212

Umami whirlpool in Amsterdam

Apple, ginger, walnut, salted caramel

Restaurant 212 is perhaps one of the trendiest restaurants in Amsterdam right now. Launched in 2018 by chef duo Richard van Oostenbrugge and Thomas Groot who was the dream team behind the then double Michelin starred Bord'Eau. 212 has no formal sitting in the restaurant, instead, it has an open kitchen, surrounded by a bar counter sitting space. The theme is similar in the mood of Kitchen Table and Atelier Joel Robuchon in London. 1 year later, the restaurant has become one of the hottest restaurants in Amsterdam and landed itself a Michelin star along the way. 212 has a tasting menu, as well as a short a la carte menu for those people who wish for only a few dishes with limited time.

Amuse bouche

Seabass, passionfruit, coconut, dill

Caviar...

on veal tartare, smoked herring, clams

Artichoke, brown shrimps, leek vinaigrette

Langoustine, chicken skin, patron pepper

I opted for the tasting menu to fully experience what 212 is capable of, and turned out the kitchen is a master at delivering playful umami flavours. The veal tartare was truly outstanding, the addition of smoked herring offered a robust aroma, and the caviar gave the dish a rich, luxurious seafood taste, and also acted as a fantastic seasoning to the tartare. The monkfish and nutmeg from the kitchen was another beautifully created dish. The fish was so moist and loaded with a blend of savoury and spicy sweet taste, everything worked with perfect harmony. The weakest link of the evening happened to be the most exquisite dish: A5 wagyu with clam and wild garlic. The meat was not moist at all and lacked that melting texture you would expect from a fine cut of beef. The garlic was also really powerful which overwhelmed the subtle taste of the wagyu.

Monkfish, nutmeg, dashi

Lamb, oyster sauce, sea lettuce crisp

A5 wagyu, sea herbs, clam, wild garlic

Dutch cheese selection

Rhubarb, rosemary, goat yogurt

212

212 was one of a kind dining experience encounter, the creativity was nothing short of edgy and fun. One thing that kitchen really good at is creating some extremely savoury dishes, the tasting menu affair was almost like a trip down in umami town. All the dishes I tried was packed with so much bold taste but yet doesn't make me felt stuffed at the same time. The service on the day was very solid, the waiter was outstanding at wine recommendation and all the dishes were delivered at a steady pace, can't really fault it at all. To sum it up, 212 has to be one of the frontiers in modern fine dining in Amsterdam right now, and I can see it goes from strength to strength to become an international dining destination in the near future.



Food 4/5

What I paid: 
£180 pp with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
£130


Amstel 212, 1017 AH Amsterdam, Netherlands

http://212.amsterdam/