High above Blankenese, with one of the most beautiful views in all of Hamburg, towers the Süllberg. The first records date back to 1050 and tell of the first construction work on a castle on the 75-meter-high mountain. Since the middle of the 19th century at the latest, the Süllberg has been a popular destination for Hamburgers. A place with history.
Today, the estate is the culinary refuge of Karlheinz Hauser, whose gourmet restaurant Seven Seas has been awarded two Michelin stars.
But the huge-looking building complex also houses the Deck 7 Market Restaurant, surrounded by an equally huge terrace with a view over the Elbe. Until 2012, this part of the property operated as Bistro Süllbergterrasse. With the remodel and realignment, Hauser is addressing a younger audience. And it was here that we had recently gathered as part of our journey of discovery around the Hamburg Schlemmersommer 2013 to enjoy the four-course tasting menu.
The prelude was a bread basket, which should be mentioned alone because it was excellent. Two different types of bread, both warm and crunchy, one with olives, accompanied by a good and intense olive oil and a very coarse sea salt with quite strong hints of chili.
The first item on the menu followed, a confit citrus salmon (with textures of fennel, apple, peas, rye bread). The consistency of the fish was good, light in taste and served with a cream of pea poured on the place.
At the next course, the service showed irritation. My main course was served, the Maultasche 2013, which was actually intended as an intermediate course, was initially forgotten. However, the accompanying wine to the Maultasche was in place. I could have the plate returned if I really wanted it, the somewhat perplexed and admittedly quite young service team offered. To defuse the somewhat unpleasant situation, I naturally kept the main course served, only asking for an exchange of the wine.
Low-temperature cooked U.S. wagyu bavette from Dan Morgan Ranch in Nebraska (vegetable jus, chanterelles, green asparagus, smoked potato cream).
I wouldn’t have missed much at all if the plate had just gone back. Without question, the poor Wagyu beef has already been regenerated several times, although the cooking point was okay, it looked quite dry on the outside and overall, unfortunately, not very spectacular. This may also have been due to the long journey from the Dan Morgan Ranch in Nebraska to Blankenese. In any case, his companions also failed to add any further points of tension and I was glad to still have the chili salt from the bread basket at the table.
A short time later, the previously forgotten Maultausche was handed.
Süllberg’s interpretation “Maultasche 2013” (ham espuma, bacon crumble, wild herbs)
There it lies now. Large. Solid. Cut down the middle and in an espuma, but it turned out to be more of a very heavy mousse. And just like that, she wanders back into the kitchen, which she had better never have left. Both in terms of craftsmanship and actually already conceptually a small disaster, at least for my perception in this combination (and for the current season) simply much too heavy and massive.
Herb garden (birch cream | herb ice cream | blackberries)
The dessert then seems pleasantly fresh after the previous courses and overall very enjoyable. First and foremost, the fortunately only slightly sweet herb ice cream, which harmonized very well with the fruity sounds and was also visually a real treat.
An evening in which some questions remain unanswered. Doesn’t it make more sense to keep the cost of goods a little lower and to rely on good and inexpensive products from the region, but offer them with perfect craftsmanship, if you want to recommend yourself to potential new guests with a menu for 29€? Doesn’t Karlheinz Hauser go through such a menu at least once with his team – and if so, how does a dish like the Maultasche get through this quality control?
I will certainly visit the Seven Seas when the opportunity arises, but we will rather go to deck 7 because of the great view, but then with the really delicious Cordon Bleu from Duroc on both sides of the table.
Süllberg Restaurant Deck 7
Süllbergstraße 12
D-22587 Hamburg
Phone: 040 – 86 62 52 77
