Restaurant Maven op het Zuid makes desserts with meat (Antwerp)
“We want to get to know our restaurant and make a difference”, says Jules Koninckx. “I think we’re already doing that when it comes to the meat experience. Only the desserts were not really part of the concept. They were good lemon tarts, strawberry tart or vanilla ice cream, all without a twist. that’s why i am out of the box started to think and we came to this.”
He leads me to a table where the new desserts are displayed, a hamburger that has a brother in the Quick attracts attention. “People will quickly say that this burger has something Japanese to it because of its kitschy look. But everyone will look up,” the chief thinks.
This burger, conceived as a cheeseburger, contains no meat. The bun is real, the tomatoes have been replaced with strawberries, the pickles with granny-smith apple, the cheese is mango and the meat has turned into a brownie. Add a red fruit coulis and mango mousse instead of ketchup and mustard and you have the Maven burger.
If you don’t forget the fries, made of white chocolate. And how all that tried? You think you’re eating a hamburger and it’s just dessert. And all the time, another ingredient predominates.
Chocolate with marrow
But the new desserts are not all counterfeit. The new Boule de Berlin has a pink cream. That’s because there is pâté from Secreto 07 † ham, specially processed and dried by Luc de Laet – at the bottom there is also a little gin from Secreto 07. “That taste only comes at the very end, very well. The sweet continues to dominate. But just like when you eat the pure meat: the secreto asks for more.”
We tasted soft serve ice cream made from fresh milk from Maven’s cows with a pink meringue and a secreto crumble. And a chocolate-caramel tart in which marrow has been processed, served with a crumble, also a kind of smoked ham. “Sweet with salt, like a salty caramel that is always very tasty,” says Jules Koninckx. I thought the Bonta crumble was the most successful. You keep spooning it up even though it is a crumble of meat. It is the dessert with the most layers of flavor.
Let’s not even consider the eclair. As always, it is filled with pastry cream. On top, pink ruby chocolate delivers with a berry flavor. This time the salt comes from crispy fried bacon. The finish comes from a crumble of dried red fruit and lime zest,” adds chef Arun Wytynck.
Smoutebollen will also be on the menu next week. “These are topped with icing sugar and with a crumble of dried bacon”, looks ahead. “In general, meat must be incorporated. It may scare people off, but once you’ve tasted it, you realize it’s not just about it. Think of that salty caramel.”
Luikstraat 4, 2000 Antwerp