May has never eaten so well as here

As you may know (or may not, that can of course also be the case), you don't necessarily make me intensely and deeply happy with a seven-course dinner in a three-star restaurant. This is because it often feels too stiff, too much, and takes too long. But fortunately, there is a new generation of chefs (hi Sergio, hi Syrco Bakker) who understand that. So when I received an invitation from Gaggenau to come eat in their showroom from the dishes of chef Edwin Vinke, I said ‘yes’.

That Edwin has two stars, I conveniently overlooked. He is from Zeeland (plus point, because I love Zeeland and Zeeland also produced Sergio and Syrco), covered in tattoos, and finds it important to cherish local products and look for ways to change the problems that our food culture brings.

And Gaggenau. Gaggenau. That is the nec plus ultra in the kitchen world. If I ever have a Gaggenau refrigerator with double doors and a climate cabinet with three different temperature zones, I will start an Insta account for the refrigerator. And a YouTube channel. That is just art. And then I wouldn't even dare to dream about their dishwashers, espresso machines, and of course the steam ovens they have invented.

So I went there. The first thing I was handed was a glass of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs champagne. Look, then we are immediately on the right and same wavelength. Where I know the company particularly well at fashion parties, everything was different here. I sat next to Jan and Monique des Bouvrie (thankfully I know them well), but also next to a very nice interior stylist, Marcel Wolterinck (the best florist in the Netherlands who now mainly decorates houses and where I would want to live, man, I almost bowed when I realized it was him I was talking to, but it was close), Mary Hessing (editor-in-chief of More Than Classic with an enormous CV from the most beautiful home magazines) and so on.

Edwin Vinke immediately surprised by serving an ice-cold sake from the Kobe region in the wine glass. I'm not really the type to save menus, but this was from such a different planet (the planet Gaggenau where Vinke is king) that it has been in my kitchen for a week now. We ate tapioca croquettes with red curry and vadouvan. Now I must honestly admit that I don't know what vadouvan is, but I hope the Gaggenau company forgives me for this. It was delicious, that vadouvan.

We continued with a fruits de mer (a Zeeuw remains a Zeeuw and I am grateful to him for that), which Vinke placed on a raft of sea lettuce, oak seaweed, and wakame. Next to it lay a sea bass that was marinated in kombu and furikake. Again, I had never heard of furikake, but it was delicious once more.

It continued like this, with the highlight being the smoked root, which Vinke had prepared for days to achieve a texture so firm that nothing would make you long for anything that even remotely resembled meat.

Meanwhile, Vinke explained how he had used that amazing Gaggenau kitchen to create his dishes and (and this was really amazing) the space was ‘dressed’ by projections. So there were no name cards, but your name was projected onto your plate. With the shells, you saw the bottom of the sea on the table and a lobster crawled along your plate.

Marcel Wolterinck took the microphone afterwards and said he was emotional because he had eaten so well and at such a high level. And I, I was just uplifted for a few days. As if you had been to an opera that moved and touched you.

So if you want to treat yourself to a new kitchen: go to Gaggenau. And if you want wonderfully delicious (and light!) and new food: De Kromme Watergang is where you need to be.