From when he was a child, Dennis de Haan knew he wanted to become a chef. He followed a traditional path by attending a renowned cooking school, the Cas Spijkers Academie, and working in several restaurants, including two Michelin-starred Parkheuvel in Rotterdam.
When he opened his own place, Restaurant De Haan, he wanted to do something more out there. “The cooking at that level is super fun and I wanted to do that in my own restaurant,” he tells SBS Food. “But I also wanted a restaurant where it’s more relaxed, not like many Michelin-starred restaurants that are stiff or too luxurious.”
“Opening a restaurant with staff brings a lot of responsibilities, I did not want to do that at a young age,” says the 29-year-old.
A dessert of popcorn with buttered butter, caramelised white chocolate and banana sorbet is served with an "egg" (made of fermented tea and banana) at the restaurant. Source: Restaurant De Haan
One-man show
Restaurant De Haan relies on self-service. While de Haan takes care of cooking, serving and washing up, the customers hang their coats, calculate their own bill and pick up drinks at the bar. For the wine pairing, the menu guides diners on what to get by the glass. They can also choose their own drinks and write them down on a card.
“All prices are on the card so people immediately see what the dinner will cost. It’s very transparent, which makes the atmosphere very relaxed,” says de Haan.
Opening a restaurant with staff brings a lot of responsibilities, I did not want to do that at a young age.
For the concept to work, it requires the young chef to be exceptionally efficient. With organising spices and vacuum-sealing the best ingredients, he was inspired by his short internship at Chicago restaurant Alinea. In the kitchen, which he designed himself, everything has a purpose, and he owns just the right amount of dishes so he doesn’t need to wash up until the end of the night.
De Haan offers a changing menu of four to six courses, with an emphasis on Dutch ingredients. He’s known for his vegetable dishes with spices and punchy ingredients like bacon, ham and strong cheeses. On any day, you could eat a fillet of plaice (whitefish) with a kombu and bacon sauce, leek stewed in chamomile tea and lime or a deer shoulder steak.
Lately, simple broths and fermented foods have worked their way onto the menu.
Dutch newspaper Volkskrant reviewed Restaurant De Haan after its launch, saying it “exceeded all expectations”.
The restaurant has been designed to be run as simply as possible. Source: Restaurant De Haan
One becomes two
One of the most well-rated venues in the north of the Netherlands, Restaurant De Haan has a four-month wait for a weeknight booking, and you need to plan six months ahead for a weekend reservation. “I would like to make everyone happy, but in the last year I had to disappoint people when I told them that we’re full,” says the owner.
For that reason, the chef hired his first-ever employee to give him a hand in the kitchen. “We can now serve up to 18 guests and better accommodate people with allergies or dietary requirements,” he explains. “And I can pay more attention to my guests and cook more complex dishes, which is more challenging for me."
For anybody wanting to follow in his footsteps, he suggests being creative and turning the guests’ evening into an experience, without charging too much: “Never compromise on the quality of the ingredients. But quality is not just caviar, it can be a simple and nice stew!”
Aweg 4
9718 CS
Groningen, Netherlands
