Patron-cuisinier Björn Dijkstra has been running restaurant Le Bon Vivant in Maastricht since 2013. Guests enjoy fine New Dutch cuisine dishes in the centuries-old vaulted cellar – just a stone's throw from the Vrijthof. Björn learned his management skills at the Hogere Hotelschool (Hotel Management School Maastricht). He took a very different route to develop his cooking skills.
This route began at 18 when Björn went on a trip around the world. As a backpacker, he travelled through Australia, New Zealand and Thailand, working in various restaurants to fund the adventure. It was a massive learning curve. The mise en place, balancing flavours, working with unfamiliar ingredients, it involved everything.
Björn's next steps were in his mother's catering business and in South Africa, where he completed an internship at La Grande Provence, a top restaurant in Franschhoek, as part of his training at the Hogere Hotelschool Maastricht. There, he experienced all the sections in six months and learned how to really cook. And at that point his desire to start his own business was growing. After returning to Maastricht, Björn worked in a local eatery for two years before fulfilling his wish in 2013: he took over restaurant Le Bon Vivant.
SOUND MACHINES
Before the grand opening, the business first underwent major remodelling. "It was really dark, dusty and damp here. We treated all the walls and added a lot more natural light". To save costs, Björn purchased a second-hand glass washer and dishwasher. With the dishwasher increasingly malfunctioning after several years and knowing that a repair could be very expensive, Björn came to Van Gestel for a new one via Hanos in 2020. Account manager Daan Dekker advised him to opt for a UPster H hood type dishwashing machine from meiko. "I wanted a sound machine that simply washes well and that would last for at least 10 years, preferably 15".
Not long after, the glasswasher malfunctioned too. Due to the lockdown, it had been on for a month. "On the third day after the reopening, the machine failed. We then spent a few evenings washing everything ourselves, partly by hand and partly in the dishwasher". Fortunately, the solution was quickly at hand and a MEIKO glasswasher UPster U500G with osmosis was in place within days. On the advice of Roy van Dijk, account manager at MEIKO, a power connection was installed: "Björn serves suitable wine pairings with his five- and seven-course menus. So this requires a lot of glasses in an evening. With 400 V, the boiler is up to temperature quickly and the machine is therefore always ready for use immediately".
WIDESPREAD APPRECIATION
The menus and wine pairings are very popular with the public. "We welcome more and more younger people who come to Maastricht for a weekend and like to spend money on good food. The locals come on weekdays, and here that means from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany". Guests appreciate Björn's New Dutch cuisine dishes, prepared with local seasonal produce, forgotten products such as certain vegetables and fish, and modern techniques.
For that, he keeps learning and challenging himself. Just like his great role models Anthony Bourdain, René Rezepi, Sergio Herman and Jonnie Boer. "I experiment a lot, for example fermenting asparagus and kohlrabi. During Covid-19, I read three books about it. The next challenge is to make my own cheese". And it is obvious that not only the guests but also the professionals appreciate Björn's skills – Le Bon Vivant received another mention in the Dutch Gault & Millau Restaurant Guide this year.
