Items ordered:
Shrimp, Lemon Balm, White Cheese…read moreCodfish Espuma with Red Pepper and Onion
Cod with Goose Liver Croquette, Hazelnut, Cauliflower Mousseline
Carpaccio of Salmon, Oyster Cream, Kaffir Lime
Red Wine, Olive, Beer, Country, Wheat, Baguette with Butter and Anchovy Butter, Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper
Brittany Blue Lobster a la Press with Heart of Sweetbreads, Asparagus, Potatoes Mouselline
Floating Island with Raspberries and English Cream
Baba with Spices, Pineapple, Mojito Sorbet, Chantilly, Biscuit
Mignardises
Holding onto Two Michelin Stars for several years, perhaps a bit of a surprise considering its lobby location inside the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Sea Grill by Yves Mattagne was targeted for one reason for lunch on a Thursday, the 12h00 finding the room mostly empty though eventually a few seats in the cavernous lux dining room would fill.
Perhaps a bit too "business" to qualify as fine-dining, the service staff undoubtedly one of the most professional and stiff encountered in all of Belgium, Sea Grill likely goes unnoticed by many epicurean travelers in a city where the Chef also runs one of the most desired 'rooms with a view' in the world, but for those looking for an "experience" it is the 29kg Pure Silver Lobster Press that comes calling, the creation from Christofle one of only five the world has ever seen.
No doubt a pricy place, all the moreso when opting for the Brittany Blue Lobsters prepared tableside a la press, it was with brief temptation offered by the Chef's tasting that the decision was instead made to simply go all-in on an entrée plus desert selection, the total cost of the main course - for two - €190 with dessert and water bringing the total to €223.
Explaining that the Lobster first needed to be cooked in the kitchen, the total meal just under two hours with front and back end loaded with leisurely paced treats, it was with one canapé plus three amuses that the afternoon got started, the espuma of Cod much like Brandade de Morue with an ethereal texture while the Goose Liver Croquette burst with deep, rich sapor.
More than a little impressed by the bread selection, both the Red Wine and Olive amongst the best of the best with Anchovy Butter particularly noteworthy on the latter, it was just under an hour after seating that the polished Silver Press was wheeled tableside, the display catching eyes of everyone in the dining room as the staff presented each item individually between bouts of spinning and repositioning the crustacean's carapace, the Lobster soon plated with an enormous Sweetbread breaded and roasted before being hemisected.
Monitored from afar as I dined with a smile, more Asparagus, Potatoes and Sauce brought as needed without request, there is little doubt that this rich a composition is something best shared by a pair as suggested but happy to partake in such indulgence it was with slow bites that every single drop was enjoyed, the balance of the sauce even wiped up with a piece of bread.
Truly a luxurious experience, but not one yet ready to wrap, it was after a brief tour to see the rest of the restaurant that a fresh Dessert napkin was delivered, the Ille Flottante matching the Espuma for levity while the composed Baba was a unique spin on the original that makes one curious about the pastry kitchen's other creations, a thought furthered by the craftsmanship put into each of the four mignardises.
