21.12.13 | 12 noon

Just before the last lunch service at Oud Sluis. Sergio is leafing through a second edition of Escoffier, one of the many gifts he has received in the last few days from regular customers.

Perfection

Recently I’ve been thinking: is this it? My last menu keeps going through my mind: is this all that I’m capable of? I’m having these thoughts more often than usual. Perhaps because we’re nearing the end. Or because I’ve been working on this menu for so long that it’s become plain to me. But every time I see those plates passing by I get pissed off with myself. The flavours, the presentation…What could I have done better? Probably a lot.

I don’t know if that’s frustrating. Disappointment carries relief within it too. I know that I can do better. Oud Sluis may end tonight but I can keep on dreaming of better dishes, of more experiences… I can reduce my flavours down to their essence even more and I can create an even more wonderful gastronomic world. I’ve always striven for perfection. After twenty-five years of Oud Sluis I know that perfection doesn’t exist. But I will always continue to pursue it.

Read more about Sergio.

The bad news: the book was sold out 24 hours after the release.

The good news: there will be a re-edition of the small book (the one with all the interviews), which will be released mid august in both Dutch and English.