Dinner at Joelia, Rotterdam
- leonorajansen
- Feb 27, 2015
- 4 min read
For my 20th birthday, my dad was in Rotterdam and he suggested that we go try out Joelia. Joelia was recently opened by Mario Ridder in the Hilton. He previously owned De Zwetheul, which had two michelin stars, but decided to, "as a gift", move into the heart of Rotterdam. Considering that De Zwetheul was one of the restaurants we had wanted to try out, but hadn't had the chance to, we thought it'd be a nice occassion to try out his food anyways. We opted for his full 10-course degustation menu, since we wanted to try as much of what he had to offer.
The amuse bouche that arrived, didn't look very spectacular. It was Marinated Razor Clam under a Mojito and Pea Foam. I found this slightly underwhelming, especially since I expected more from a chef with such a renowned reputation. Also there wasn't much razor clam, so it rather was just foam.
The first course arrived, Crispy Octopus with Chili Hollandaise, Avocado Mousse and Butternut Squash Puree. I really liked this dish, the octopus element of the dish was very nice. I especially like the char on the octopus. The puree also was spooned away delightfully.
Having had dishes with the same name at other restaurants, we were curious to see what Eel in Green would consist of. What appeared in front of us was a beautiful plate with a garden of Pieces of Eel with various Greens and Pickles. I liked how the pieces of eel were substantial, so that you could thoroughly enjoy the fish. Since I always enjoy sour things, the pickles were perfect.
A nice little dish, as the third course, Langoustine in Beurre Blanc with Carrot. The langoustine was perfectly cooked and the carrot was nicely paired with it. I did think the beurre blanc was slightly heavy and I think some acidity was missing.
One of my favorite fish was served tonight, Monkfish with Ras El Hanout and Celeriac Puree. The monkfish was nicely cooked and the ras el hanout added a nice dimension. The crunchy bits on the dish were a welcoming texture to the creamy puree.
I was served an Oyster with Turbot Cheek, whilst my dad had the meat version which had sweetbread. To be honest I couldn't quite identify what the different elements on the dish were, particularly what the turbot cheek was. Since I don't really like olives, this was kind of a misser.
When we spotted the vegetarian dish on the menu, my dad was slightly put off. He didn't know what he could expect from a vegetarian dish and was also wondering if it'd be worth it. I convinced him otherwise, so he decided to take the full menu. The dish was various types of Cabbage and Brussel Sprout Puree. The way in which the cabbage was prepared was intriguing and the various textures were enjoyable. Overall my dad was pleasantly surprised by this and didn't regret ordering this at all.
For mains, per usual, I opted for the non-meat option. I was served the Turbot with Tuna Sashimi and Tomato. Another one of my favorite fish, I loved this play on fusion food with the tuna sashimi. My favorite cuisin being Japanese, this was definitely a big hit with me.
My dad's main was Veal Cheek with Beet Puree and Fennel. Two of my dad's favorite vegetables, I think this was well received by him. He was slightly disappointed by the meat though, rather expecting a nice steak of some sort or some wild, like venison. The meat was nicely cooked though and there wasn't anything to really complain about.
As part of the menu was a Cheese Course. My dad decided to go for it, since usually we don't have any cheese when we go for dinner and he was looking forward to see what he'd be served. Sadly enough this was somewhat of a disappointment, since he only really enjoyed one of the cheeses, whilst the other he thought was alright and the third option he didn't like at all.
I didn't want any cheese and informed them beforehand, so I was served a second dessert. It was a play on Rhubarb. I wasn't too sure what it exactly was, since there were so many elements and I didn't read the description, but it definitely tasted good. I think it may have even given my dad a bit of food envy at this point.
As palate cleanser we got Fermented Tomato with Napoleon Sorbet. When we read the description we found it slightly odd. But surprisingly rather than being savory, the tomato was very refreshing, especially in combination with the citrus flavor of the Napoleon candy. Perfect as a palate cleanser.
The dessert was Mango Fresh and Creamy and was served in two parts. The bottom layer within the bowl was the Mango element of the dish. It consisted of a Sponge, Mango Cream and Mango Puree. The creamy taste of mango came through very strong, and I enjoyed it very much.
The top layer, was more refreshing, due to the acidic nature of the Passion Fruit. The main elements were Passion Fruit Cream and Sorbet. Passion fruit and mango are a perfect match and spooning little bits of both, took me back to the tropics. Definitely loved this.
As it was my birthday the maitre'd was so kind to give me a 'Birthday Cake' - Chocolate Cake with Passion Fruit and homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. The chocolate cake was my type of chocolate cake, as it was nice and fudgy and the taste of chocolate shone through. The ice cream was excquisite and it was a nice ending to a lovely birthday.
The meal itself was quite enjoyable, although admittedly I had expected more. Especially since we were hoping that the cooking and food would be up to par with a two-michelin starred chef. Sadly enough I think this just didn't cut it. The portions were tiny (except for the dessert) and the staff wore these "street clothes", which just didn't fit in an upscale restaurant with such prices. My dad also noted the lack of a table cloth, which he kind of expected in such a high-end restaurant.