Today Best Design Guides would like to present a great spot to have wonderful time! Park Heuvel is a 2 Michelin starred restaurant situated at Rotterdam, in the very heart of the city, close by the Harbour and right next to the river the Maas. As soon as you arrive at the place, the foyer takes you to your table where you can just relax and enjoy every little detail.
Designed by the architect mister Klunder back in 1988, the round and modern building has been decorated by the interior designerJeroenSmeele. The restaurant has a warm atmosphere with a cosy art-déco interior with windows all around, so guest can appreciate the panoramic view to the canal.
The elegant and comfortable restaurant is very well studied: the distance between the tables is perfect, as much as the projection of the light or the type of music chosen – commercial music with soft rhythm. The bar, inspired in a boat, works very well so guests can choose between having a view to the bar or not, as they prefer.
They try to change decoration all 2 years, so people can feel the difference not just in the dishes and presentation but in all the elements that complements Park Heuvel experience: the colours, the acoustic, the light… All those elements are really important for Erik and Jeroen Smeele succeeded on it – over time, the chef and the interior designer went on to win some affinity to the point of Jeroen already knows what Erik has in mind when calling him.
The quality and character of the team makes the most of the experience and, of course, the very well prepared and presented flavoured food brings us the emotion of the enjoyment.
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The food merit and signature of Park Heuvel goes to the chef Erik van Loo, a fanatic by quality – in this kitchen only the best is good enough. To guarantee this quality, chef Erik maintains long relationships with suppliers, so he knows what to expect and they know what to bring to his kitchen.
Also a world traveler and inspired by the empiric experience, chef Erik gives taste a very important role in his kitchen; he only uses local and fresh products and gives it world flavours so he can drop into the dish all he acknowledge from his trips, with a French touch. He likes to give guests real food, with real flavours and not just a nice designed dish. He says that for a good dish you have to give something of yourself away, which is the taste memory from other experiences; it is also necessary to balance the design with the flavour on it.
In conversation with Chef Erik, it was explained the all story about the restaurant. The ancient owner and chef was to old to continue the business but he didn’t want to let the restaurant in someone he didn’t knew or trust. The owner has chosen Erik for this job even before talk with him about it.
You will be surprised to hear, Erik asked some friends for help, as he had no money or experience in leading a 3 Michelin rated restaurant.
With the help of his friends and wife, Erik catches the challenge. At the beginning it was hard and the restaurant lost two stars but quickly Erik was able to recover one of them.
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Along the years, Erik likes to work in a team with his wife, son, sub-chef, maître and sommelier, that he consults when it comes to try new dishes. His wife, Anga, also has a very important role at the restaurant. Erik always consults her when to a big decision and she always travels with him.
Every year he and other 5/6 chefs come together and travel somewhere around the globe – Pakistan, China, Peru, Brazil, South Africa, Taiwan, Lebanon, Israel, among many others – to search for new flavours and learn new techniques.
When travelling, Erik doesn’t like to visit fancy restaurants, he prefers to go where everybody in that country goes, normally street food – he even has a book regarding Rotterdam’s street food spots and recipes. Even if the typical dishes are way to elaborate or too spicy, or too crazy… Erik loves to try and go for inspirations of where the food is true and real.
Source – Coveted Magazine
