La Vie Thomas Bühner

For a foodie in search of the very best among German restaurants, a visit to Aqua naturally will be followed by having a meal at La Vie, a culinary landmark in the Lower Saxony state. The restaurant was housed in the old building, known as Haus Tenge; it was located in the heart of Osnabrück's historic old town. Contrary to its exterior and surrounding, the interior of la vie had plenty of contemporary elements. The main dining room, covered about 20 people, was well-spaced with elegant brown curtain, large tables, wooden floor and modern arts. The hallway was lined with wooden panels and on the 2nd floor, there was a smaller (private) dining room with colorful chairs and beige walls. In short, the 'simple' decor displayed an understated luxury of the restaurant.

Similar to the building, the cuisine of chef-owner Thomas Bühner also combined the classic and modern elements. He skillfully integrated traditional French cuisine as the foundation with modern technique by exploring various range of textures and flavors to produce avant-garde dishes as well as innovative menu. In addition, Chef Buhner was adventurous and loved using top ingredients from around the globe, often producing European fusion. Despite this, he would ensure that the dishes served at his main restaurant were unmistakably German in its root. His tasting menu (no a la carte here) was well-structured and carefully sequenced. The food here was more than just some wonderful dish by itself but more like a symphony ... though I somehow disrupted it by mixing some "tunes".

My meal began with some nibbles. First, it was consomme of walnut with wakame (seaweed) tea and new leaves - a bit salty but felt healthy; then it's followed by Thin goat cheese with grapes - tangy & light met with juicy & sweet flavors. The bread was of high quality and made from scratch here. There were 2 kinds: Sourdough with cumin had nice crispy crust and soft inside. It was served with deep Spanish olive oil and creamy French butter. Secondly, Focaccia with thyme was aromatic with puffy texture. There were 2 menus you could choose from - Tradition & Qualite, served mainly the classic dishes of La Vie. Another one was Le Grand Chef, served innovative and avant-garde dishes of Thomas Buhner. I selected the later one since it had more dishes. Furthermore, I added a couple of dishes from the chef's specialties ... talking about me being greedy

Le Grand Chef menu with some extras

Wagyu japanisch 30 d dry aged | salad kabeljau consommé (Japanese Wagyu beef, dry aged for 30 days, served with Cod fish, wild herbs salad, and saffron + fish consomme) - The thinly sliced beef, by itself, was pure and creamy (a decent pairing with the salad) while the radiant Cod was delicate and light. The consomme was flavorful but a bit too intense - it complemented the fish better while somewhat too dominant for the wagyu, distracted the wagyu's natural flavor instead of enhance it. Overall, it was still a nice dish

Saint Pierre & King Crab {cresson, chanterelles | wasserkresse, pfifferlinge} (John Dory and king crab served with watercress and chanterelle mushrooms) - The white fish was firm and rather mild in contrast to the tender and 'sweet' red crab. The sea creatures were combined with subtle white Cod fish sauce, earthy / woody mushrooms and their cream, fresh & nutty green peas, peppery but not-so-pungent watercress sauce. Innovative dish with tons of elements in which you could try many different variations. It was interesting & quite delectable though at times not necessarily harmonious

Octopus | wildschwein – emulsion kimchi | apfel (Octopus served with Iberico pork belly and its emulsion, kimchi + apple sauce) - The thick octopus, carefully cooked, had good texture (pleasantly bouncy). The pork was tasty albeit very small. The more concentrate flavor was coming from the dark boar emulsion, then in contrast to it, the kitchen prepared lighter and a bit sour kimchi / apple sauce. A dish with Asian influence that went well ... nice combination and not as complex as the previous dish; like it

Accompanied by wine: 2016 Weingut Manz Weissburgunder (fresh, fruity and quite good balanced)

Spargel weiß | tintenfisch | carbonara style (White asparagus, formed like noddles, served with thin squid underneath, salmon roes and consomme) - The asparagus and the squid showed some texture contrast; the salmon caviar was pleasant, popping with briny yet sweet ocean flavor. The squid broth was rather strong that sometimes it overwhelmed the main ingredients. It's alright

Auster (gillardeau) | kalbsbries portulak | austernsauce (Gillardeau Oyster served with sweetbread, purslane leaves and oyster sauce) - The oyster was excellent - refined, plump, a bit nutty and sweet - truly a premium ingredient. It went along well with the 'pure & simple' sweetbread - creamy texture and mild flavor. The oyster sauce, thankfully not overly salty and strong, brought together the main produces and the many elements on the sides such as leeks, turnip, potato and quince; they made the overall dish to be more delicious. Awesome! A great example of maximum dish (a dish with numerous ingredients) that worked together properly. The flavor and even the plating showed some Chinese influence - not so beautiful ;)

Accompanied by wine: 2014 Testalonga Chenin Blanc El Bandito (white wine from South Africa; light, fresh, floral perfume, and "pure + natural")

