me at a big communal table to one side of the very large dining room.  They also have a special chefs table that fits 4 people that, of course, you have to call ahead to reserve, but it is literally in the middle of the kitchen.  The kitchen is open, so despite sitting at a table other than the chefs table, quite a bit of what is happening is visable.

My experience began in true European fashion with a glass of Moet Chandon with the zest and essence of meyer lemon handed to me.  The glass of decadent bubbly with lemony essence was enough to put in the mood to find out what was next to come.  A small consistent fire roared on next to me and gave me a very warm feeling.  The sky was filled with stars, and it was incredible to just sit under the glass, to experience that what came next would in time and would be (and was) beautiful- being alone there made the experience feel a bit lengthy but I do realize that with others it would have been more amazing.  The menu is a tasting menu, and there are is no room for substitutions (except if you eat meat or not, are vegan, or if there is anything you are allergic to).  Despite my wanting to ask for all vegetables, I simply said, give me what you will. I like the idea of having what the chef considers the best of the night. Of course I gladly accepted wine pairings as the idea of discovering the wines of the area intrigued me.

The table starters were right up my alley, pickled red and white pearl onions with fresh herbs and mustard seeds.  The onions proved tender yet crisp, the flavor acidic yet perfectly balanced with the spices. Spanish olive oil that embodied the deepest hue of green I had ever seen accompanied an earthy, local bread loaded with grains came soft but textured, and the final opener came as some very large bright and zest lemony Italian olives. They poured another glass of Moet poured, and I am not one to refuse!

The first course came as a trio of starters with a trio of wine pairings.  The first was a salad of rocket with housemade veal pastrami, some brussel sprout leaves, sorrel root, winter root chips, and a basil balsamic drizzle. Encapsulating the flavors of the wines was difficult for me, but the red came from one of the largest growing regions in Germany and felt light yet robust- extremely interesting and a great pairing for the salad. 

The second dish of the trio was a celeriac ravioli topped with apples, ground nuts, fresh thyme, and a parmesan type cheese with an edible violet.  There was a little apple herb broth at the bottom of the bowl.  Thos wine was white and hailed from the north of Italy- vibrant, bright, and fresh.

The third trio component was served in a large glass jar covered with a lid. Inside sat Moroccan roasted root vegetables, bok choy, and fresh mint.  It was spiced mildly but carried classic Middle Eastern spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, cloves, and cinnamon, to name a few.  The wine was a local Dutch white, buttery but semi-soft and not too strong, making a nice contribution with the spices.

The main course was a Scandanavian winter cod fish. Served with fried wild mushrooms, endive, chicory salsa verde with purslane and warmed fennel.  The dish was paired with a chardonnay from the north of Spain. The fish was firm yet tender and succulent, and the accompaniments showcased the beauty of winter fare exceptionally well but still provided the freshest flavors.

By dessert, I will be honest, I had been there for almost three hours, and sitting by myself was getting to me a bit. So, as I don’t have a big sweet tooth, I skipped out on dessert and had a glass of champagne instead.  I did, however, bear witness to the desserts. They started with a tarragon ice with some sort of fresh Scandinavian winter berry and followed with the main dessert was a chestnut mousse with a wholegrain cookie and fresh thyme honey.

I certainly would have loved to have gone with people, but I had to take the opportunity and am glad I did. It was one of the best overall dining experiences I ever had in my life.  As the ambiance took center stage, it’s hard to know if the food was lifted by it or if it was truly as good as it seemed.