The dessert divided opinion along gender lines: while the women thought that anchovies had no place in a dessert, the man accompanying them praised the saltiness - that salty kick of fermented fish as the icing on the cake to complement the sour rhubarb and sweet brioche. A classic case of head cinema, by the way, because if it hadn't been a dessert but an intermediate course, it would have been perfectly fine - the women said. Now, the word dessert wasn't mentioned anywhere, but at the end of a multi-course meal, that's the expectation, including a touch of Udo Jürgens (but with cream, please!), and chocolate if necessary. But at Restaurant Kaagman & Kortekaas, breaking with convention is of course intentional.
Giel Kaagman and Bram Kortekaas opened their restaurant together in September 2015 on Sint Nicolaasstraat in the heart of Amsterdam. As chef (Kaagman) and sommelier (Kortekaas), the two were already known to the Amsterdam gourmet community - both separately and together (in the then trendy restaurant Bordewijk in the Jordaan). Since they opened, their restaurant has always been full - and with plenty of space. The open kitchen is the focal point, with an area to the left and right of the kitchen - as well as seating at the bar and in the cellar. The service has a lot to do! But, spoiler: everything works perfectly - in English by default, and once even ("I hear you're German?") in the local idiom. What they all have in common, once again, is the warmth, the friendliness, the hospitality.
