In what was once the the Reuters & Press Association Building, on Fleet Street next door to the St Brides, the ‘journalists’ church’, Lieven Demeestere offered up his own tasty articles in a one off meal
Chef-owner of 25 year Michelin-starred Restaurant Arenberg, his fine dining restaurant near Leuven, Belgium, he’s also President of the 33 Masterchefs of Belgium.
Tonight he’s cooking at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu and his six course menu comes out perfectly with ingredients that are very Belgian.
Tiny brown super sweet shrimps, beloved by Belgians, make a first course appearance in a thick tomato sauce that’s delicately spiced, along with a dish of peeled cherry tomatoes on a cream of burrata. Next to that is a mini tomato pizzetta. A dish that really celebrates the tomato in all its shapes and sizes.
Braised Pig Neck served with mustard, herb salad and goose liver is also very much a dish of Northern Europe. The goose liver is incredibly rich and smooth, it is of course foie gras in all but name, and it works very well with the mustardy dressing and the dense, flavour packed meat. The crispy ‘bacon’ on top adds a welcome third texture
For his next course Dublin Bay Prawn shells have been employed to make a superb stock that a plump dumpling and mousselines bob about in. One whole DBP is also there to be enjoyed, sucked from its shell.
North Sea Ray Wing with smoked potato, capers and leek, is again very Northern Europe, the potatoes creamy against the sharp bite of the capers, while the final dish, Suckling Lamb served with aubergine, polenta and soya is perhaps the least Northern Europe, unless you count the fact that Holland produces so many aubergines in its giant glasshouses. This was for me the least successful dish, the lamb somewhat lacking in flavour and the aubergine overcooked.
Chef Lieven was ably aided by CORD Executive Chef Karl O’Dell, but he did struggle a bit with the unfamiliar layouts, team and kit, as he tells me later.
We end with a dessert of Grilled Pineapple, with mango, rum and vanilla. Gorgeous.
It was an unique chance to try the cooking of a chef who will probably not be cooking much longer even in his native Belgium After more than 30 years Chef Lieven is passing his kitchen to his son Abel and daughter-in-law Laurence De Smet, who both have experience at Belgium’s most highly regarded restaurants.
About CORD by Le Cordon Bleu
www.cordrestaurant.co.uk
CORD offers a fine dining experience in the heart of the city, with its expertly crafted menus, exceptional wine offering, meetings and events spaces for all occasions, cooking classes and corporate events, a perfect combination of elegance, innovative menus, and excellent service.
Chef Karl O’Dell, who joined CORD in 2023, has previously held the esteemed role of Executive Chef at the Monarch Theatre at Park Row in London. Prior to that, he was Head Chef at the Michelin-star restaurant, Texture and was also a valued member of the team as Senior Sous Chef at Gordon Ramsay’s Michelin-star restaurant Petrus.
About Le Cordon Bleu
Le Cordon Bleu is the leading global network of culinary arts and hospitality management institutes steeped in history with a rich heritage spanning 130 years. The school maintains its global presence with 35 schools in more than 20 countries, training over 20,000 students of more than 100 different nationalities every year.
Traditional French culinary techniques remain at the heart of Le Cordon Bleu, but its academic programmes are constantly adapted to include new, innovative technologies required to suit the growing needs of the hospitality industry.
The London institute offers a broad range of programmes from short courses, certificates and professional diplomas covering cuisine, pâtisserie, wine, nutrition, and management, to undergraduate and postgraduate courses in culinary arts and hospitality management.