Etouffée taube | wacholderrauch karamellisierter kürbissaft (Etouffee Pigeon smoked with juniper smoke and served in caramelized pumpkin sauce) - The Canadian pigeon was pink with thin but crispy skin, hence the carefully seasoned and meticulously cooked meat was succulent, flavorful and juicy. The dish was really delightful. The sauce (pumpkin + pigeon jus) enriched the wonderful bird - simple, generous portion and perfectly executed - love it very much

Filet de bison Canadien {racine de tournesol, ortie, morilles | kerbelwurzel, brennesseln, spitzmorcheln} (Filet of Canadian Bison served with chervil root, stinging nettle and morels) - The bison meat was naturally leaner and less flavorful than beef, but it was still tasty, slightly sweet with no gamey taste. The chervil root was good - some nutty flavor, starchy texture, quite fragrant - a good 'pairing' for the bison. The white sauce (sour cream & soy milk) was decent, neutralize any cloying flavor while the morels were intense. I was told that the presentation showed how German people often ate their veggies + meat + cream altogether. A well-deserved classic from La Vie

Accompanied by wine: 2014 Vietti Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco (nice body, decent complexity in particular in the nose, some acidity and fruity - a good Italian red)

Tonkabohne & edelweiss I geeist  selleriemilch I dill (Tonka bean and white chocolate served with celery milk, green apple, iced, olive oil and dill) - At first, I thought it was a vegetable dessert, in fact looked like salad, since it's predominantly green. I usually was not a fan of white chocolate but I was glad that it's not too sweet here. Tonka bean was a versatile ingredient (great taste and scent); it's pretty much the backbone of the flavor. There were lots of elements with different textures ... When I scoped many different ways, they generated many pleasant taste and "feel". An innovative dessert that worked better than I initially expected

The petit four introduced some unfamiliar flavor combinations. For instance: a macaron of black tea and lemon, chocolates with curry flavor and for fun, there was a gumball machine containing chocolate in yuzu, cherry and passion fruit flavors. Forgot to mention that, the pre-dessert was sweet caramelized soya milk ice cream with grapes and green melon; no sour or acidic taste. The wine served was also sourced from all over the world, consistent with La Vie's approach. The pairing above was satisfying.

The service has been exceptional throughout. I reached Osnabrück by train and was picked up by the restaurant's staff driving Mercedes-Benz S class with the restaurant's logo. The round trip transport was provided for guests dining at la vie. With 4 staffs, including the assistant sommelier, taking care only 10 of us during lunch, they delivered smooth hospitality. The wine and water were topped up promptly, dishes arrived in good pace and for a lone guest like me, I was offered some magazines and the senior staff took time to chat with me. After finishing his cooking class, Thomas Bühner visited each table in the dining room including mine. He even took time to sit in my table and patiently listened and answered my questions. It was a weekend lunch in a small town, probably that's why the atmosphere was relaxed and guests tended to dress down (I was the only one with jacket and tie).

La Vie offered one of the most attractive dining experiences in the country. The kitchen was very ambitious and had unique approach towards contemporary German cuisine. Thomas Buhner was not afraid of creating complex dishes featuring many components (there's hardly any meaningless element) yet they did not lack focus; in fact, they usually worked together harmoniously. Dishes after dishes displayed the ingredients natural flavors, some texture contrasts and the chef's imagination without being pretentious. It's recommended that a foodie visiting Germany should make an effort to detour to this place. You can see the pictures of the food: La Vie May '17  

Food (and Wine): 95 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 96 pts

Overall: 95.5/100

  

Aqua Sven Elverfeld

The city of Wolfsburg in Germany is almost identical with Volkswagen; after all more than half of its residents working for the company. There are VW factory and a theme park featuring museums, various pavilions of VW car brands such as Audi, Porsche etc. as well as car towers. However, what brought me to this Autostadt (car city) was a 3-star Michelin restaurant named Aqua, located on the ground floor of the Ritz Carlton hotel. Aqua has always been the 'product' of is current executive chef, the talented Sven Elverfeld. He came and opened the restaurant in 2000 and within 8 years, Chef Elverfeld managed to achieve Michelin highest accolade and Aqua became the first 3-star dining place in the Northern Germany region. Prior to Aqua, Sven Elverfeld has been working in numerous countries abroad. With such vast experience and curious approach, Sven developed his distinctive cooking style, that later with a few other chefs, known as the New German school / cuisine. He successfully integrated French + German technique and used mainly local ingredients to re-interpret traditional food and create contemporary dishes with cutting edge flavors. What were they like? I ordered the following degustation menu consisted of 8 courses. In addition to these, there were a few snacks at the beginning and extra sweets after the dessert (not written here; please refer to the photos link below)

Grand Journey menu

Gänseleber & Trauben Ziegenfrischkäse, Walnuss & Eis "Müller-Thurgau Hasennest" (Foie gras & grapes served with Goat cream cheese, walnut and ice cream) - The chilled duck liver was very velvety and luscious without being cloying. The tartness of the grapes offset the richness of the foie gras while the ice cream and cheese also balanced the creamy liver. The crunchy walnut provided some texture contrast to the soft foie gras. Hands down, the best foie gras I ate during this Euro trip and arguably one of the finest duck liver dish I've ever had

Forelle aus der Lüneburger Heide Neubokeler Spargel, Schinken-Velouté, Erbsen and Rhabarber (Trout from Luneburg Heath served with Asparagus from Neubokel, ham veloute, peas and rhubarb) - This freshwater fish was carefully cooked, resulting in a delicate texture and mild taste (somewhat nearly bland). The "stronger" flavors were derived from the salty ham & Trout 'caviar', sweet & starchy peas, and earthy asparagus - the vegetables reminded us that we're in the Spring season. A creative dish to elevate the Trout ..

