I, a Michelin virgin, went to eat at a two-star restaurant
Until last week, I was the only virgin in the editorial team. In other words: a Michelin-star virgin. I eat out a lot and often, but had never eaten at a Michelin-starred restaurant before. And suddenly I had even landed two Michelin stars. I went to eat at Spectrum, and this is what I thought of it.
Who run the show
Spectrum is the restaurant on the Herengracht, located in the beautiful Waldorf Astoria hotel. Chef Sidney Schutte and restaurant manager Sascha Speckemeier run the show here, and they do so with tremendous class, combined with a wonderfully approachable attitude. No stiff, pretentious nonsense, which, as a Michelin virgin, I had expected.
Formerly Librije’s sister
Sidney and Sascha (after my deflowering, I’ll just call them by their first names) go way back. They met at restaurant Librije, where they already worked closely together. After gaining international experience (Sidney in Hong Kong and Sascha in Shanghai), they met again in 2015 and opened Librije’s zusje at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. After just seven months (!), it was awarded two Michelin stars. An exceptional achievement. During their years at Librije’s zusje, they too continued to grow, and their new developments led to a new restaurant at the same location: Spectrum. Here, they once again—hooray!—managed to retain their two stars.
Caviar in a seashell
Twelve courses awaited us, and it began spectacularly right away. The first bite of shiitake, za’atar and pickled bomb is the tastiest amuse-bouche I have ever tasted. Light, delicious flavors from the spicy za’atar, sour, fresh, texture: it had everything. Things happened to my palate that were completely new to me. And it didn’t stop there. Each of the dishes that followed looked beautiful, and I tasted flavor combinations I had never experienced before. With every dish, it was clear that 17 people (!) were laboring in the kitchen at that moment, striving for nothing less than perfection.
The caviar, served in a seashell, was also one of the many highlights for me. Besides the sensation of the unfertilized sturgeon eggs exploding on my tongue, it was mainly the soft cauliflower and kaffir custard that was irresistible. A velvety cream with a smoky cauliflower flavor and a wonderfully subtle, fresh kaffir flavor. With caviar—drive me crazy.
600 wines
You can safely call the wine list a tome. The big book of Sinterklaas is nothing compared to it. And no wonder: there are around 600 wines on the list! I would love to see their wine cellar sometime. It was already making my head spin, but luckily that wasn’t necessary. Top sommelier Cas Kratz guides you through it with flair.
Heated coats
The service was unbelievably good from start to finish. The glasses of water stayed filled, the napkin lady rolled a new linen napkin over your lap in one smooth motion every time you returned from the restroom, and the staff were friendly and took the time for everyone. The service even went so far as having the inside of my coat heated when I got it back from the cloakroom. Bizarre!
An evening to remember
I recommend that everyone treat themselves like this at least once. The food was spectacular, I was treated like a princess, and the wines were delicious. An evening I will never forget!
Not for amateurs
An evening at Spectrum is really for culinary professionals, for people with a more practiced palate. Because your taste buds are put to the test quite thoroughly during a meal (or should I say marathon?) at Spectrum. The flavor combinations were intense, and after a while I felt as though I could no longer taste properly. At one point I also became genuinely full—and believe me, that doesn’t happen quickly. That said, it was of course fantastic. I would return for the butter with the bread alone (smoked goat butter, exceptionally delicious!). If you’d like to be treated like royalty sometime, treat yourself to Spectrum. I’m already saving up.
Read also:
- Go to a Michelin-starred restaurant
- Sophie ate at The Jane
- Michelin stars 2020: the winners and losers
