Gules Verne would full bewondering have looked at the interior of BlueBlood, the new restaurant from the Hilton-hotel in the strait. Here is the underwater world guided the design of the Hague conceptontwrapper Studio Rehab. Especially the spectacular cocktail bar in the atrium, with its imposing steel structure, breathes 'Twenty thousand miles under the sea'. All no coincidence, because also on the menumap dominate fish and seafood. The main role is disposable for lobster, the blue-blooded animal from which the restaurant takes its name owes. And the kitchen? A fusion of Peruvian and Japanese: the so-called Nikkei Cuisine, which in inter alia London and Dubai al a big hit is. 

Chef Luis Rojas was brought up on Nikkei Cuisine.

Michelin star

The typical dishes, such as sushi rolls and tiradito, exhibit then strong visual resemblance to well-known Japanese variants - much raw fish, tightke formgeving - them taste very different. "You should know: the diversity of climates in Peru is huge. As a result, you can do all sorts of fantastic add explosions of colour and flavour, such as passion fruit, lime and chillis. Dhe Nikkei Cuisine is a freestyle kitchen," concludes Rojas. So experimented he er for years lusty in toprestaurants around the world. "The other day I made even a roll with quinoa and mango chutney. With chutney do you think direct to India, but the combination of coriander and cumin with chili's and pickled cucumber was really Nikkei." 

Since his arrival in the Netherlands strolls the chief to get to know the wholesalers én local markets in search of the best ingredients. "The fish you have in the North Sea, is very good. And around the vegetables stands the Netherlands to known in the Emirates; I cooked there with produce from here." Still he also has to call on suppliers from afar. "In South America we have e.g. many kinds quinoa, and of course the chilli. Not only spicye, hear," he nuances immediately. "Maar well up to various different applications. So there is one that, when you grill it, gives off a nice smoky flavour. Well, that have you not here. And helas is the Dutch potato, however tasty, ill-suited: too much moisture."  

Classics

The first menu of BlueBlood under Rojas' auspices is a fact. Hereafter many more will follow, as he changes with the seasonand. "In autumn, I love truffles, so there's a dish of 'toro salmon', fatty salmon belly, With truffle on top. Als spring comes, go me too something with lambsvlees make, for example." Still a couple of fixed classics, of which the lobster is the most important. "We have lobster ceviche, lobster tempura, lobster tartare and grilled lobster," lists Rojas on. "But also ceviches from various fish are always on it, both as a dish and in a roll. This also applies to the prawns with passion fruit and the anticuchos, traditional beef skewers from the grill with spicy sauce."  

While Rojas passing the dishes in his mind, a smile appears on his face. "I consider them as my children." Although he has been making some dishes for years, he is looking he becoming to new avenues. "I am constantly trying to upgrade. Where I used to work with Australian beef, I do that now with that beautifule Japanese Wagyu–meat. Vear the next card I am al busy the 'tuna brûlée' to fine-tune which I previously developed in Dubai: tuna belly cubes marinated in yellow chilli milk with a caramelised layer of sugar on top. First the savoury, then the sweete: boom, boom!" Then he stops talking and looks he his hearing once penetrating to. "Yes, Admit it, I see your mouth watering!" 

The interior of the new Hilton restaurant BlueBlood.

For wie after deze culinary discovery tour has not yet experienced enough new sensations, have the mixologists from BlueBlood in their 'laboratorio' developed six special cocktails. There tooat lacks the Asian-South American cross-pollination not. How about the Beetnik, a mix of tequila, mezcal, sherry, cherry liqueur, beetroot extract, cacao nibs, szechuan pepper and cherries? 'Our imagination seen through the lens of a kaleidoscope',' says BlueBlood by yourself over the cocktail menu. Jules Verne would know what to do with it. 

www.blueblood.nl