#22 – HETE BLIKSEM at VANDAAG

Once again Time Out New York released their Top 100 Dishes of the year and once again, I’m going to eat my way through every one. And no price point or subway delay will stop me. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100.

SADLY, VANDAAG IS NOW CLOSED.

Hot Lightning could be the name of a race car or a pro-wrestler, or a song by an 80’s hair band. In actuality it’s the translation of a Dutch dish named Hete Bliksem. And the version at Vandaag finds itself on Time Out’s Top 100 list.

I had been to Vandaag a few months back when all the exciting reviews were published about this Scandinavian-influenced restaurant and bar. I loved the spare, modern room and the food we tasted was all delicious – delivered with careful and generous service. This was a restaurant I could get excited about.

So I was eager to return to try this Hete Bliksem. We also ordered the bitterballen (which I wrote about on my Top 100 a few months back), the pickle pot (with unconventional pickled vegetables), and the red kale salad (which was flavorful, but light).

Hete Bliksem is traditionally a stew consisting of potatoes, and sweet and tart apples. The side order we received here more closely resembled a breakfast option. The big chunks of fingerling potatoes were fried until most of them were crispy. There was also supposed to be apples, bacon, and a sweet sauce called stroop syrup (sugar, butter, cream, molasses). It sounded like the perfect winter dish with sweet, savory flavors and lots of textures. And the fact that it’s found itself on not just Time Out’s best list, but also in the New York Times and Serious Eats, must mean it’s something special.

I wonder if we came on an off night (it was rather quiet in the restaurant) because the dish didn’t wow me. First off, I found all the extras (aside from the potatoes) clinging to the bottom of the pot and I had some difficulty tossing them myself. Shouldn’t the apples and bacon be among the potatoes rather than on a layer at the bottom? Secondly, some of the potatoes were incredibly crisp while others were a little soggy. And I didn’t get the full sweet experience from the sauce – I bet that was somewhere on the bottom too.

What we did get was a bowl of nicely (although inconsistently) fried and seasoned potatoes. Nothing to really complain about it, but with all those ingredients, enthusiastic write-ups, and a snazzy name, I was expecting something more electrifying from this hot lightning.

Would Vandaag’s Hete Bliksem make my Top 100 of the year? Mine seems to be the only list it’s not on, so I wonder if they had an off-day but these fried potatoes were more exciting in description than in execution so they only get a 6 out of 10.