It began at 1157 meters altitude in Montmin, a village in Savoy. There, chef Thibault Casasole opened his first restaurant in 2010. He is now in the Pijp, with a Michelin star in his pocket, a mention in the Gault & Millau guide and a wine list that made it to the Wine Star List. Restaurant Mont Blanc is not a nod to the Alps. It's just the Alps, but in Amsterdam.
A native of Savoy, Thibault competed in the Meilleur Ouvrier de France, France's most prestigious cooking competition. His wife Dieuwertje Casasole is by his side as co-owner and is responsible for the interior design concept: warm chalet vibe, cowbells in the toilets as an ode to Thibault's native soil, and handmade tableware by French Atelier Gouj. Sommelier Rosary accompanies the meal with wines you won't find on a menu anywhere else so quickly: Blard et Fils, Domaine des Ardoisières, Quénard and Charles Trosset are the regular faces. Collaborations that in some cases have been running for more than 15 years.
The menu revolves around two choices: Menu Mont Blanc with six courses or Menu Alpage with five courses. The dishes show where Thibault comes from. Sourdough bread with unsalted and smoked butter to start. Then white asparagus with morels and wild garlic, or an egg with mushroom and pine. The brook trout comes with carrot and Persan. And then the catfish: aged for eight weeks, marinated with miso and sourdough, and served in three separate preparations. That combination may sound crazy on paper, but on the plate it just makes sense.
The catfish was aged for eight weeks, marinated with miso and sourdough, and served in three separate preparations.
Tuesday through Thursday there is also an a la carte option. The rest of the week only menus. Dieuwertje and Thibault also run Bistrot des Alpes on Hobbemakade, for those who want a more accessible Alpine atmosphere. But for the full experience: the Pijp, dinner service, and just take your time. You won't soon forget an evening like that.