With Brighton Wine Week less than a month away, chef Bas Oonk from Restaurant Basaal in The Hague in the Netherlands chats with Nick Mosley about what to expect from his collaborative dinner at La Choza

Restaurant Basaal recently celebrated its 15th year of trading and is established as one of the historic city of The Hague’s top restaurants. Holder of a Michelin Bib Gourmand for five years, the restaurant offers daily changing menus inspired by the French kitchen with injections of cultures and cuisines that interest chef patron Bas Oonk.

Bas has already been involved in previous exchanges with 64 Degrees in Meeting House Lane, Brighton, and Curry Leaf Café’s Kemp Town Kitchen in Upper St James’s Street.

He said: “I really enjoy coming to Brighton. I like the way the chefs in the city collaborate with each other and with local producers such as Ridgeview Wine Estate and Blackdown Spirits.

“There is great diversity in both culinary style and price point here. The extensive Indian food offering is hard to find in the Netherlands.”

La Choza’s head chef Benji Hinchliffe took over the kitchens of Basaal last summer for a Mexican themed meal.

Bas said: “Our regulars were really happy with Benji’s food. The atmosphere in the restaurant was really vibrant and the style of Mexican food was really different to what Dutch people are used to.”

For the chef exchange dinner at La Choza on Western Road on Monday, April 9, the format will be slightly different with both chefs contributing to the menu, rather than a complete kitchen take-over.

Bas will be bringing over the flavours and ingredients of Indonesia in south east Asia and Suriname on the north east coast of South America.

Both were former Dutch colonies and that legacy is seen across the Netherlands in the same way that food and spices from the Indian sub continent are widespread in the UK.

Asked if he foresees any challenges in combining his flavours with the heat and spice of Mexico, he said: “Nothing I can think of. I just have to check if any of my Indonesian or Surinamese ingredients aren’t available locally so I can bring them over from The Hague.

“You could say that Indonesian and Surinamese food has a more sweet heat. I really like to work with Lontong – compressed sticky rice – and also the Suriname ‘filet americain’ which is a sort of spicy steak tartar. I’m looking forward to some surprising combinations between the cuisines we’re showcasing.”

“It’s going to be really fun and experimental”.

Limited advance tickets for Bas and Benji’s collaborative dinner on Monday 9 April at La Choza, 105 Western Road, Brighton are priced at £25pp for four courses and available directly from the restaurant on 01273 325 444. For more Brighton Wine Week events visit www.brightonfoodfestival.com