First, Valerie, how did you end up on this rooftop, specifically?
We’re in an area of Rotterdam called District East. It’s branded the ‘upcoming area’. It’s where the music happens, it’s where the nightlife happens, and a lot of young entrepreneurs have their studios here. Creative vibes, in old derelict buildings like this one. Eventually, an architecture firm, which had their studio in this building here, decided they wanted to connect the District East area with the commercial side of the city. So they literally built a big yellow bridge from one building to another. On top of this building was this flat roof that they then “greenified”. They needed someone to really make it live, to make it an active place, and that’s when I joined them in 2013, to program and activate, not only the roof, but also the bistro.
And that’s when Op Het Dak was born?
You know, Op Het Dak was the result of a whole bag of ideas collected over a long time. From living in London, to travelling in South America, to seeing Japan. That’s where I picked up that thought: a garden in the middle of Rotterdam. I wanted people to experience a space like this. So we started with a pop-up restaurant, just one day a week, and we tested our ideas. A restaurant on Wednesday, a DJ back-to-back night on Sunday, and then a theater, private events – lots of things. Then, after a year, we decided, it should really just be this lovely bistro where you can experience the seasons, see the fresh harvest, where it simply ends up on your plate. That was seven years ago, and it’s what we are still doing now.
You’re the chef, you’re the owner, you’re the founder – what does that mean day to day?
My job at the bistro is always changing, it’s different every day. Generally, I’m the creator of the recipes – together with my team, obviously. But when shit hits the fan, I’m the one doing the dishes too. I pick the herbs, I welcome the guests, I serve the drinks, it’s an all-around job. From the get-go, this way of working has brought me the confidence to know that, whatever goal you set in life, or whatever stream you decide to take, that you can do it. This place is very much a replica of what I like, of my identity.
You’re at the heart of the operation – did that feel like a risk?
Op Het Dak is a personal, emotional thing. A lot of people said, ‘With such a strong location, with so many other places around you, wouldn’t it be easier to settle for five types of sandwiches, rather than these creative dishes that you want to serve?’ I always followed my own path, even though it was my first restaurant. It worked out.
What do you want Op Het Dak to give to its visitors?
I hope that, when visitors come here, what they expect, but also what they experience, is this green oasis in the middle of this urban, busy city. That when they take the stairs, they know that what’s coming at the top is something really different.. And that when they arrive, they say: ‘Ah! Wow!’. But also I want people to be able to just relax and be here for an hour, maybe two, to just take in the moment here. And obviously enjoy a nice dish and a good drink with it.
Is there one item of decoration in your restaurant you’d never like to lose – something with a story to it? If so, what’s the story?
My little black garden scissors, they were given to me by my first intern. And I still use them when picking herbs and flowers in the garden.
Which restaurant(s) shaped you as a chef? Can you tell us a bit about the chef running it, where it was located, how it was to work there and what it taught you?
Rob Baris, the founder of the Veggie Kitchen in Rotterdam. In my early days with Op Het Dak, I spent a lot of time observing, learning and working with him. He has a farm in Normandy now, where I spent one summer helping to run the place for the guests and cooking fresh meals every day. Most days we started by picking wild vegetables in the forest and along the coastline. We then would go to the market to buy local produce – in Normandy, that’s like being in heaven.
Where do you source your ingredients – aside from the rooftop of Op Het Dak?
In the area between Rotterdam and The Hague, Westland, a wealth of fantastic ingredients is being grown. I have a few farms which I visit from time to time when I am looking for something specific. I know some people who run food forests and they pick very special, wild vegetables. And I have a close friend who lives on a farm in the Bommelerwaard, which is fruit heaven. I make our jams, compote and apple juice there with her.
When did cooking vegetarian dishes on the grill really click for you? Was there a turning point?
While traveling through South America, outdoor cooking was something I did a lot – in Peru and Brazil, especially.
And do you have a ‘vegetable knife’?
I have a left-handed Global fillet-knife that is my favourite, I can bend the top to a 45-degree angle.
If you’d recommend one restaurant, aside from your own, to friends, one restaurant to have an experience you will take with you for a long time, which one would you recommend?
Kiln in Kyoto, Japan. They use traditional techniques in such a modern way with a wood fire grill. The chef is a woman and she is super skilled – a natural talent for hitting the taste buds. I was there on a special night in 2014, they were doing natural wine pairings. This also became my introduction to natural wine.
That’s a special introduction. Can you recall a natural wine that since really blew you away?
It was a Riesling Pet Nat from Scribe Winery in California; served with a fresh pasta stracci, snow peas, endive, preserved lemon and tomato cream sauce. Sensational.
What do you wish people knew about plant-based/sustainably-sourced food?
If you get your stuff local, but most of all in season, it has the best flavour. Yes, it means you can’t eat courgette or pumpkin all year, but that makes it so much more fun to cook in season. If you dive in the world of plant based recipes a little more, you’ll be amazed with the variety, also with cooking techniques.
Okay, you’re stranded on a desert-island: you’ve got an open fire and the ingredients for one dish for the rest of your days. Which dish do you choose?
Tamal, the veggie version with black bean tempeh. A hotpot cooked in banana leaves. An array of veggies with garlic, onion and fresh herbs like cumin, chili and cinnamon – always important to have.
