{"id":36541,"date":"2026-07-13T11:22:50","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T09:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/?p=36541"},"modified":"2026-09-01T09:27:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T07:27:46","slug":"a-nationwide-culinary-tribute-to-our-southern-neighbours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Nationaal\u2019, a culinary tribute to our southern neighbours"},"content":{"rendered":"

A bar with red panelling, Thonet chairs, smoked-glass mirrors, shutters on the windows and sansevierias as decoration. Thanks to its refined details, time seems to have stood still for at least half a century at Caf\u00e9-Brasserie \u2018Nationaal\u2019 on the corner of Prinsegracht and Boekhorststraat. But appearances can be deceiving. The latest addition to the Grote Markt Group has been open since 2024; prior to that, the building was responsibly stripped back and made gas-free and sustainable with the help of Stadsherstel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all came across some really cool things whilst carrying out the work,\u201d recalls cocktail expert Carl Tjong a Tjoe, who is now in charge of the bar. \u201cFor example, the ornate cast-iron pillar had been completely boarded up and the ceilings had been lowered considerably. The original green coat of paint served as the starting point for the restaurant area.\u201d That colour dates back to the time when the original Caf\u00e9 Nationaal was based here, at the start of the twentieth century. \u201cMarket traders could grab a quick bite to eat there, and beer was served from the ZHB, the Hague brewery that has also recently been revived.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vol-au-vent<\/h2>\n

So Basaal<\/a> Chef Jermaine Huisman\u2019s menu, however, is anything but like that. He draws inspiration from the generous Belgian cuisine. \u201cWe wanted to create a classic restaurant, but not a French one. There are already plenty of those, and French cuisine is just a little too formal,\u201d he explains over dinner. \u201cOwner Maarten Hinloopen and his wife Eveline love visiting Brussels, and that\u2019s how the idea came about.\u201d The menu, which changes with the seasons, features classics such as vol-au-vent, steak and chips, and Brussels waffles. \u201cBut our vol-au-vent is made with lobster, and the steak is of the highest quality. We uphold the highest standards of craftsmanship; from the sauces to the cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e: we make everything ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Caf\u00e9<\/p>\n

Tradition may be sacred, but Huisman is bringing the menu up to date. \u201cHowever delicious some dishes may be, certain ingredients are simply no longer acceptable,\u201d he says. \u201cWe don\u2019t serve eel in green sauce here, because the species is endangered. And foie gras \u2013 however delicious it may be \u2013 we now consider unethical. Instead, we\u2019re serving a deep-fried courgette flower with a vegan filling, though served in a rich sauce. That\u2019s how we\u2019re trying to \u2019veganise\u2018 more classic dishes.\u2019<\/p>\n

Technology<\/h2>\n

It was a bit of a change for the former head chef at Capriole. \u201cI came from the fine-dining world, where I used a lot of plant-based ingredients, so I had to dig out my old cookbooks again,\u201d Huisman admits. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting to work with traditional techniques again. For example, we take our Gildehoen chicken apart completely ourselves. The bones go into the stock, which forms the basis for the sauce. We use the trimmings to make our own farce, which we then roll up into a lovely rouleau. When it comes to cooking, however, we do use the modern sous-vide technique.\u201d The chicken liver mousse he developed already has a loyal following. \u201cPeople don\u2019t want that one taken off the menu,\u201d Huisman says with a wink.<\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t
\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Whilst Tjong a Tjoe runs the bar and Huisman the kitchen, Lucas Winckers completes the trio as ma\u00eetre d\u201c. Together with Paul Fonderie, sommelier at the Grote Markt, he put together the accessible wine list. \u201dNaturally, there\u2019s a strong focus on Old World wines,\u201c he says. \u201dMainly from France, although the house wines are Spanish and Italian. There are big names from Bordeaux and Burgundy, but also simpler entry-level wines. And we have a Pinot Gris from Limburg.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vinyl<\/h2>\n

The gentlemen always agree on the concept together. \u201cWe start the day as a restaurant, and as the evening progresses, the pub atmosphere really comes to the fore,\u201d explains the ma\u00eetre d\u201c. \u201dAfter ten o\u2019clock, we play laid-back music on vinyl to create the perfect atmosphere for hanging out at the bar with a beer or a cocktail; it doesn\u2019t all have to be so polished. And sometimes we have Belgian events on the programme, such as the mussel festivals.\u201c Tjong a Tjoe adds: \u2018I\u2019ve just started infusing vodka with old oyster shells. Once that\u2019s ready, we\u2019ll organise a tasting with oysters and a cocktail made with the oyster vodka and martini to create a maritime atmosphere. And for game season, I\u2019ll come up with something else again.\u2019 Will there be a big screen set up when the Red Devils are playing? \u201dNo,\u201c laughs Huisman. \u201dSomething like that would be more suited to one of the other Grote Markt caf\u00e9s.\u201c<\/p>\n

