Dutch siblings on a Vincent van Gogh-themed dinner in Hong Kong and how they teamed up to cook and make cocktails
Hong Kong pop-up by the Blend Brothers – chef Hendrik Buysse, and his younger brother, mixologist Kamiel – just the latest since they began working together around the world two years ago
How did you come up with the Vincent van Gogh-themed menu? Hendrik: “We researched where he got his inspiration from and Japan was one place. Our dessert is based on almonds, sakura [Japanese cherry blossoms] and chocolate. The Sunflower dish is inspired by the painting [and features] steak tartare with cheese, pickled pumpkin and rice vinegar.”
Kamiel: “One of the cocktails is based on [the 1890 painting] Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds, and I use almonds, wheatgrass and absinthe. Van Gogh used to drink absinthe and we combine it with gin, apple and almond. It’s really balanced.”
How did you get into cooking? Hendrik: “Our mother is from Belgium and she cooks traditional Belgian food with a French touch – classic onion soup with fresh vegetables, coq au vin and tomato crevettes. I always wondered how she made those dishes. When I was 12 years old, I knew I wanted to be a chef and enrolled in Ter Groene Poorte, a famous culinary school in Bruges. I learned classical cooking in the French style, as well as service, and did an extra sommelier course when I was 18. During the programme, I did internships in national and international restaurants.”
How did you get into cocktails? Kamiel: “I studied event management in Rotterdam. DJ-ing wasn’t my main focus but I was always interested in music. I had a job managing a nightclub and, besides that, I worked in a restaurant about 10 years ago, where I learned how to make cocktails. I like combining flavours to create new ones, and then be able to taste all the different flavours again.”