Enjoyment using all the senses

Tips from the pros

The meals are as varied and surprising as the top chefs themselves. Guests and chefs also enjoy the dinner cruises because they offer the chance for personal interaction and getting to know one another. These are evenings full of rapport and respect. With a little luck, you can pick up a few helpful tips from a professional and later amaze your family or guests. The motto of each dinner cruise is: Please take a seat to enjoy culinary delights against a wonderful backdrop. In Düsseldorf, the cruise sets sail from the KD jetty on the Rhine promenade/Burgplatz. In Cologne, it starts in the old town. While you wait for your reserved place on board the KD event boat to be set, we would like to briefly introduce the kitchen virtuosos.

In Cologne, the following top chefs invite you to the table:

Hendrik Olfen is eager to make his debut on board the KD. That was supposed to be last year, but unfortunately coronavirus threw a spanner in the works. In his “Henne Weinbar” in Pfeilstraße, in the heart of Cologne’s shopping district, he focuses on simple cuisine. “We concentrate on two or three good basic products.” The trick is in the combination of the dishes. This is how the young chef hopes to score points on the dinner cruise.

Things are currently very exciting for Erika Bergheim. In the summer, the Michelin-starred chef will take over the Pierburg restaurant in Essen as manager and head chef. The traditional restaurant will then be called “Landgasthaus Bergheim”. At her new place of work, the North Rhine-Westphalia gourmet ambassador for the Ruhr region wants to offer fine pub cuisine complemented by a small gourmet menu. She will put together a light summer meal for the foodies on board the KD. In the past, Erika Bergheim has worked extremely successfully at Schlosshotel Hugenpoet in Essen, first at Restaurant Nero (one Michelin star) and most recently at Laurushaus (Michelin Guide 2018).

Olaf Baumeister is the official North Rhine-Westphalia gourmet ambassador for the Sauerland. The passionate chef tirelessly brings the world of great culinary pleasures to the Hotel Seegarten in Sundern in the Sauerland – much to the delight of his many guests. He celebrates the specialities of the region with great dedication, creativity and charisma. His fans on the KD dinner cruises also appreciate this. They have experienced a humorous perfectionist who is always good for a surprise in the presentation of the dishes.

Jaspreet Dhaliwal-Wilmes is a chef with heart and passion. After several stints in well-known Michelin-starred restaurants, he launched his own restaurant “Der vierte König” in Cologne’s Sülz district in 2017. His compositions of French classics and the fascinating world of flavours from India inspire the senses. Like almost no other, the likeable Indian lends his dishes a very unique culinary style.

A look at Düsseldorf:

In Düsseldorf, Michelin-starred chef Holger Berens provides a culinary experience on board. The North Rhine-Westphalia gourmet ambassador for Düsseldorf has been running his restaurant “Berens am Kai” in Düsseldorf’s MedienHafen port since 1998. For the KD guests, he will be switching from the quay to the boat for a few hours.