Fun & Famous
This is Sesanne Leeuwenburg. You might not immediately think: ‘oh yes her’, but you will when I say: The Lion Kitchen. That's a site with the most delicious recipes served on the cutest plates. I'm insanely jealous of Sesanne's dish collection, but that's beside the point. She's just on maternity leave, so I thought it was a good time to snag her for ‘Dinner with’.
Sesanne, tell me about your favorite restaurant and what you love to eat, you know everything about that.
Where in the world is your favorite restaurant?
‘That's in Amsterdam, definitely number 1: Rijsel. The host Pieter, the black-legged chicken from chef Iwan, and the glass of Crémant upon arrival complete the picture. The whole evening is all about enjoying. Outside the Netherlands, I would move without thinking tomorrow to Cape Town to then have lunch as often as possible at Constantia Uitsig, a restaurant with a view you won't forget quickly.’
And who would you really like to have dinner with? It can be anyone.
‘I would love to sit at a huge Indonesian rice table with my grandma. She passed away six years ago, but I still miss her. Especially because I'm about to become a mother myself, I would have loved to share this with her. Additionally, I've come across a number of questions over the past few years that I would have liked to ask her.’
Where in a restaurant do you prefer to sit?
‘On a nice couch against the wall with a view of the kitchen and the rest of the restaurant. I prefer to keep an eye on everything as much as possible and can unabashedly, to my boyfriend's great displeasure, spy on other people.’
What do you always hope is on a menu?
‘During my pregnancy without a doubt poached eggs, avocado, and crispy bacon. Before and after that, absolutely steak tartare or a large piece of côte de boeuf.’
Do you find your way on the wine list??
‘Nowadays increasingly better. When it comes to wines, I know exactly what I like and what I don't. For now, I'm really looking forward to a glass of Chardonnay from the Bernardus Winery or a good Barolo.’
Starter or dessert?
‘By far a starter. Here comes the steak tartare again or what do you think of escargots? I'm not really a sweet tooth.’
What fun project are you currently working on?
‘At the moment, my life is completely focused on the little man on the way. Additionally, I'm busy setting up The Little Lion Kitchen, a part of my blog that will be entirely about children and food. I'm going to collaborate with my mother for that and I'm really looking forward to it.’
