Contraste

Debuted last year and remains surprisingly excellent. Wijnrestaurant Contraste is located directly on the canal leading to the Braassemermeer lakes and features a beautiful terrace in good weather, which is also accessible by boat. Patron-chef Kenneth Tjong Ayong and his partner and hostess Paulien van Wieringen aim to surprise their guests with contemporary dishes that champion sustainability, alongside fantastic wine-and-food pairings. The chef determines the menu, works with organic and local produce, and employs barbecue cooking methods. Paulien fosters an informal, unpretentious atmosphere and offers highly surprising wine selections. We have rarely been welcomed so warmly as during this visit. We taste exceptionally fresh sea bass crudo accompanied by fish sauce with kosho, smoked almond, and a salad of fennel and blood orange. Bright acidity and gentle sweetness play off each other. An excellent companion in the glass: Weingut Fogt Rheinhessen Scheurebe Fumé Trocken. The monkfish baked in beurre noisette with saffron sauce, grilled endive with barbecued apple jelly, and fresh green apple is also outstanding. And the complimentary wine, a Celler Pascona Lo Noi del Sac blanc de noirs from Montsant, is yet another discovery. The Dutch cheeses are predominantly sourced from local farms and are served at the proper temperatures, accompanied by marmalade and homemade tuttifrutti bread. For this, Paulien pours a relatively unknown Ratafia Pinot Noir. The petit fours are served in a classic biscuit tin and could use a bit more attention. A nice touch is that the menu booklet includes a QR code where you can find all the information about the dishes on the menu.

A hidden gem in the Green Heart. After years of operating a casual spot, they shifted gears in 2024 when chef Kenneth Tjong Ayong and hostess and sommelier Paulien van Wieringen launched their wine restaurant, Contraste. The venue is unique: a delightful wooden building by the water with a lovely terrace ideal for summer days. The interior is cozy and bright. 'Contraste' embodies the vision Kenneth and Paulien have for their work. It represents offering fine dining in an informal setting, presenting a surprise menu without a printed menu card, and pouring unpretentious yet excellent wines. The wine cellar is filled with special gems, all at accessible prices. Kenneth prepares Dutch cuisine featuring plenty of ingredients from their own vegetable garden. Meat, game, fish, farm cheese, and tea are sourced from nearby suppliers, the coffee is fair trade, and whenever possible, organic or biodynamic wines are served. Wine and food hold equal importance here, and Paulien lovingly curates the perfect pairings for Kenneth's dishes. Their motto is 'let guests celebrate life,' and they achieve this in every aspect. Paulien is a natural hostess who understands her guests like no other, while the kitchen consistently produces beautifully balanced plates. To begin, a lively, fresh cava with a pleasant mousse: Federico Paternina Cava Reserva Brut Nature. A fine start. We enjoy barbecued mackerel on pumpkin cream with hazelnut, topped with 'scales' crafted from slices of sweet-and-sour pumpkin, surrounded by yellow curry sauce and coriander oil. Refined and pure in flavor. This is followed by a quail roulade with corn cream and crisp, fried chili strips that provide just the right amount of heat, zucchini brunoise, and marigolds from their own garden. Accompanied by a fluffy, warm homemade brioche. In the glass, a light and creamy Spanish wine: Bruno Murciano Pieles Doradas. A true feast for the taste buds. Welcome to deliciousness!