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| American Dream Cuisine™ |
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Restaurant Haerlin
In Hamburg, Germany
Receives |
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Society - World Level of Perfection |
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6 Stars
and 7 Stripes for
Society - World Level of Perfection Cuisine &
Service |
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The Ultimate Award:
Seven
Stars and Stripes ™ |
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| From its simple beginnings as house number 14 in 1919,
Haerlin Restaurant has established itself as the premier gastronomic
institution in Hamburg. Friedrich Haerlin's vision was unbounded as he
successfully sought to combine artistic design elements of his day with
exceptional personal service and creative, enticing cuisine. This mission
continues to be carried out under the guidance of Director Ingo C. Peters and
through the beguiling, imaginative conceptions of Executive Chef de Cuisine
Christoph Rueffer. |
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Restaurant Manager
José Santos greeted us warmly and introduced us to Sommelier Hagen
Hoppenstedt. It was a perfect moment to relax for a while before the beginning
of our cuisine review of the Haerlin, the flag ship of all four restaurants in
the Raffles Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten.
Sommelier Hopenstedt
effortlessly suggested a glass of 1996 Dom Pérignon, Brut from over
40,000 choice selections in the wine cellar. The preference of this exceptional
wine as a starter reflects the overall quality and exclusivity of the Haerlin
as a world-class player in this most competitive business of gastronomy.
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Dom Pérignon is only
produced in exceptional vintages from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varieties
selected from the best Crus in the region of Champagne.
We watched as the
fine, silky smooth golden yellow liquid was gracefully being poured into the
sensually curved fluted stemware. As soon as I brought the glass up to my nose,
the champagne appeared to offer hints of rich citrus zest woven with tropical
fruits that stretched out to include a nutlike overtone.
As my palate
beckoned, I carefully caressed the delicate crucible so that the rich golden
liquid could reach its goal. The immediate sensation of good firm structure
acquiesces to become creamy and luscious ending with a prolonged aftertaste of
sun-dried fruit. |
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Restaurant Manager José Santos returned to
escort us to our carefully selected table. It occurred to us that the
restaurant was abuzz with the chitter-chatter of contented patrons enjoying the
exceptional ambiance created by the combination of traditional design elements
coordinated with experienced original cuisine. All tables are decorated with
the famous Nymphenburg porcelain displaying the four allegories of the seasonal
changes of the year, which acts as a reassuring protection of sorts since this
style dates back to the restaurant's origins
As soon as we were seated
amid the splendid sounding piano sonata, a selection of house made breads was
placed on our table. These included olive-rosemary, herbed, walnut, sun-dried
tomato and thyme, whole grain rye (our American Dream Favorite) and pumpkin
seed stalks. A very fine, first cold pressed extra-virgin Sicilian olive oil
displaying a hint of citrus was the coordinated accompaniment. I tried to
prepare for the rest of the dinner by resisting the urge to nibble on all the
varieties of earthy breads. |
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Simone alerted me to the approaching server bringing
our Amuse Bouche of Potato Croquets dusted with Lemon Zest and Hand Caught
Beechwood Smoked Irish Salmon presented with Cherry Tomatoes stuffed with Goat
Cheese for me. Simone received Thinly Sliced Leg of Venison in Pumpkin
Veluté along with Duck Liver Praline stuffed with Celery Mousse and
Langostino paired with Pineapple-Paprika Chutney. I tried to think of a more
unusual combination of things that seem to work extremely well together while
providing that necessary curiosity of things to come.
A very nice glass
of 1999 Chateau Saint-Amand Cru Bourgeois Sautern was the very appropriate
selected wine paring that was personally matched by Sommelier Hoppenstedt to
best highlight and accentuate the myriad of flavors forwarded by the Amuse
Bouche. Sauterns are Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes allowed to be affected
by Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) thereby concentrating the wine's sweetness and
alcohol.
