Vendome
Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg,
Kadettenstrasse, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach
Cologne, Germany
+49 2204 42 906
Official Site
Cologne is the fourth populous city in Germany with just over one million inhabitants. Most of its infrastructures were destroyed during World War II leaving just a few historical architectures intact, like the majestic Cologne Cathedral. The city is usually a day trip or stop over for tourists heading to Berlin or Munich, and as far as a gastro destination, it’s mediocre. There are a few Michelin starred restaurants here and there. But what brought me to Cologne is the close proximity to Bergisch-Gladbach a town in the outskirt of the city and where the three Michelin starred restaurant, Vendome, resides.
Vendome’s Executive Chef, Joachim Wissler has been in the kitchen since its opening in 2000. Under his leadership the restaurant has been propelled to gastronomic stardom and has become one of the very best in the world. In its short five years it has been awarded a third Michelin star, which it currently holds. Vendome also has a 19.5 out 20 rating from Gault Millau and an annually appearance in The Worlds 50 Best Restaurant. This 2003 “Chef of The Year” had previously owned two Michelin stars at Marcobrunn restaurant at Schloss Reinhartshausen in Etville before being approached by Thomas Althoff (the owner of the hotel) to open Vendome.
Housed in a separate building of the Althoff Grandhotel Schloss Benserg courtyard overlooking Cologne Cathedral and the city, Vendome is one of three dining options in the hotel. The restaurants dining room is divided into two, each separated by dangling strings and a gold half egg shaped serving station in the center of the room. On one side there are rows of tables with banquettes seats that run along the wall on opposite sides. Meanwhile, the other room is made up of well space tables with 3D like art work on the wall. Throughout the space is thick soft carpet, tables with finely pressed table cloths paired with comfortable green suede chairs. Enlarged windows and clean marble walls complete the interior of the music less dining room.
Aside from the different tasting menus and a la carte options available for lunch and dinner, Vendome also offers the eleven course “Seasonal Menu” for EUR 268 which was a clear cut choice on my visit.
The meal began with a parade of amuse-bouche beginning with thinly sliced, melt in your mouth, “Wagyu Beef” served on a wooden board along with cottage cheese and beech nut. Then came the “Pork Snout” that was slightly modified. The pork was substituted with more oyster and caviar. Presented on a plate that mimicked a pork face, this dish turned out to be a seafood pleasure. The third amuse was a work of art called “Mackerel”. Served on a glass covered box frame plate that displayed the fish bones underneath, the grilled mackerel was elegantly moist. The saporous crème of sardines and escabeche completed the dish. Finally the last of the amuse was the “Fish Finger & Pina Colada” which entailed of smoked salmon on a stick with crispy fish skin, a glass bottle with juice made from coconut and pineapple, white chocolate with coconut and a miniature cocktail glass with green apple jelly. These multiple items gave an array of smoky, sweet, fruity, yet refreshing tastes.
Seasonal Menu:
For the first course I was served the “Foie Gras & Aloe Vera”. The buttery foie gras was glazed in sweet sauce and the tangerine vinegar that it came with gave a nice touch of sourness while the cream of peanuts provided a hint of nuttiness. “Lobster & Bone Marrow” with pumpkin puree was the second course. It was an interesting combination of flavors and textures.
Third course was called “Lecthal Char Escabeche”, it consisted of a wonderful piece of trout from the Austrian region of Lech that was cooked to perfection. Fried egg and horse radish emulsion on the plate gave another layer of flavor with its pungent spiciness. There was also a hint of smokiness as well coming from the strips of smoked eels. Served as a supplement was a bite sized recreation of a blini topped with trout tartare and caviar with horse radish. Then came the following course of “Coquilles St. Jacques Grille”, the restaurants version of paella. There were three components to the dish. A plate with a big titillating king scallop that was barbecued and pieces of octopus and squid. A small plate containing the rice that was akin to a rice crispy and a marshmallow on the stick made from sepia ink. Along with a cup of rice stock as the final component. After mixing all three together as I was instructed by my server it created a paella with a fabulous arrangement of seafood flavors.
The fifth course was fillets of cod bathed in herring vinaigrette, with beet root, potato and gherkins called “Labskaus & Cod”. Labskaus is a common North German dish that is usually made with beef, but here it was replaced with delicate cod fillets that absorbed the sweet, sour, and earthy flavors to create a refined dish. Served separately on bread were pulled cod meat topped with caviar.
“Mieral Guinea Fowl” was the sixth course. Two different parts of guinea fowl meat were cooked in different ways; the breast was fried producing a crispy skin on one side, giving it a nice crackling crunch. The leg on the other hand was made into a confit on its own juice creating powerful flavors. An accompaniment of tarragon salad, black truffles, artichoke and puree from Jerusalem artichoke and miso completed this excellent dish. A crispy fowl skin chip was served extra on the side. “Suckling Pig” was the seventh and the main course of the tasting. Instead of pork, I was served chunks of delicious lamb meat and kept the rest of the dish the same. Purees from grilled bananas and lime juice, bean stew, pickled green radish salad, curry and macadamia nuts created various depths of flavors making it a wonderful tasting dish.
“Vondue” was the cheese course, their version of fondue and showed the clever luxuriousness of the restaurant. Served with freshly baked truffle focaccia bread and dehydrated asparagus for dipping, the Vacherin Mont d’Or cheese used in the fondue was soft and rich. To enhance the flavor of the fondue a few drops of clear fruit brandy or kirsch was added.
“William Christ Pear” was the beginning of the dessert course. The pear was steamed in its own juice giving it a sweetened soft texture along with the kombu seaweed ice cream and ginger jelly that created a cooling effect. “Breakfast”, was the final dessert, it came with homemade rolls, Nutella and kumquat marmalade, a “Coffee” made with coffee and cream pudding, and hazelnut ice cream with sauce of kumquat and orange. To end were “Sweets” of pork snout made from marshmallow, macaroon of passion fruits, lychee popcorn and Royal Magnum “Marc de Champagne”.
Lasting four hours this was a tour de force meal that rivaled those at Eleven Madison Park and Astrid Y Gaston. The high quality of cooking the kitchen delivered was impeccable. Each course was timed perfectly in a succession of flavors without confusing the palate using multiple elements that worked together in harmony. They were elaborate, visually appealing, and precisely executed. To complement the individual courses, sommelier Marco Franzelin arranged the wine pairing that was comprised of mainly European and a rare appearance of an Canadian wine (a first while dining in Europe).
Wine Pairing:
Top class service was provided by the staff. They were pleasant, professional and had a more personal approach. There was a sense of truthfulness when they engaged the guest in a conversation and each treated with a genuine attitude without the stuffiness. The different servers were able to explain and provided a brief history of every course. They made the visit more enjoyable and added to the greatness of Vendome from the beginning to end.
Chef Wissler had received all the accolades that can be bestowed upon a chef in Germany, he is widely recognized as the country’s top chef. His name is often mentioned in the same sentence with “New German Cooking” and considered to be the founder. His well thought out cooking philosophy was on display at Vendome where he successfully married classic German dishes with innovative modern techniques while using both local and foreign ingredients. For those who have experienced his cooking at Vendome it can easily be one of the best meals they can have.
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