Nature is not always pleasing. We tend to ignore, or at least hide from our view the unpleasant parts of it, like, death for example. Not at In de Wulf (Wulvestraat 1, 8951, Belgium; tel. +32 57 44 55 67), where you are greeted with a large cow skull in the center of the dining room. In de Wulf’s chef Kobe Desramault practices natural cooking and celebrates everything that goes with it, death including. One of the first dishes of my lunch at In de Wulf was a filet of smoked mackerel, served on its skeleton. Further along the tasting menu, we see Kobe going even further. Pig’s skull is used as a tray for pig’s head tartelette. The tartelette is delicious.
When the prestigious Opinionated About Dining guide named In De Wulf as Europe’s number one restaurant in 2014, I could only guess why. Now I know. Despite the rustic appearance and the smoke-filled dining room, In de Wulf is one of the most progressive restaurants in Europe at the moment. Kobe Desramaults beautifully presents the culinary reflections of his native Flanders region. Yes, you can smell the spirit of the rebel from the inside of In de Wulf kitchen, but the finesse of the cooking is speaking for itself.
My favourite moments from the meal…
