Bar Kantoor in Amsterdam
In the kitchen of the brand-new Bar Kantoor, the emphasis is on sustainability. Boring? Not at all! The restaurant’s chef knows how to give sustainability a delicious edge in a simple way, with fermented vegetables and fruit taking center stage. Now that makes us curious.
You’ll find Bar Kantoor on the city-centre side of Westerpark, in the former offices of the Westergasfabriek. References to the space’s former function can be found not only in the name, but also in the restaurant’s interior. We spot wooden office chairs on wheels, a bar made from filing cabinets and cocktails with names like De ZZP’er and De Stagiaire.
Trout wall
Enough about that, because we’re immediately distracted by the enormous herb wall with an aquarium in it. And there’s a story behind it: the fish, rainbow trout, feed the plants with their excrement, while the herb plants provide the fish with oxygen. A closed ecosystem, in other words. Those herbs are used in the kitchen, and four times a year the trout are caught and you’ll spot them as a special on the menu.
Always on the menu: organic food, dishes made with local produce and fermented ingredients. From our table, we look into the open kitchen and indeed spot dozens of jars filled with preserved vegetables and fruit. Chef Dirk Mooren, also of restaurant Moer, promises to give his menu an exciting twist with fermented ingredients. We’re curious to see whether he can deliver on that promise.
Interesting flavour combinations
We start with a boudeuse, a small, meaty oyster, topped with – yes indeed – fermented raspberry on top. We had never tasted that interesting salty-sour combination before, but we’re quite taken with it. Next comes a beautifully coloured starter: seared scallops, quinoa, crunchy (of course fermented) red cabbage and a vinaigrette of elderflower and buttermilk. Those different textures in your mouth are a delight. We also enjoy some culinary comfort food: tender cauliflower with poached egg and broad beans. The herbaceous morels (mushrooms) finish the dish perfectly.
Superb beef featherblade
For the main course, we choose beef featherblade with langoustine, new potatoes and carrot. The beef is sublime: juicy, full of flavour and so tender that every bite melts on my tongue. There’s hardly any need to chew. The langoustine is a little wasted, though; its flavour is overpowered by the beef. Dessert is the highlight: warm, fermented pineapple with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream and a light, crunchy piece of honeycomb. The subtle dollop of homemade crème fraîche on the side is perfectly balanced and also pairs beautifully with the sweet pineapple.
In short, Bar Kantoor is everything you’ve been waiting for. It has a varied menu, with fermented vegetables and fruit taking centre stage. And admittedly: it does indeed give many dishes and homemade cocktails that promised exciting touch. What’s more, the chef doesn’t overdo it: he knows exactly when it’s better to leave out his pickled red cabbage and beetroot. A clever trick.
