For a more detailed look at the courses served at Coulisse, you can check out their direct explanation on the YouTube video above.
Coulisse embraces the concept of 'Easy Fine Dining,' making their lunch menu surprisingly approachable for a Michelin-starred restaurant, priced at 80 euros. When I dined there, the lunch menu still retained its reasonable price tag of 65 euros, offering seven distinct courses. Additionally, I had the option to add an extra course for just 18.5 euros.
Since I was planning to visit Alba for white truffles, I decided to forgo adding truffle to my dish at Coulisse. Instead, I opted for Turbot from the grill, accompanied by a sauce crafted from its smoked bones.
They prepared a dumpling with a slice of celeriac, filling it with Zeeland mussels and coriander. The sauce, made from mussels and ancho chili, added a rich depth of flavor. The wait staff instructed me to first eat the dumpling with a fork, then savor the sauce separately. Interestingly, since coming to Amsterdam, I've noticed celeriac featured prominently on menus. While I appreciate its popularity, I'm personally not entirely sure why it's such a beloved ingredient.
The bottom of the dish was adorned with empty mussel shells, adding a decorative touch to the presentation.
I also ordered a glass of Coulisse cocktail. The menu listed it as being made with genever and various other ingredients. Intrigued by the description, I decided to try it as my drink of the day.
The next amuse-bouche consisted of filled habanada with nasturtium and tomatillo, along with hamachi, salted plum, and Japanese quince.
The habanada, a mildly spicy pepper, was filled with dried eggplant, dried strawberries, and tomatillo, then covered with nasturtium to complete a taco. The staff instructed me to eat it with my hands. The habanada provided more of a textural element, and I didn't detect any strong flavor from it. However, the dish was imbued with a deep eggplant flavor that stood out to me.
While the Hamachi initially lacked a pronounced umami taste, the emphasis seemed to be more on acidity. However, as I continued to chew, I noticed a subtle emergence of umami flavor from the Hamachi.
For the first course, Langoustine, Bell Pepper, and Almond, the langoustine arrived as sashimi, filled with a sauce made from almond milk and parsley oil, and topped with chargrilled bell pepper.
The dish had a very rich flavor profile, with a noticeable emphasis on richness rather than acidity or sweetness. I particularly enjoyed the tender taste of the langoustine and appreciated the hint of acidity from the bell pepper, which added a nice contrast in texture. The sauce made from the combination of parsley oil and almond milk was also quite enjoyable.
The next course featured Roasted Craupaudine beetroot with Szechuan and Shiso. Craupaudine beetroot, an heirloom variety, was roasted for an extended period at a low temperature. It was then accompanied by red meat radish and minced coriander
What stood out to me about this dish was the sensation of diverse ingredients in my mouth, how they scattered and touched my tongue. I particularly enjoyed the crispy texture of the coriander with its slight tartness. However, while enjoyable, the dish wasn't exceptionally memorable, and I found it difficult to pinpoint the flavor afterward.
I decided to add the Turbot from the Grill with Sauce of its Smoked Headbones to my meal as a supplement, and it turned out to be my favorite dish of the day. The fish, grilled to perfection, was served with a sauce made from its smoked headbones, along with hazelnut oil and chive. The dish was then topped with a torched skirt and a sprinkle of ginger, adding just the right amount of flavor.
They informed me that the skirt on top contained a lot of fat and collagen, contributing rich flavor to the dish. However, above all, the sauce was truly exquisite, elevating the plate to a new level of beauty. In the end, I felt confident that I had made the right decision to add this dish to my meal. The slightly saline flavor of the grilled turbot, combined with the subtle spiciness of the ginger and the richness of the bone and chive sauce, created a truly perfect combination.
The next dish, named Risotto of Sweet Corn, Chanterelle Gris, and Coffee, was presented as a bowl of risotto made with Dutch sweetcorn, cured egg yolks, chanterelle gris mushrooms, basil, and coffee powder.
While the sweetcorn risotto had a slight sweetness, it also had a subtle kick to it. The dish featured distinctive textures, but in terms of flavor, it didn't stand out as much compared to the previous courses.
Next, they brought out a slice of bread and whipped butter, a familiar sight in many Dutch restaurants. They instructed me to enjoy the sauce with the bread, which felt like a quintessentially Dutch experience.
As we approached the climax of the meal, the North Sea Lobster with grilled leeks and lovage arrived. Initially, it didn't seem quite savory enough, but as I continued to savor it, I gradually experienced the salty kick of the lobster, followed by a burst of deep and rich flavors. It was a fascinating journey of taste.
The leek at the bottom contributed a super complex flavor profile, blending sour, bitter, and sweet elements together harmoniously.
You might have been curious about the Marigold with diverse vegetable salad with seaweeds, but it turned out to be a flatbread—a delightful surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed. They didn't let any part of the lobster go to waste; instead, they mixed it with vegetables and served it alongside flatbread, inviting guests to wrap it up themselves. It was a thoughtful touch that added to the completeness of the lobster course.
As I enjoyed the flatbread with visible lobster meat, I couldn't help but think about the possibility of creating a Korean-style geotjeori with crab meat, perhaps paired with minari or chamnamul. It's an idea worth exploring for a unique fusion dish.
The dessert was Plum Kernel Ice Cream with Black Currant and Vanilla. It featured ice cream made with plum kernel, accompanied by dried black currants and strawberries, with the addition of fresh hazelnuts
I found the texture and flavor of the fresh hazelnuts particularly enjoyable, while the acidity of the black currants was quite noticeable. However, I wasn't entirely sure about the flavor of the plum kernel
As petit four, we were served Canelé and Aerated Chocolate. The aerated chocolate was delicately drizzled with olive oil and salt, while the canelé was made with mascovado sugar and vanilla.
I ordered mint tea to enjoy together with the petit four. The canelé was top-notch, and if I had more room, I would have definitely ordered another one.
I spent three hours at Coulisse enjoying all these meals. Unlike other Michelin-starred restaurants in Amsterdam, it was finely managed, and I appreciated their approach and attention to detail.
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