Lime

Owner-chef Ysbrandt Wermenbol fulfills not only the role of chef but also that of host and sommelier during our visit. It is quiet and we are allowed to choose our own table in the warmly decorated restaurant. The vases filled with lemons and brightly colored fresh flowers are a nice touch. After looking at the menu, which consists largely of local products and plenty of North Sea fish, we choose a four-course fish menu. Ysbrandt enthusiastically tells us that fresh wild halibut has just arrived. Off the menu, he wants to create a special dish for us with it, and we think that is a good plan. The starter is beetroot gazpacho with seaweed, smoked crème fraîche, and a little black truffle ice cream. Good, but not mind-blowing. Much more exciting is the dish of gnocchi with very well-cooked scallops, taleggio cream, potato, and oyster sauce. This is followed by softly cooked squid with parsley cream and smoked garlic sauce, served with crispy potato. Summer on a plate. The matching Italian wine made from Cortese grapes from Piedmont pleasantly surprises us. The specially prepared wild halibut with langoustine and wild garlic in a foamy sauce is a treat for the taste buds! Truly a wonderful flavor experience with a clear wow factor. We finish off with an authentic classic: tarte tatin with spice caramel and vanilla ice cream. A place we would love to return to.

The evening gets off to a slightly slow start. After an hour, we had barely made it past the first course. The coordination between the kitchen and the front-of-house staff isn't entirely smooth, which is a shame, because what we are served by owner-chef Ysbrandt Wermenbol is of superlative quality. This does not improve for the rest of the evening. A multi-course menu featuring no fewer than eight dishes can be ordered, with the option to extend it to ten courses. The ambiance is beautiful and trendy, and fortunately, the chairs are perfectly comfortable. The pasta with poached lobster in a chamomile and Parmesan beurre blanc is stunningly good. The lobster is cooked to perfection, its firm texture beautifully enriching the delicate pasta. The beurre blanc is rich and buttery, and the cheese provides the perfect finishing touch. The dish 'Reisje Texel' features Dutch prawns, grilled iceberg lettuce, and sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy foam of Texel sheep’s milk cheese. It is garnished with chives and a potato crisp. It is accompanied by a stunning Portuguese Dona Ermelinda from Casa Ermelinda Freitas. A silken yogurt and blackcurrant leaf cream sits beneath a variety of berries (jostaberry, redcurrant, blueberry, and gooseberry), accompanied by angelica granité and a pistachio crisp. This highly flavorful dessert is lifted to a higher plane by a sweet sparkling Brachetto. Lime offers a high-caliber culinary experience, but we do notice that seamless coordination between the kitchen and service staff is of paramount importance to ensure a dinner is a complete success.

Located on the market square in the center of Malden. Relaxed atmosphere, trendy decor, partly open kitchen. Very beautiful and creative cooking takes place here, using seasonal ingredients that chef-owner Ysbrandt Wermenbol sources, among other places, from the organic garden at Kiemkracht 64. The menu changes regularly, and you can create your own menu from a selection of dishes. A matching wine is selected for each dish, but you can also make your own choice from the carefully curated wine list. For an aperitif, we enjoy a mildly dry, lightly sparkling Spanish Colet A Priori, floral with almost tropical aromas. A fine start. The first course is gadogado in a new style and immediately hits the spot. Crispy potato slices with a crunchy vegetable salad of cabbage, radish, and green beans, a quail egg, and a scoop of salted peanut ice cream, surrounded by a ginger vinaigrette and a touch of sambal. Fresh, surprising, and in one word, divine. We pair it with a perfectly matching Italian white blend from Azienda Monte del Frà winery in Custoza. Next, a crispy-roasted organic chicken with two sauces. A rich poultry jus enriched with smoked eel, and a light sake-verveine beurre blanc. You can taste the skilled hand of the chef. Served with barbecued leek, shiitake mushrooms, and lamb ears with anchovy butter. A slightly chilled Garnacha-Tempranillo 2021, Kármán, Rioja, brings it to perfection. Finally, marinated strawberries on sour cream with elderflower kombucha, basil syrup, olive oil ice cream, and swirls of yuzu gel. A place you’ll want to return to often.

