Young entrepreneurs & new concepts | Café Caat, LES DEUX and Restaurant Shun
Every day we spot fun, new concepts. This week, three new concepts from Leiden, Maastricht and Medemblik. Café Caat is, just as we are, situated in Leiden; the foyer next to the Main Room in the ‘Stadsgehoorzaal’ Leiden has been renamed to Café Caat. LES DEUX restaurant opened in Maastricht late last year. LES DEUX, means both, so their interpretation of this name is that the culinary experience as well as the hospitality experience are on equal footing. And in Medemblik, restaurant Shun opened on February 6th, we were at the opening and the snacks were delicious!
We wish all these entrepreneurs and their teams lots of fun and success with their concepts. More information below!
2 minutes read
CAFE CAAT in Leiden
The foyer next to the Main Room in the ‘Stadsgehoorzaal’ Leiden has been renamed Café Caat. Named after the Sint-Catharina guest house that used to be located in this spot. The guest house of the past is their inspiration for the new Café Caat: a vibrant, accessible meeting place where they give the voice of the city a stage, a place where you feel comfortable and where there is plenty to do for everyone. Café Caat is open around programming and events in the café. Before and after concerts and performances, you can come to Café Caat for a drink. Starting this season, there is also special café programme!
Here you can enjoy stand-up comedy, take a lecture from a local scientist, attend a live podcast or debate, or even organise your own event. The café offers a nice place for cosy drinks with the possibility of live music. They are happy to think along about the possibilities. Café Caat will also be a place for co-creation with partners from the city, a new place where enriching experiences can take place. They even have a free Toddler Café, more details on their website, link in the title.
When one translates LES DEUX into English, the word ‘both’ will come up. This is also how owners Davey and Laura interpret LES DEUX restaurant; the culinary experience and hospitality are on equal footing. An evening where both sides of the story complement each other: delicious dining and fine service, perfectly balanced.
Their hospitality roots lie in the kitchens of Onglet & Le Fernand (Davey), among others, and in service at ‘t Wycker Cabinet and Villeneuve (Laura). At Café Charlemagne, they got to know each other. This is where the love for the culinary profession, and for each other, was born. After hard work and a lot of experience, their long-cherished dream came true at the end of last year: their own restaurant, Les Deux at Hoogbrugstraat 9 in the Wyck district of Maastricht.
The restaurant offers ‘casual fine dining’: they serve refined, French classic dishes with a modern twist. All this is done with a laid-back slant in a welcoming and warm atmosphere. Their regularly changing menu features surprising à-la-carte dishes such as a combination of veal sweetbreads and veal brains with a vin jaune sauce, an intermediate dish of beef tongue and lamb shank and the McCaviar™; a nod to chicken nuggets with caviar and smoked eel (and yes, you eat them with your hands!). The wine list combines classic French wines with special discoveries from other regions and countries. On the occasion of TEFAF (March 15th-20th 2025), they will expand their menu so that every guest will find something tasty! LES DEUX is open from Wednesday to Sunday. On Saturdays, you can have lunch and dinner there and on Sundays, lunch only. More details at their website, linked in the title.
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Restaurant Shun in Medemblik
The philosophy of Restaurant Shun at Oosterhaven 3 in Medemblik, is described as: enjoy the freshest and most seasonal French-Asian dishes, prepared with respect for the natural cycle.
Shun is a very important concept in Japanese culinary philosophy. It refers to the commitment to use the freshest and most seasonal ingredients in cooking, when they are at their peak of flavour and quality. The word ‘shun’ can be translated as ‘the right time’ or ‘the best season’. The shun philosophy emphasizes respect for the natural cycle of the seasons and the inherent qualities of each ingredient at a specific time. It is about understanding that each ingredient has its own optimal time when it has the most intense flavour, texture and nutritional value. By using these seasonal ingredients, the aim is to create harmony between food, nature and people. Chef de cuisine is Bas Vargas. Shun Restaurant is open Thursday to Monday from 6pm onwards and on Saturday and Sunday, they also serve lunch. They serve a tasting menu and an à-la-carte menu. What looks very tasty to us from the current menu is: ‘Sweetbread, fenugreek, topinambur, truffle’; ‘Turbot – kumquat – sprout – port’ and ‘Mango – sticky rice – coconut’. Two colleagues were at the opening of this restaurant and really enjoyed the bite and stunning interior! This promises good things! Their website is linked in the title.
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We write about new concepts every week, check them out here.
