Wijnhuis De Blauwe Camer: the hidden gem of the south
Celebration: Wijnhuis De Blauwe Camer has been around for two years! And of course, we were happy to celebrate with them, so we travelled to the south of the country to sit down for a special anniversary dinner at this (until now) hidden gem…
The location
Wijnhuis and restaurant De Blauwe Camer is located in a unique spot on the edge of the Brabant village of Oosterhout. The restaurant is part of the centuries-old De Blauwe Camer castle and is situated right next to the Sint-Catharinadal convent. Owners Maikel and Tessa have transformed the castle’s former cowshed into a special restaurant that fits perfectly into the rural surroundings. The high ceiling, cosy seating areas, incredibly friendly service and view of the convent make this an exceptional, but above all, wonderfully pleasant place for dinner, lunch or drinks.
Straight from the garden and vineyard
Behind the convent is a huge kitchen garden where Sister Godelief (a real one!) takes complete care of the organic garden together with volunteers. From palm kale to fennel: all kinds of things grow and blossom here. Add the herb garden and fruit trees, and the picture is complete. Chef Maikel makes abundant use of the produce from the garden and creates the most flavourful dishes with it. Besides vegetables, fruit and herbs, you can also taste and buy the homemade Sint-Catharinadal rosé made from Pinot Noir and Gamay (surprisingly delicious!) or Chardonnay from the vineyard at the convent shop. You can recognise the Sint-Catharinadal wines by the black-and-white sleeve around the bottle, which symbolises the nuns’ veils.
An anniversary menu with a Dutch twist
Especially for the anniversary, we tasted the most delicious dishes of the past two years. All with a distinctly Dutch twist. We started with a classic hussar salad in a chic guise, made with scallop, foie gras and black truffle. There was also a twist on the Brabant snack of fries with stew. Crunchy potato with the softest and juiciest veal cheek we have ever eaten. Naturally, it was accompanied by top wines. With the scallop, we drank a full-bodied, floral Australian VSC (a blend of Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay), while the fries with stew were paired with the ruby-red ‘Christa Rolf’ Grenache Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, poured by house sommelier Tessa.
Homard à l’américaine
But the lobster with risotto was the absolute showstopper of the evening. Super-soft, sweet lobster with a foam of cognac, tarragon and carrots from the kitchen garden (of course!). Hallelujah! This dish is extra special because it is prepared according to Homard à l’américaine: a classic way of preparing lobster in French cuisine.
The finale
The penultimate course was cheese flambéed with sugar cane, from the dairy farm one street away. For dessert, the ultimate breakfast-inspired treat with homemade granola bar, yoghurt ice cream, espresso and dark chocolate. And then there was the aroma of freshly baked madeleines wafting through the restaurant as friandises… Mmmm…
A restaurant worth going out of your way for
Wijnhuis De Blauwe Camer is a place worth taking a detour by car, bike or on foot. A place Brabant can be incredibly proud of. In the meantime, we’re already planning our next visit!
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