Restaurant Session (in Lommel, Belgium): Cuchara

Very happy to be back at restaurant Cuchara✨✨ from chef Jan Tournier in Lommel. We have been in 2017 and got really impressed - so we were quite eager to experience it again!

 

 The black wall - an artwork from Esther Barend.

 

Inside the concrete urn, lays the menu :-)

To start, the aperitif: a glass of Chant d'Eole from Domaine du Chant d’Éole in Quévy-le-Grand.

 

Tomato | red shiso. 

So full of flavour!

As second dish, northsea crab | horseradish | green herbs | kenome.

 

 It tastes as it looks: fantastic!!

 

Cutlery Dexter's style ;-)

 

Langoustine | caviar 15gr | shisoflower | fingerlime.

 

Roger had the wine pairing. With the langoustine, a glass of Sauvignon Blanc Suedsteiermark from Hannes Sabathi.

 

My non-alcoholic drink, fitting perfectly to the dish: apple and yuzu.

 

As fourth fish, irish mor, wakame | beurre blanc yuzu kosho | myoga. 

Fantastic mixture of textures and flavours!

 

Pairing with the oyster, a glass of 2015 Riesling von roten Schiefer from Clemens Busch.

 

Akami tuna ikejime | katsuobushi | cilantro | miso. 

Soooo good, we loved it!

 

Pairing with the tuna, a glass of sake Senkin 50. Very nice!

 

 My drink: tonic water with herbs infusion. Loved the taste, really nice!

 

Bread and butter (with brocolis and co.). So good!

 

Signature dish: nigiri | truffle | dashi | foie | sanshopepper.

So rich in flavor, it was pure and simply delicious!

Fitting perfectly with the signature dish, a glass of 2018 Sextant Bourgogne Chardonnay from wineard Julien Altaber. Very nice!

 

Lobster | sea urchin | shirokombu. 

Fantastic sauce!

With the lobster, a glass of 2019 Autocton from the winery Autocton Celler.

 

 As eight dish, asparagus | plancton. Delicious!!

Fitting very nicely with the asparagus, a glass of champagne Les Grands Blancs from Robert Moncuit.

 

As main dish, pigeon in hay | pea | jus Périgord. 

For Roger, it was the best pigeon he ate (and he is not a fan of pigeon). I tried, but I confess: I don't like pigeon, independent on how well it is prepared.

 

The leg is prepared and put on display to show the quality of the pigeon - based on the crawls.

Pairing with the main dish, a glass of 2018 Territori from Josep Grau. Very nice!

 

Compressed towels before dessert time. Add water and...

 

 ...voilá! :-)

 

Sweet time! Yogurt, yuzu, miso, koji, champagne. Very refreshing, delicious!

 

Nop, don't remember anymore. That's the issue of blogging 3 years later :-D

 

To finalize an amazing dinner, espresso and gourmandises: praliné and...

 ...a beautiful sweet crunchy layer on top of a mousse.

 

Always a joy to be back in such an amazing place! For us, one of the best restaurants in Belgium!

 

Walking to the car to go back to our B&B. In Lommel, it looks like Christmas :-D

Jul 29th, 2021.