BlueSpoon in Amsterdam Combines Fine Art With Gourmet Dining
Forbes | Brad Japhe
In a city as culturally vibrant as Amsterdam, both high art and fine dining are available in abundance. Never, though, have the two elements converged fully into one. Until now. Bluespoon Restaurant and Bar, inside the lobby of the Andaz Amsterdam hotel is offering guests the opportunity to ‘have a bite of art‘, with it’s new multi-course, multi-media inspired menu. In crafting the innovative dining experience, chef Sander Bierenbroodspot leverages the property’s immense collection of imaginative work, specifically its many video-art installations. Combing through the exhibits, he landed on five particular pieces to inspire four separate dishes. With each pairing, the moods and sentiments beaming from the screen are echoed in the flavors and tastes assembled on the plate.
The first course is preceded by a short yet heart-wrenching film, titled My Voice Would Reach You, by Meiro Koizumi. It follows a man along the chaotic streets of Tokyo, as he pauses to phone his mother, begging her to accompany him on vacation. As the story progresses, it’s revealed that the woman on the other line is not his mother, but a bewildered customer service clerk. The piece is meant to highlight the isolation one can feel even in a bustling city, reaching a point at which one feels so alone they reach out to anyone they can find for a human connection. In the kitchen, Bierenbroodspot re-creates these emotions through a mackerel, garnished with avocado, quinoa, and apple. The mackerel, an ubiquitous form of seafood in Japanese cuisine, is meant to highlight the aspects of everyday life in the country. But it sits in stark contrast to its accompanying elements, struggling to connect with the abundance of flavor that surrounds it…read more
Image: Piet Mondrian-Inspired Dessert