REVIEW: Wynwood, Eindhoven, Netherlands

If I haven’t mentioned it before, I’ll start now – I’m in love with The Netherlands. My love is a mixture of the Dutch people, their ethics, way of life and above all how much they love their food & drink. Food for the Dutch isn’t just a filler, it’s part of their life and no matter where you visit in the country you’ll find food all around you. Right now I’m just waiting for someone to offer me a job and I’ll be straight on the plane. Two cities which I frequently visit in the Netherlands are Maastricht & Eindhoven – I find something so familiar about both and while Maastricht is more culinary, Eindhoven is very quickly catching up – especially over the last two years with fine dining taking this city by storm. Wynwood is the newest addition to this vibrant, up & coming urban city and what a wonderful new arrival it is.

Inside, Wynwood is looking absolutely fantastic. The decor’s a mix of urban chic to reflect its industrial surroundings and they’ve brought in lush green living walls and plants giving the room a breath of fresh air. It’s bang on trend and the space is large and airy. The restaurant doesn’t only cater for huge tasting menus and wine fuelled dinners too, but instead incorporates a fantastic bar, lounge area and next door they even have a high quality fish & chips offering, with a little twist of course. Behind the scenes, the owner of Wynwood is chef Eveline Wu and head chef Wouter van Laarhoven. Eveline has some great history in the restaurant trade and knows her business. While Wouter Van Laarhoven has his Michelin star behind his back from one star De Molen in Kaatsheuvel. Such news is very exciting for Eindhoven.

Food wise it was on epic proportions that we dined. We started with some excellent home-made, fluffy bread which had a good thick crust and crunch. A few amuse bouches arrived to the table, all of which excited the palate and prepared it for the flavours and smells we we’re about to enjoy. A chilled glass of Champagne helped a little too. Our first course was a very strong start to our lunch, not only was it packed with flavour, but presentation wise it was very impressive. A glossy brown langoustine bisque served cold with fresh fennel, sake and crispy Dutch shrimp. An intense medley of flavours which were toned down and married together beautifully by an ivory toned creamy ring and frozen granite. There were so many flavours and textures contained in this one dish that each and every mouthful offered something new.

Another trend which still seems to be growing is the open kitchen concept. Huge glass window panes make for an intriguing lunch where busy chefs can be watched while cooking up their latest creations. Not only does the open kitchen create good theatrics for watching, but it means you get to see your food being made, the preparation that goes into it and a very clean kitchen – which always puts me at ease. There is only six chefs here in the kitchen if I recall correctly – I find that very impressive considering the quality and technical elements to the food. Pristine white plaice fish arrived in a citrus dressing and finished off at our table with a an extra hit of flavour from the warm citrus beurre blanc and a nice intensity on the plate from the earthy mushrooms. Star dish of our lunch (apart from dessert of course) was the BBQ short rib, beetroot, hay foam & apple cider. Words can’t even begin to describe the utter enjoyment this gave me. The dish consisted of two bowls, one larger than the other, with the bottom plate containing singed hay and its smoke let to escape through the seams between the plates – it created a beautiful aroma while eating. The rib cut through like butter too and had such a wonderful texture and flavour to it.

Admittedly this isn’t my cheese course, but instead my dining companions. I got to that point during the meal where any more food was going to be a struggle. We had plans to visit Preuvenemint back in Maastricht that evening so promised myself only two courses and one glass of wine – that didn’t go very well with who knows how many courses later and a full wine pairing – I was ready for my afternoon nap. Still I did manage a very small bite of each and every example really was very good. Leaving someone to pick your cheese for you can sometimes result in a disastrous plate of similar tasting cheeses, but thankfully each had their own personality, unique flavour and freshness. Home-made fruit loaf, olive tapenade and grapes were the perfect accompaniments.

When it comes to food, dessert is my weak point. I’ve somehow created an obsession for myself in chasing down the best pastry chefs and following their work. Dessert is exciting. It’s one of those courses which you can do so much with in terms of flavour and creativity – not to mention playful plating. When this dish arrived I’ll be honest and say I expected more style over substance – but I couldn’t have been more wrong. This was quite easily and honestly the best dessert I’ve had all year. The intensity, concentration and freshness they managed to pull from the strawberry was incredible – injecting into every element on the plate. Visually it also looked stunning. When I thought it couldn’t get any better our outstanding waitress served us this Cinsault rose wine – it was so intensely flavoured with the taste of strawberry you’d also be convinced they’d added it to the mix, though of course it was just down to expert wine making.

The fulness started to settle in again but I still managed room for petit fours. A delicious array of sweet, dark bitter chocolate feathers, very well made filled chocolates and what turned out to be the best madeleine I have ever encountered. Just one reason to visit alone. Wynwood really was a truly unique and mesmerizing restaurant experience. The dining room here is immaculate, the staff and service is some of the best you’ll encounter in the city and most importantly the food is to die for. Wynwood has only been opened for a few months and is already producing outstanding food. This isn’t just a restaurant worth visiting when in Eindhoven, this is a destination restaurant and one well worth the travels no matter how far you’re coming from.

9/10