Haku welcomes top Belgian Chef Gert de Mangeleer to Hong Kong this August

12 Aug 2019
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3 min read
Gert De Mangeleer, chef-owner of the late 3-Michelin-Starred Hertog Jan in Belgium, will join HAKU’s Chef Agustin Balbi for a four-hands collaboration on 22 and 23 August in Hong Kong.

Taking place over two nights only, Agustin Balbi and Gert De Mangeleer will present an 11-course degustation journey that highlights the award-winning chefs’ shared love for pure and organic flavours, underpinned by a culinary ethos of select sustainable premium ingredients.

“When Chef Gert and I first met in Milan, we had already been following each other’s works for a while. We had a great conversation over dinner one night, realising we had a lot in common when it came to our views and philosophies around food,” says Chef Agustin Balbi. “A collaboration dinner has been on the agenda ever since, and we are excited to finally present this dinner series to Hong Kong.”

Chef Gert, recognized for achieving three Michelin stars for Hertog Jan in Bruges through his innovative culinary direction, will be presenting his own signature dishes as well as experimental creations designed exclusively for the collaboration. The menu begins with a Hertog Jan classic appetizer of potato cream with coffee, vanilla oil and grated Mimolette cheese from Lille, followed by HAKU’s refreshing Japanese oyster with yogurt, ponzu, sake and drizzles of Spanish olive oil.

A self-proclaimed tomato-holic, Chef Gert channels his love for tomatoes into his legendary signature seasonal dish, “Tomato Collection 2019”. The lightly dressed ensemble of home-grown tomatoes range from sweet to sour to salty, signifying the true complexity of nature. Interspersed throughout the menu are Chef Agustin’s own signature dishes at HAKU, including his version of arroz caldoso using Japanese black abalone, Kurokashiwa chicken and Yumepirika rice. The menu ends the same way it began, but with a sweet twist. Chef Gert once again uses the unusual combination of coffee, vanilla and potato, this time for a stunning tiramisu dessert.

“Chef Agustin and I have a very interesting dynamic and synergy that translates well in this collaboration series. Our styles are similar, especially when it comes to our shared deep respect for the original taste of products and highly detail-oriented execution,” says Chef Gert de Mangeleer.

The HAKU x Gert De Mangeleer collaborative menu is priced at HK$2,480 +10% per guest, with the option of adding a cocktail pairing by HAKU Head Sommelier Wallace Lo for an additional HK$800+10%.

The full 11-course collaboration menu between HAKU x Gert De Mangeleer is as follows:

Potato | Coffee | Vanilla (G)
Hokkaido uni, potato foam, coffee, mimolette cheese

Oyster | Asparagus (H) 
Yogurt, ponzu, sake, Spanish olive oil

Otoro | Royal Belgian Caviar (G)
Plankton crackers

Dashi | Shitake (H)
Daikon, mochi, jamón de habito, yuzu

Tomato Collection 2019 (G)
Hertog Jan’s signature dish

Humita (H)
Spicy corn, konbu

Corvina | Cava (H)
Pork manitas crust, cava sauce, Aonori

Pigeon | Miso (G)
Gert homemade miso, pigeon textures

Rice | Abalone (H)
Haku signature arroz caldoso

Cherry | Sake (H)
Raw and cooked in syrup, cacao nibs, sake ice cream, veil

Potato | Coffee | Vanilla (G)
As the same way we started

Sweets

 

About Gert De Mangeleer

Gert De Mangeleer took over Hertog Jan with his culinary soulmate, Joachim Boudens, in 2005. Building on his previous experiences working for top chefs in Belgium, Gert transformed the restaurant’s traditional and conventional kitchen into something more refreshing – perhaps even revolutionary. Focusing on the ways flavours, structures and contrasts take shape on a single plate, Gert ensures that his dishes touch all the senses and carry his signature style. In 2006 Hertog Jan was awarded its first Michelin star, followed by a second in 2009 and, ultimately, a third in 2011. In 2014, Gert received the honourable “European Chef of the Year” award. While still at the top of Belgium’s gastronomic scene, Hertog Jan permanently closed its doors in December 2018 after 13 successful years of operation.

About HAKU

A giant of traditional Japanese Kaiseki, Chef Hideaki Matsuo has overseen the kitchen at 3-Michelin starred Osaka restaurant Kashiwaya for over two decades. A Relais & Châteaux chef, Chef Matsuo’s haute Japanese cuisine and dedication to the art of Japanese tea has seen him become one of his country’s most celebrated culinary figures. Agustin Balbi, the Executive Chef of HAKU, was named Best New Chef 2016 by T Dining by Hong Kong Tatler. His diverse international experience is reflected in beautifully prepared contemporary dishes that are heavily inspired by his work in Japan. HAKU represents the culmination of Matsuo’s philosophy and Balbi’s technical prowess, using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients flown in daily from Japan prepared in the traditional Japanese way and accented with innovative European twists.

 

To reserve a spot at the four-hands dinner, contact HAKU via telephone on (852) 2115 9965 or via email at dine@haku.com.hk.