The magical ‘Michelin sauce’ | When will the next third Michelin Star fall in the Netherlands?
The magical ‘Michelin sauce’ | When will the next third Michelin Star fall in the Netherlands?
Were you also a bit disappointed that there wasn’t a new third Michelin star awarded in the Netherlands this year? I was! Especially when you consider that there weren’t really any new two-star restaurants either. Isn’t it only fair that a chef who already has two stars should be able to take them to their next restaurant, if it meant to be on the same culinary level? It is what it is, but as a true Michelin Guide enthusiast, I can’t help feeling a little short-changed this year… And I keep wondering: what exactly is the magical ‘Michelin sauce’ that helps you cook your way to that third star?
A blog by Marjolein van Spronsen.
2 minutes read
Road tripping with the Michelin Guide on my Lap
I belong to the generation that used to travel across Europe with the Michelin Guide on our laps. Since our student days, we’d save up so that every now and then we could dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Foodies of my generation have been able to follow the incredible evolution of Dutch gastronomy up close.
We first dined at our only 3 Michelin starred restaurant ‘De Librije’ when they had just received their first star, after hearing through the grapevine that the food was phenomenal. We went again when they earned their second star, simply because it felt so special to have such a restaurant in the Netherlands. And of course, we’ve returned several times over the past 21 years. The same goes for Sergio Herman, Cas Spijkers, Jannis Brevet, Maartje Boudeling, and of course Constant Fonk and Cees Helder, they all cooked exceptionally and laid the foundation for our country’s culinary evolution.
In 2002, chefs were betting among themselves on who would be the first to earn three Michelin stars. Jonnie and Sergio, the rock & roll chefs of that era, were the top favourites. But it was Cees Helder with his restaurant Parkheuvel in Rotterdam who received the honour of being the first three-star restaurant of the Netherlands. Two years later, Jonnie followed, and two years after that, Sergio joined the club.
The chefs mentioned above have left an enormous legacy through the training of other chefs. It was well-deserved that Jonnie Boer received a posthumous award for this. Time and again, you’ll meet chefs across the Netherlands and around the world who once worked in the kitchens of these culinary pioneers. So, it’s about time this new generation earns their own stars.
Proud of what we’ve achieved since the late 20th century
We should be proud of the incredible culinary progress our small country has made! Still, I can’t help glancing at our southern neighbours, Belgium and Luxembourg, who together have 151 Michelin stars this year. We have a total of 119 (1, 2, and 3 stars combined). Considering Belgium and Luxembourg together have almost six million fewer inhabitants than the Netherlands, the star density there (the number of residents per Michelin-starred restaurant) is nearly twice as high as here. But we’re catching up!
France, with its rich gastronomic history, still leads by far — 654 Michelin-starred restaurants this year. The density there is about one Michelin star per 100,000 inhabitants.
The magical ‘Michelin sauce’
Still, I often suspect that different standards apply in different countries. I’ve occasionally dined at a starred restaurant in France where the experience felt less impressive than at some Dutch restaurants that have fewer or even no stars. A fine example of culinary chauvinism. 😉
Of course, I understand that the evaluations are based on several criteria and that magical ‘Michelin sauce’, and that the inspectors treat this process with great care. You can tell by the fact that once a restaurant earns that third star, it often holds onto it for many years.
So, my conclusion: it’s probably just a matter of perseverance. I believe and many rankings agree with me, that there are several chefs who already meet the standards for a third star. Let’s just hope that this year, they manage to use the ingredients that fit within that magical ‘Michelin sauce’!
Congratulations to everyone awarded Michelin stars and Bib Gourmands, you are the ones shaping the breadth and brilliance of Dutch gastronomy.
We wrote about the Michelin more often!