There's a lovely atmosphere in this trendy, not-too-large establishment run by chef Ysbrandt Wermenbol. Classical French cuisine takes center stage here, enhanced with contemporary and Eastern influences. The menu is placed on the table, allowing you to compose your own meal from the dishes listed. The wine list is modest and offers primarily European selections. The sourdough bread served with sea salt and olive oil arrives quickly and is delightful, so we decide to order some oysters with our aperitif, a Ferré i Catasús cava. For the starter, we have crispy octopus, crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, which pairs beautifully with romesco cream, aioli vinaigrette, and artichoke. Next, we enjoy wild halibut with an nduja jelly (a spicy seasoned spreadable sausage from Calabria). The halibut is cooked to perfection and the accompanying spinach is delicious. In between, we indulge in a fine selection of cheeses served at the proper temperature, accompanied by apple compote and another slice of that tasty sourdough bread. The dessert of apple semi-freddo, apple cider granita, brownie, and Swiss cream falls short. The brownie isn't fudgy, and the semi-freddo with the granita is very cold, resulting in a lack of flavor. That could be better. The service is very friendly and attentive, and the bill is highly reasonable.

A trendy and casual spot in the heart of Malden. Classically trained and highly experienced chef Ysbrandt Wermenbol leads a young, passionate team in crafting a creative, season-driven cuisine. Drawing on the finest traditions of French cooking, it incorporates an Asian influence and a touch of Italian flair. The dining room is cozy and stylishly appointed with Oriental accents, while the atmosphere remains relaxed, underscored by soft lounge music. We are pleasantly surprised by the starter 'tomato Romanoff', a salad of pickled cherry tomatoes and strawberries served with Romanoff sauce and light focaccia. We pair it with an elegant, fruity Austrian Welschriesling from Weingut Johannes Zillinger. Next up is burrata nestled among fresh chanterelles, dressed in an apricot and blackcurrant leaf vinaigrette with fresh almonds and chervil. It is truly a feast for both the eyes and the palate. An Italian Verdicchio di Matelica 2018 rounds out the pairing perfectly. The vegetarian main course features earthy red beetroot accompanied by an exciting, palate-pleasing elderflower sauce, complemented by the fresh, green notes of daikon and Indian cress. Every bite is divine. We nearly lick our plates clean. A fantastic destination with a lively kitchen and exceptional value for money.

Once, chef Ysbrandt Wermenbol closed his starred restaurant to cook more simply. Now he runs a small, young, and fresh restaurant with an open kitchen in the center of Malden. The name Lime was chosen because this citrus fruit is widely used in both Mediterranean and Asian cuisine to refresh and flavor dishes. Exactly the kind of cuisines Ysbrandt champions: a combination of regional influences based on organic produce with an Eastern and Mediterranean touch. The atmosphere is excellent, it's lively and noisy from all sides, and privacy is scarce here. But that doesn't matter because we're here for Ysbrandt's culinary skills, and they are more than good. The menu features seasonal menus, chef's dishes, and a complete no-meat-today menu. We love that. You can also come here for a plate of oysters or just a main course. The wine list offers excellent choices at very reasonable prices. Sommelier Sarah Jane Norris, formerly from the now-closed restaurant De Sjalot in Nijmegen, provides knowledgeable and highly enjoyable advice. A wonderful spot!

In the center of Malden, Ysbrandt Wermenbol runs a small restaurant with an open kitchen. A cacophony of sounds greets us as we enter, and there is absolutely no privacy tonight. But we gladly accept that, because the food is simply delicious. The menu offers several options, including one marked “no meat today.” Otherwise, the kitchen is inspired by Asian and Mediterranean influences. We begin with the Toast Cannibale “upside down”: super-fresh hand-cut steak tartare under rich beef broth, paired with a light parmesan cream and croutons. Truly delightful. This is followed by pan-seared cod back with mustard, bay leaf, and puffed onion cream served with an oyster sauce. Sommelier Job Zonneveld (remember this name, you will hear more about him) pours a beautiful unfiltered Italian Tenuta de Angelis Offida Quiete Pecorino: in a word, magnificent. For the main course, we savor crispy baked and ginger-glazed duck breast fillet, alongside a piece of confit in its own jus with fennel and black pepper. The dessert is yet another daring feat of surprising flavors. A ring of ruby chocolate blended with beets, encircled by red beet gel, blood orange and basil sorbet. And once again, a perfect pairing, this time in the form of a lightly sparkling F. de Loron made from the Gamay grape, Fleurie, France. Welcome back to this guide.