Breda is a fairly large casual place. The rectangular space has a long bar with a few seats but mostly small closely spaced tables appointed with nice linens. There is no background music but the sound of the conversing patrons provides a significant noise level, however conversation is possible. The servers are all friendly and speak good English, but pacing is a little variable. They serve only a surprise tasting of 5, 7 or 9 courses and they do not adjust portions. However we got the “Full Monty” or 9 course menu and it was very doable. Dishes all seem to have a little twist that elevates them beyond the usual and makes them quite tasty. Tables are set with bread and butter, course salt, olive oil and a flatware rest so you can re-use your utensils.
The meal started with carrots in different forms – pickled with yogurt, soup with lemongrass and crisps with carrots and cumin. The pickled carrots were young, fresh and were well accented with the tangy yogurt. The yummy carrot soup had great taste and texture. The lemongrass was a wonderful addition and it was a real lick-the-bowl plate. The crisps piled with carrot hummus and quite nice.
Pollock was served with chicory, coffee powder, a Japanese sauce and Dutch caviar of herring eggs. The coffee was a good twist for the mild fish. The caviar was very pleasant. It was a nice combination of flavors.
Field greens were plated with a yogurt, horseradish and caper sauce. The horseradish gave it a nice kick. Underneath the lettuce was veal tartar of rib meat and brain. It had a marvelously velvety texture. This was a wonderful dish.
White asparagus were grilled along with ramson and mixed with lardo and ham sauce. The sauce was excellent as were the ham bits that gave a great accent to the sweet asparagus. Yum!
Cod fish was served in onion broth with foie gras. An amazing dish! The totally savory broth and rich foie gras combined wonderfully with the mild, tender fish. Great flavor and texture here.
A lobster salad was hidden beneath potato chips coated with paprika, and other seasonings. The chips were fairly salty and it was difficult to really taste a difference in them. This course was nice but lacked the pop of the others.
Shrimp bisque with leek was very tasty. It was loaded with onions, almost too many.
Scallops were plated with XO sauce, parsley and mandarin. The sauce was very rich and the scallop was cooked perfectly. It was adorned with greens that added a nice texture to the dish. The bisque had a bit a spiciness included in the layers of taste. It was amazing.
The rump of lamb had been cooked in a sous vide for an hour and a half to a nice rareness. It was plated with red lentils with green curry, turnip tops and black garlic. It was tasty.
A pre-dessert was yuzu ice cream with buttermilk curd and meringue of whey. It was very light and tangy. The meringue gave it a fun crispiness. It felt more like a palate cleanser than a pre-dessert.
Dessert was ice cream with miso caramel and buckwheat crumbles. Apple compote and something really buttery finished this plate. It was delicious – yum x3 – a great way to end a fine meal.