\"Caf\u00e9

On the terrace, you can enjoy the afternoon sun.<\/p><\/div>\n

The target audience for \u2018Nationaal\u2019 is slightly older than that of, say, Z\u00e8ta or Vavoom. \u201cThere\u2019s just as little fuss here as anywhere else, but here the food takes centre stage, whereas with the other concepts it\u2019s the drinks,\u201d the chef summarises. \u201cThat\u2019s why we can also offer a lot for the corporate market,\u201d continues ma\u00eetre Winckers. \u201cWe can host drinks receptions for up to forty people, as well as a lunch or dinner with a bespoke wine pairing. Do come and have a taste \u2013 and make sure your belt can be loosened by another notch.\u201d<\/p>\n

www.cafebrasserienationaal.nl<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A bar with red panelling, Thonet chairs, smoked-glass mirrors, small shutters on the windows and sansevierias as decoration. Thanks to its refined details, time seems to have stood still for at least half a century at Caf\u00e9-Brasserie \u2018Nationaal\u2019 on the corner of Prinsegracht and Boekhorststraat. But appearances can be deceiving. The latest addition to the Grote Markt Group\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":36545,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[146],"tags":[3358,734,3292,3291,3349,1226],"opmaak":[2548],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Nationaal\u2019, een culinaire ode aan de zuiderburen<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Van vol-au-vent met kreeft tot huisgemaakte sauzen: Caf\u00e9-Brasserie \u2018Nationaal\u2019 brengt een ode aan de Belgische keuken.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/a-nationwide-culinary-tribute-to-our-southern-neighbours\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Nationaal\u2019, een culinaire ode aan de zuiderburen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kingstreet is h\u00e9t high-end mediamerk van Den Haag. Lees hier alles over lekker eten, mode, beauty, juwelen, kunst en interieur.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/a-nationwide-culinary-tribute-to-our-southern-neighbours\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Kingstreet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-13T09:22:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-01T07:27:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/nationaal.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1170\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"780\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Renske\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Renske\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Renske\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9a88b23362fe7a40e6fd733b898128a0\"},\"headline\":\"\u2018Nationaal\u2019, een culinaire ode aan de zuiderburen\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-13T09:22:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-01T07:27:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/\"},\"wordCount\":824,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"bourgondisch\",\"den haag\",\"diner\",\"lunch\",\"restaurant\",\"wijn\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Culinair\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/\",\"name\":\"\u2018Nationaal\u2019, een culinaire ode aan de zuiderburen\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-13T09:22:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-01T07:27:46+00:00\",\"description\":\"Van vol-au-vent met kreeft tot huisgemaakte sauzen: Caf\u00e9-Brasserie \u2018Nationaal\u2019 brengt een ode aan de Belgische keuken.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nl_nl\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u2018Nationaal\u2019, een culinaire ode aan de zuiderburen\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/\",\"name\":\"Kingstreet\",\"description\":\"Kingstreet is The Hague's high-end international media brand.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"Kingstreet Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Kingstreet\",\"alternateName\":\"Kingstreet Magazine\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/KS-logo-zwart.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/KS-logo-zwart.svg\",\"width\":580,\"height\":122,\"caption\":\"Kingstreet\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/boidr_kingstreet\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/boidr-kingstreet\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9a88b23362fe7a40e6fd733b898128a0\",\"name\":\"Renske\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/ca0229de872f2782da5055f568315eeb.jpg?ver=1794479566\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/ca0229de872f2782da5055f568315eeb.jpg?ver=1794479566\",\"caption\":\"Renske\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/author\/renske\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u2018Nationaal\u2019, a culinary tribute to our southern neighbours","description":"From vol-au-vent with lobster to homemade sauces: Caf\u00e9-Brasserie \u2018Nationaal\u2019 pays tribute to Belgian cuisine.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/a-nationwide-culinary-tribute-to-our-southern-neighbours\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u2018Nationaal\u2019, een culinaire ode aan de zuiderburen","og_description":"Kingstreet is h\u00e9t high-end mediamerk van Den Haag. Lees hier alles over lekker eten, mode, beauty, juwelen, kunst en interieur.","og_url":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/a-nationwide-culinary-tribute-to-our-southern-neighbours\/","og_site_name":"Kingstreet","article_published_time":"2026-07-13T09:22:50+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-09-01T07:27:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1170,"height":780,"url":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/nationaal.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Renske","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Renske","Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/"},"author":{"name":"Renske","@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9a88b23362fe7a40e6fd733b898128a0"},"headline":"\u2018Nationaal\u2019, een culinaire ode aan de zuiderburen","datePublished":"2026-07-13T09:22:50+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-01T07:27:46+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/"},"wordCount":824,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#organization"},"keywords":["bourgondisch","den haag","diner","lunch","restaurant","wijn"],"articleSection":["Culinair"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/","url":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/","name":"\u2018Nationaal\u2019, a culinary tribute to our southern neighbours","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-07-13T09:22:50+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-01T07:27:46+00:00","description":"From vol-au-vent with lobster to homemade sauces: Caf\u00e9-Brasserie \u2018Nationaal\u2019 pays tribute to Belgian cuisine.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nationaal-een-culinaire-ode-aan-de-zuiderburen\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/nl_nl\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u2018Nationaal\u2019, een culinaire ode aan de zuiderburen"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/","name":"Kingstreet","description":"Kingstreet is The Hague's high-end international media brand.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#organization"},"alternateName":"Kingstreet Magazine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#organization","name":"Kingstreet","alternateName":"Kingstreet Magazine","url":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/KS-logo-zwart.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/KS-logo-zwart.svg","width":580,"height":122,"caption":"Kingstreet"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/boidr_kingstreet\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/boidr-kingstreet"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9a88b23362fe7a40e6fd733b898128a0","name":"Renske","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/ca0229de872f2782da5055f568315eeb.jpg?ver=1794479566","contentUrl":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/ca0229de872f2782da5055f568315eeb.jpg?ver=1794479566","caption":"Renske"},"url":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/author\/renske\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36541"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36541"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36550,"href":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36541\/revisions\/36550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36541"},{"taxonomy":"opmaak","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingstreet-magazine.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/opmaak?post=36541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}