12. June 2014: Pop-Up Restaurant “D” Summer Hub

The “D” Summer Hub is a pop-up restaurant which was just to be visited from June, 11th to June, 14th. I was lucky enough to get a table for the second night. The concept is simple, a simple location is picked, fancied up, two exquisite chefs are present and you get to pick a menu. I went for Tobias Funke (16 Gault Millau points) for CHF 125.00.

The “Amuse Bouche” was quite an interesting combination of ideas and flavours. The “Churro with chili sauce” which is usually sweet was a bit crispier than usually but went astonishingly well with chili sauce compared to the usual chocolate sauce. The “asparagus soup with char” was truly aromatic. The “Sardic bread stuffed with sausage and cheese” on the other hand was a bit boring or too subtle in taste for me. Besides the crispy bread there was not really anything to taste. The last element of the “Amuse Bouche” looked truly interesting and promising but was a bit of a disappointment. The “Gazpacho” served in its molecular version as a little bubble did somehow not proof to rich in flavour and additionally the covering layer was way to thick.

The first course of the menu was “scallops with pork belly on polenta, leek, and popcorn in a white wine sauce”. The scallops were incredibly tender melting in your mouth like butter. The pork belly was aromatic and soft – but a bit too soft for my personal gusto as usually pork belly, at least in my experience, is nicely crispy. The piece of bacon which came with the dish made up for that though. The leek and polenta, not much there of both, provided a nice extra note to the whole dish. The popcorn was probably supposed to provide some crunchiness – but in my eyes it did not add to the dish.

What was truly outstanding and delicious so I would still think of it today was the “strawberry risotto with Argentinian prawns and basil pesto”. While the combination of risotto with something sweet as strawberries is not really that new but obviously tastes great when well-prepared (as in this case) the combination with the subtle yet intense basil pesto was a perfect combination of smooth (risotto), sweet (strawberry), and salty (basil pesto).

The main course was “48hours beef, mountain potato purrée, root vegetables” where you had the possibility to “upgrade” the meat to “Swiss Luma beef filet” (for an additional CHF 36.00) which I did. Let me first say a few words about the vegetables – they were nice, few of them, but flavourful. When it comes to the meat though I am somehow torn – on one hand the meat was I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-Y tender. I mean, seriously it was like putting a hot knife through warm butter. And the meat did not only cut that easily but it also tasted unbelievably smooth. What was actually disappointing was the lack of taste intensity. The meat tasted like very smooth beef but somehow it was too smooth – even for the surrounding vegetables which had a comparatively (to the meat) strong own taste.

The last course was “Chocolate, estragon mousse and raspberry sorbet”. In all fairness, I have never been a huge fan of desserts – so much upfront. However, the dish was, while having somehow an overdose of chocolate for my personal gusto, definitely rich. The estragon mousse and especially the estragon merengue were lovely.

To finalize the evening, a couple of macaroons were served – having (for me) the same issue as the dessert – too chocolatey. At least the double espresso (CHF 6.00) was served within minutes. Our waiter, Mike, did a good job. He was joking, jovial, still professional and although I immediately suggested to him that he should leave the Mr. … he did not manage to call me by my first name until the end of the evening. A sign of well education when it comes to service.

What is interesting about the whole concept is the open kitchen where you get to watch the chefs prepare the dishes for you.

Additionally, the atmosphere of the whole place is incredibly nice – it is not only a former place where ships are stored which already makes it incredibly spacious but it was also designed for these few days in a very appealing way.

The selection of wines they offer is a bit limited and rather pricy in general which is why I decided to go for the reasonable version of “Clos d’Argon “AMIC”, Tinto, 2011, 0,75L” (CHF 59.00) and I must say I was positively surprised as the wine had a beautiful intensity. Generally speaking, the prices are absolutely fair – for the dishes (well, not exactly the top up for the beef but the rest) and the beverages (also, 0,75L Valser, CHF 10.00).

When you are a bit early so you can’t yet get to your previously assigned table, you have the chance to spend some time in the spacious hall with view onto the lake and attend the bar to have a glass of white wine (CHF 7.00).

To sum it up, it was defintily a great and interesting experience I am glad I had the chance to attend. The “D” Summer Hub event apparently takes place every summer – and I am definitely looking forward to attending again. As I said, amazing location, great food, good service, and fair prices – and everything combined with a very nice crowd. Worth going!

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Contact Details:

Pop-Up Restaurant “D” Summer Hub

Mythenquai 333

8038 Zürich (CH)

Cell: +49 79 155 67 48

E-Mail: info@summerhub.ch

Homepage: http://www.summerhub.ch

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.