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| Our first thoughts were decidedly perplexed as we
tried to figure out what surprise Chef Rüffer had in store for us with
this unusual offering. It seems that the Master Chef had somehow dug up an old
recipie from the days of the Haerlin's origins. While true to tradition,
Rüffer applied his exceptional imagination to temper the velvety smooth
pate with the exotic sharpness of ginger laced stewed apples and the light dry
tannins of walnut flavored brioche. This very imaginative timeless appetizer
made us appreciate the lovely Flemish Tapestries hanging nearby co-existing to
produce a very ancient ambience. |
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- Assorted Soups in Mocca
cups including: Chervil Cream Soup with Peas and Crayfish, Baked Essence of
Venison in a Pastry Shell with Quail Egg and Rabbit Cappuccino with Cinnamon
and Passionfruit.
The whole experience so far
is almost beyond comprehension as our palates were being assaulted by an
abundance of new and exciting flavor sensations. We barely had time to compare
notes when the Sommelier arrived with his suggested wine pairing: |
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- 1990 Rheingau Charta, Riesling
Spätlese Trocken, Staatsweingut Kloster Eberbach
This inspirational wine turned to
be the best match for this wild assortment of ingenious cuisine medleys. This
special wine is well balanced with enough acidity to keep it approachable while
offering fresh, fruit flavors of pear and Jonagold Apple. There was a distinct
perfume note glittering throughout kissed by smoke and honey.
Now it
was time to pause and really try to enjoy the stimulating creativeness
demonstrated so far by Master Chef Rüffer. This was a difficult task for
Simone and me as we found it tricky to begin recalling our moments of
delightful pleasure. Simone suggested we just sit for a moment while we savored
the ambiance created by the well crafted wine. |
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- Before long our server
brought us Red Mullet with Skewered Seafood with Whittled Haricort Vert and
Paprika Chorizo Sauce accompanied by a feathery light Potato
Gnocchi.
- The aroma of rosemary
drifted up from the perfectly pan-seared Red Mullet and the seafood skewer had
a fresh ocean smell indicating the possibility that the Haerlin may in fact do
their own fishing daily.
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- This time it was Restaurant
Manager José Santos that brought over his own personal favorite for the
wine paring:
2001 Bourgogne Rouge, Pinot Noir La Buxynoise which was ruby
red with nice pink hues, good fruit of cherry and dried berries in a light
bodied structure. A touch of spiciness was detected throughout its velvety
texture which provided the necessary zing to work with the robust main course.
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Lemon Quark Soufflé
Stewed Citrus with Caramel Ice cream
- In keeping with the
resounding flavor structures that have been demonstrated so far during our
creative adventure in dinning, this sweet specialty presents a whole new
experience in taste. Quark, a delicious German Farmer's Cheese is laced with
tart lemon and served as a light Soufflé with the creamiest house-made
ice cream I have ever experienced.
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| A wonderfully appropriate 2003 "Les Folastries"
Gewürztraminer, Josmeyer, Alsace was served to compliment this novelty
dessert. It has accents of sparkling yellow; bring it past the nose to discover
the subtle but defined aromas of rose petals and honey; allow the palate to
appreciate the mild acidity although you may discover the peppery, smoky charm
for a complete seduction of your senses. Winemaker Josmeyer is recognized for
his uncanny ability to pair his wines with just about any type of food. "When
I'm in Japan, I serve Japanese food with my wines. I always have a wine to
pair, no matter what type of food is served," says Meyer. |
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For Simone and me, we couldn't
be more tempted to linger in this awesome restaurant a bit longer as it was an
evening to remember and we didn't want it to end. Chef Christoph Rüffer
has proven his creative ability time and time again through his distinctive
coordination of his plate presentation, seductive aromas and distinguished
flavors.
He continues to win accolades within the culinary elite by
earning a Michelin star two years in a row and a very respectable 17 Gault
Millau points for creativity. It was with great pleasure that we toasted this
culinary master chef and his capable team for delighting people from all over
the world with his special gifted touch. |
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Haerlin
- American Dream Cuisine™ |
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| "I am a dreamer of foods, fine foods. I shall not dine other then
divine.” ~ Thorsten Piosczyk |
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by
Simone Buehrmann & Thorsten Piosczyk
Editor-in-Chief: John
Lomitola
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