Atlantik Rochen & Calamaretti Sauce Rouille, Puntarelle (Atlantic Ray and Calamaretti served with Sauce Rouille and puntarelle) - This fish was crisp and firm; the squids were chewy. The squid ink was a bit salty but not overpowering and worked relatively well with the garlicky Rouille sauce having saffron flavor and color which I liked a lot. The green puntarelle generated slight bitter flavor. A dish with interesting color and flavor variations 

Bretonische Seezunge  Pistazien-Haselnussbutter, Schwarzwurzel & schwarzer Sesam (Brittany Sole served with Pistachio-hazelnut butter, salsify and black sesame) - The Sole, whose texture was in between delicate and firm here, was of high quality and delicious due to the rather intense "green butter" sauce. The salsify, having faintly 'oystery flavor' nicely supported the fish flavor in this dish. Black sesame's role to the overall taste was minimal - my favorite fish for this dinner

Gesottene Lammzunge & Lammbries "Bolognese" Fregola, Pancetta & Radicchio (Boiled Lamb tongue and lamb Sweetbread "Bolognese" served with Fregola, pancetta and radicchio) - The presentation was gorgeous, wasn't it? The tongue was boiled to soften its texture and rich taste. Hidden inside the tongue was the tasty lamb ragu, pasta and Italian bacon. There wasn't any foul lamb odor, even the swetbread was tender and moist inside. Again, the kitchen did a magnificent job in interpreting the 'bolognese' flavor - better than I initially expected 

Rehrücken aus der Altmark Spitzkohl, Wildsalami, Senf, Holunder-Kapern & Beeren (Saddle of Venison from Altmark region served with Cabbage, game salami, mustard, elderberry-capers and berries) - Germany apparently has 'longer' hunting season than France and people could still savor wild Venison in May. The venison, slowly cooked at low temperature, was awesome: succulent, delicious and smooth with hardly any hint of musky / pungent flavor. The cabbage, berries and other side dishes worked reasonably well in enhancing the meat though for me, this red deer with its jus was sufficient to make me happy 

Rohmilchkäse vom Wagen (Cheese selection from our trolley with bread on the side) - The cheese at Aqua was solid though the variety not as impressive as the one I usually see in France. The comte was 'only' 24 months nevertheless I was pleased with what I chose - good quality. I picked (forgot the exact name) cheese from Swiss and Spain, goat cheese from Pyrenees and French cheese with herbs

Johannisbeeren mit Fenchelpollen & Burrata Sud vom Johannisbeerholz & Kartoffel (Currants with fennel pollen and Burrata served with Stock from currants wood and potato) - There were plenty of things here without any particular dominant ingredients. Yet, the pastry team work their magic to create a dessert that combined different flavors: sour currant, licorice + buttery sweet fennel pollen, and soft and delicate burrata. Additionally, it had a hint of woody and earthy taste. While it might not be mind blowing, it's still a good dessert - pleasant in my mouth 

Aqua only serves 5 dinner per week for the fortunate approximately 30 people each night. Hence, no wonder, Sven Elverfeld and his team were more than capable of regularly providing an array of high quality, beautiful and detailed dishes; Sven would optimize his ingredients to produce maximum flavors and texture variations. I am very pleased with dinner meal. The only feedback would probably be: there were too many fish dishes albeit from different water and kinds. I declined the full 10-course tasting menu because the additional items would be Mackerel (another fish) & 'merely' sorbet as a palate cleanser.

The dining room was quite huge and with minimalist design. Nearly every table has each own small cupboard nearby containing cutleries; this definitely made the staffs' work more efficiently. The table was big and widely spaced with each other; diners had to speak loud enough to be heard by guests at the other tables. I was seated at the far end of the entrance with pretty landscape can be seen from the full windows featuring outdated factory spaces, water from the artificial lake and the green lawn. The "simple" dining room design allowed diners to focus on the Chef Elverfeld's avant-garde cuisine.    

The hospitality was warmed, fluid and professional led by Jimmy Ledemazel whereas the specific waiting staff for my table was a friendly young German gentleman who spoke fluent English. Despite his youth, he was confident, never late to top up my glass and always around whenever I needed something. The kitchen ensured the dishes, prepared with care and attention, to arrive at steady pace. There's hardly any dull moment waiting. Delicious food and modern cuisine, relaxing and prompt service, spacious and immaculate dining room - Aqua possesses all the important factors to be among the best restaurant in Germany, or even in Europe. The special journey I took to Wolfsburg was indeed worth it. Picture of the dishes: Aqua May '17

Food: 96 pts

Service: 95 pts

Overall: 96/100