Duesseldorf 2010: The Victorian

On a dreary day in downtown Dusseldorf (say that three times fast), with the unseasonable chill of a Spring rain pouring down, I found myself wandering the district in search of a fine dining experience.

My concierge at the esteemed Breidenbacher Hof (recently renovated), pointed me toward the The Victorian, just a few blocks away amongst the high-end shops that litter the Koenigstalle.

I was seriously dragging from my overnight flight into Germany from Chicago, so I tried to secure an early reservation at this "very nice address" [sic - concierge], but it was not open until 7pm. However, as I browsed the nearby shops, I noted the street-level "cafe" of the traditional building (sandwiched between some posh new shops) was indeed open, so I lounged in the more casual bar and enjoyed a Koenig Pilsner (which advertisement graced the facade of building).

When I was escorted to my table at promptly 7pm, I was treated to two amuse bouche before the main dining experience began (indeed, the first even before my menu arrived).

Amuse #1 was a set of three spoons, consisting of a lobster salad; an asparagus creme brulee; and a gelatinous apple curry. This was a delightful mix of flavors to get the palate jumping.

Amuse #2 was truly a surprise (given I had just ordered the nine-course chef's menu). It consisted of a meat ravioli with apple foam; a poached prawn with bouillabaisse foam; and a poached slice of rabbit with an al dente carrot. This was also very good and a fine start to the evening.

As the sun peeked through the still rain-soaked evening, a last gasp at opening the Spring season made its way into the second floor window booth where I was seated. A charming environ with impeccable service, I felt ready to embark upon this nine course chef's menu paired with wines. While I did not realize it until much later, it is of note that the paired wines' bottle was left at the table for further consumption if the pour was not enough for the course - fabulous and tragic that I have never seen done before; the sommelier was a generous and creative man, who clearly knew how to marry food and wine with aplomb.

Note to my readers: next comes a somewhat laborious list of dishes and wines in the pairing - with tasting notes. Skip to the end for the punchline if you are not a devotee of such things....

Course One - Amberjack grilled atop sashimi and in a tartar; with slices of asparagus, asparagus pudding and asparagus ice cream. While somewhat challenging to eat (the shaved slices of asparagus stuck to the simple slate tray), it was a delicious mix of delicate asparagus flavor (tamer than usual presentation) with the fish. Slight shavings of fresh ginger initially surprised me, but their strong flavor cut through the dish in a pleasing way. I would have not added the passion fruit seeds, but it did not detract from an excellent and creative dish.

Wine One - Hofman Sauvignon Blanc, 2009, Rheinhessen: light, sharp with sweet front. Citrus nose and pale white hue. Very nice.

[As typically occurs, about here they bring out some craft breads and a rich, salted house butter from such and such an organic farm in an attempt to make me fail to even complete my multi-course menu - these were quite good (I sampled, to my doctor's chagrin I am sure) three breads and a few tablespoons of the butter. Amazing but I recommend steering clear unless you go to the a la carte menu and have a definition on the meal.]

Course Two: Poached foie gras with rhubarb base, basil and mint dressing. Torn bread pieces around the sides with some spring peas. Very nice and, as noted below, the "lightest" foie gras I have had. A very ample portion.

Wine Two: M Trignon, 2008 Muscat. The wine was a touch heavy with a smoky sweetness when paired with the dish, as the foie gras was very light. Completely appropriate for a normal seared foie, but a bit heavy handed here.

Course Three: Radish, Beet and Pear soup with Mushrooms. Delicate yet strong-flavored.

Wine Three: Korrell Johanneshof, White Burgundy Johannes K, 2009 Nahe. Sharp with a steel-barrel-chardonnay feeling. Clean finish.

Course Four: "Seawater Jelly"; distilled asparagus foam with creme fraiche and caviar, and shaved green and white asparagus. Very interesting and tasty. Loved it.

Wine Four: Fritz Haag, "Grand Cru", Brauneberg Juffer Sonnenuhr, Riesling '08. Sommelier claimed "the best of German Rieslings", I found it a bit tart but well bodied. The Sommelier, to note, was excellent and helpful throughout.

Course Five: John Dory with Cauliflower. Very nice, a little overcooked but flavorful - particularly given the cauliflower, which I generally detest.

Wine Five: Jean-Marc Vincent, Les Hautes, Auxey-Duresses 2007. Smoke and rubber. Clean white with blast of industrial terrior. Very interesting wine.

Course Six: Smoked eel wrapped in cucumber topped with pineapple. Very interesting mix of flavors, a nice "bite", but nothing I would want much more of.

Course Seven: Spring Lamb and Octopus, with red pepper stuffed octopus ragu. Lamb served both braised and broiled (the former with more fat, the latter a salted leg meat). The poached octopus was also excellent. While the red pepper is not my favorite of flavorings, the execution and balance was flawless! The crispy baby eggplant quarters and bean hash alongside was also a good match. A triumph of a dish for the main entree.

Wine Seven: Chateau Montus, Masiran 1995. Smooth, well-integrated, strong but not sharp or too "punchy". I immediately asked my local wine broker to seek out a case of this - much recommended.

Course Eight: If you are like me, you have not had Woodruff before. Or even hard of it. And the repeated attempts of a native German waiter to explain what it is are likely more confusing than not. Well, according to the Wikipedia (which the kids all use these days), The Sweet Woodruff is a plant that grows in the woods and has small flowers set on a tender stalk - the plant is perennial, which explains the repeated attempts of the kindly German server to elucidate the seasonal nature of its scent. Anyway, a punch of this Woodruff, with a sorbet of yogurt and fried apricot madelines, sweet honeycomb, raspberries, jellies of woodruff and cantelope, can be quite pleasing, interesting and refreshing!

Wine Eight: Rose Champagne Gosset. A nice, clean rose.

Course Nine: Valrhona Chocolate Bread Pudding with Raspberry gelato

A fine meal, with great service above all.

As I stepped onto the Koenigstrasse, it occurred to me, having had numerous dozens of similar meals in various cities, rarely had I left one sated, but not gluttonously overfilled; tipsy, but not drunk; poorer, but not poor. Danke Schoen, Victorian, Danke Schoen.