Hangar-7

The star chef from Holland is worth a second look, as are his dishes, which reveal him to be a master of inspired surprises.

Anyone who knows me knows how I hate calling our trade an art. What we do is a craft, not art, but I was forced to think again when I stood in the kitchen of Sergio Herman's "Oud Sluis" in Sluis, Holland, near the Belgian border, and tried his dishes. Of course I'm sticking by what I said – it's not an art, but other terms did cross my mind, such as "magical", "magic" and "magician".

Sergio's main menu is called "Father and Son", conceived as an homage to his father, whom Sergio still considers to be an unsurpassed cook. You would never expect this respectful gesture from the super-cool guy with the rock-star looks, long hair, casual jeans and trainers. The 40 year-old Dutchman, who lives in Belgium, is obviously someone who's worth a second look, because you always get something different to what you expect, starting with the Father and Son menu. At first glance it looks like it comprises 6 courses, but when you eat it, it proves to be much more comprehensive. Sergio the magician always has something else up his sleeve.

Up his sleeve is key here – his langoustine carpaccio is also surprising. It starts with a shellfish jelly in the bottom of a deep plate, on top of which Sergio places a North Sea crab salad. He then camouflages all this with langoustine carpaccio, onto which he pipes lemon-verbena cream. Even the fact that it is topped with a spoonful of caviar can't conceal the depth of this dish. Getting something you didn't expect also applies to Sergio's really great "pure white" dessert, which combines an all-white cream-cheese mousse, rice pudding, a meringue sprinkled with powdered yoghurt, coconut ice-cream, an olive oil and coconut emulsion, coconut chips, and a white praline. The praline is just big to stab it with a fork to eat, whereupon a surprising yellow mango puree splurts across the plate. That's the end of "pure white", then, and the master magician smiles modestly.

Sergio likes to have his little joke. He hates wasting time at his computer, for example. What's better than becoming a slave to the computer, then? How about turning it into food? That's the only way to think of his "ifoie" – a foie gras mousse, napped with a poisonous green apple creme chibouste, all in the shape of computer giant Apple's iMac logo. Yes, it's a joke, but it works. Now, if he has to use a computer, it makes him feel good – and gives us a great dish. In Sergio Herman Hangar-7 is guaranteed a star appearance and guests can be sure that when the magical chef pulls a rabbit out of his hat, it's going to be delicious.

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Preview
Guest chefs 2012 /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/preview-guest-chefs-2012/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: May 2012

Pino Lavarra /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/pino-lavarra/

Trettl meets Pino Lavarra

Pino Lavarra
Italy /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2012/roland-trettl-meets-pino-lavarra/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: April 2012

Tanja Grandits /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/tanja-grandits/

Trettl meets Tanja Grandits

Tanja Grandits
Switzerland /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2012/roland-trettl-meets-tanja-grandits/

Guest chefs at Restaurant Ikarus: February 2012

Tim Raue /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/tim-raue/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: March 2012

Ryan Clift /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/ryan-clift/

Trettl meets Ryan Clift

Ryan Clift
Singapur /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2012/roland-trettl-meets-ryan-clift/

Trettl meets Tim Raue

Tim Raue
Berlin, Germany /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2012/trettl-meets-tim-raue/

Guest chefs at Restaurant Ikarus: January 2012

Nuno Mendes /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/nuno-mendes/

Trettl meets Nuno Mendes

Nuno Mendes
Viajante, London /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2012/trettl-meets-nuno-mendes/

Guest chefs at Restaurant Ikarus: December 2011

Daniel Redondo &
Helena Rizzo /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/daniel-redondo-helena-rizzo/

Guest chefs at Restaurant Ikarus: November 2011

Björn Frantzén &
Daniel Lindeberg /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/bjoern-frantzen-daniel-lindeberg/

Roland Trettl on tour

Helena Rizzo & Daniel Redondo, São Paulo, Brazil /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-helena-rizzo-daniel-redondo/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: October 2011

Xavier Pellicer /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/xavier-pellicer/

Roland Trettl on tour

Xavier Pellicer,
Barcelona, Spain /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-xavier-pellicer/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: September 2011

Alvin Leung /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/alvin-leung/

Roland Trettl on tour

Alvin Leung,
Hong Kong, China /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-alvin-leung/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: August 2011

Ikarus Team /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/ikarus-team/

Roland Trettl on tour

Peter Goossens,
Kruishoutem, Belgium /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-and-the-ikarus-team/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: July 2011

Peter Goossens /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/peter-goossens/

Roland Trettl on tour

Peter Goossens,
Kruishoutem, Belgium /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-peter-goossens/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: June 2011

Emmanuel Renaut /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/emmanuel-renaut/

Roland Trettl on tour

Emmanuel Renaut,
Megève, France /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-emmanuel-renaut/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: May 2011

Anatoly Komm /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/anatoly-komm/

Roland Trettl on tour

Anatoly Komm,
Moscow, Russia /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-anatoly-komm/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: April 2011

Daniel Humm /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/daniel-humm/

Roland Trettl on tour

Daniel Humm,
New York, USA /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-daniel-humm/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: March 2011

Claus-Peter Lumpp /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/claus-peter-lumpp/

Roland Trettl on tour

Claus-Peter Lumpp,
Germany /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-claus-peter-lumpp/