Edvard has 1 Michelin star since 2014. The restaurant is located in Kempinski Palais Hansen. Thomas Pedevilla is the chef of this star restaurant. On the night of my visit it was not busy 2 tables were occupied. This is caused by Corona. Normally it should be full.
There is no menu card. A large platter is presented with various ingredients on it. These are the ingredients that the chef uses to cook. You can choose from a 3, 5 or 7 course menu. Some combinations are explained, for example sardines with eggplant, otherwise little is explained. Nice way of presenting. I decide to go for the 5-course menu. The price of the 5-course dinner is EUR 98.
Amuses
Various amuses are served with Vincent Couche’s champagne. The first three amuses are: red cabbage with fish, mushroom broth and focaccia with strawberry. The red cabbage is processed in a macaroon, on top of the red cabbage macaroon is a mousse of white fish. The combination is very successful. Then mushroom broth with herbs. This one may taste more like mushrooms. The broth is a kind of beef broth, not very special. Finally, the focaccia with strawberry mousse, which was wafer thin, you had to be careful not to break the bread. The strawberry mousse is present but could have been a little more present.
As a last appetizer, I receive kohlrabi with shrimp, mussel cream, pasta and quinoa. What a wonderful combination this is. The kohlrabi and pasta are al dente and are covered in a cream of mussels with pieces of shrimp. On top of this is the quinoa. A reasonable start.
5 course menu
The first dish is duck liver with beetroot and brioche. Different preparations of beetroot are on the plate: mousse, slices of beetroot, beet ice cream with raspberry and duck liver covered in beet jelly. The duck liver is very tender, this is one of the best duck livers I have ever eaten. The crispy brioche is covered with raspberry beet ice cream, a very special combination that works wonderfully.
As a wine a Viognier Barrique from Kurt Angerer from 2017. This wine is full of flavor and slightly fat, I asked why no sweeter wine was served. The sommelier indicated that there is a choice of 3 different wines, namely a champagne and a Riesling Ausleser. However, she chose this one because of its fatness. If I prefer champagne or sweeter wine, I just have to indicate this. I decide to stick with this wine. Excellent choice!
The second dish consists of sardines with eggplant. Two dishes are served: a sardine fried in black tempura and ravioli with eggplant in a bisque of sardines The tempura is colored with squid ink. The waitress tells me to combine everything but suggests starting with a bite of sardine in tempura. The sardine is crispy, and I like this even though sardine is not my favorite fish. The al dente ravioli is filled with eggplant and is in one of the best bisques ever. Very creamy, strong in taste, but not too overpowering This dish is great.
The wine a Pinot Blanc from Prieler from 2019 is very complimenting. A particularly fruity wine.
With each dish I first got to taste a sip. Indicated that I don’t see this often with a wine pairing and that you normally taste to see if the wine has a cork. The lady indicated that if the guest does not like the wine, she always has alternatives. She wants to serve the ultimate experience.
Next dish is turbot cooked in nut oil with celery. The turbot has a green herb dressing. The nuts and green herbs give the turbot a delicious taste. The turbot was not fried after the sous-vide preparation, so it has a glassy color. The fish is accompanied by a celery sauce with nuts. A whole celeriac is also put on the table. This celeriac contains 2 “hidden” celery biscuits. These are very crunchy and resemble a cheese biscuit, but completely in the taste of celery.
As a wine I get a Gruner Veltliner from Prager, again an Austrian wine. Prager winery is located near Vienna. Very good wine-food combination.
The meat dish was venison with cocoa, cranberries, Jerusalem artichoke and carrot. The venison is medium cooked and sprinkled with cocoa and cranberries. A very special combination. With a sauce of the gravy of venison with cocoa and cranberries. Very good balance with the meat. The meat is covered with a jelly of cranberries. Also, on the plate is a dumpling made of green herbs and filled with bacon. This dumpling is very tasty. As a side dish, a buckwheat cracker is served with venison tartare. This dish once again excels in all its flavors.
The wine served was a Blaufränkisch from Grosz from 2013. A full wine, nice body and very well suited to both the venison and the cocoa.
Dessert is a hazelnut cheesecake with cassis. Another picture is presented with two main ingredients. The cheesecake tastes completely like hazelnut, on top of the cheesecake a jelly of cassis with meringues of cassis and hazelnut. In addition, a cassis ice cream and hazelnut crumbs.
As a wine I receive a Beerenausleser from Kracher from 2017. Only Austrian wines are served here (with the exception of champagne of course). Great to stay as local as possible.
With the coffee 3 friandises: profiterole filled with plum ice cream, a balsamic chocolate bonbon and a Turkish fruit of orange mango. All three excellent.
Interior
The interior looks chic and modern classic. White smoothed linen, black chairs, green couches, yellow / cream curtains. Ceiling lamps with black lampshades. The same lamps hang on the wall, but with white shades. Very stylish. Lots of art on the wall throughout the restaurant.
Overall
Thomas Pedevilla is a star chef for a reason. He cooks from the concept of “less is more”. Few ingredients, little frills, but with the limited ingredients he knows how to put great combinations on the table. If you are in Vienna eating here is a must. The service is also great. The ladies in the service came to have a short chat now and then and finally Chef Thomas came to the table so that I could personally thank him for the great evening.
