*  B A J A Z Z O   &   S T A F F  *

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Maître d’Hôtel Nico Molhoek in Tails and Eppo’s son Leonard

 

gallantly accompanying the guests under an umbrella.

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Guests were welcomed in the vestibule by a Lady in evening

 

gown, poured a glass of Champagne and accompanied to the

 

bar where they were formally introduced to Wolfgang Bartos

 

the bartender (2e in the World Series cocktail mixing 1973).

 

Here the next tasty surprise awaited them. Bajazzo stocked

 

the best and largest assortment of liqueurs and spirits ever

 

seen in the bar of a Dutch restaurant.

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The walk-around corridor along which the guests were accom-

 

panied to the bar. Left an oil painting of a Roman chariot race.

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Eppo Harbrink Numan together with his chef Ronald Hoenderop introduced the Nouvelle Cuisine in The Netherlands.

 

This creative and unstoppable duo regularly brainstormed into the early hours of the morning about innovative food combinations and trendsetting tastes, but only after the entire staff had had a meeting about how to improve the hospitality towards its guests and matters on the work floor. Bajazzo, the absolute forerunner and initiator of the present day culinary top level in The Netherlands.

 

 

       

Bajazzo did not just write history because of its unique interior decoration, but as of day one it could hold its own amongst all the top European restaurants. In the first place it was thanks to the exceptional input and drive of a staff belonging amongst the best in the world, voluntarily working fourteen hours a day as standard rather than the exception.

 

Eppo: “what an ultimate blessing and privilege to be allowed to work with such a staff”

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In those days? - A better restaurant in Holland? - Didn’t exist! - Not by a long shot!

 

 

The professionals in the country didn’t know what hit them! - For the second time in

 

six years Eppo shook the culinary world to its foundations! - And how!   

 

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Any restaurateur of importance in Holland came to pay their respects and to check the

 

place out, more often than not copying the Menu. Years later Bajazzo’s innovative

 

dishes still circulated throughout the country!

              

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In 1978 Bajazzo was awarded 13 points and a Toque Rouge in the French culinary

 

guidebook ‘Le Gault Millau’ - even referred to as ‘La petite Maxime’ of the Lowlands. ____________________________________________________________________

 

 

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Bajazzo strived to reintroduce the long lost chic and service of halcyon days, in

 

combination with trail breaking novelties within the existing Dutch cuisine.

 

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The Swan after a design by Eppo, sculptured by Johan Arsenowitch, seen from the

 

basement and looking at the ceiling of the ground floor, decorated with paintings of

 

Muses and child angels in cloud, originally from an old Merry-go-Round. The swan’s

 

wrought iron see-through wings also serve as a balustrade for the performer on the

 

mini stage. The blue spiral patterns in the ceiling of the stage are made with the

 

lenses of the hand-cranked black-out pocket lanterns from World War-II.

 

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Eppo constructed two banister-guarded semi-oval openings on the ground floor, placed opposite each other. In one, the Swan and

 

in the other a Peacock. Through a small entrance in the back of the Peacock poets could sneak into it to recite their poetry. The

 

curving array of oil paintings symbolizes the upturned tail of a peacock - All three photo’s here are deliberately overexposed.

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                   The under side of the Peacock and legs, its claws gripping balls mounted on antique cast iron pillars

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Two oval Wagon Lits WC windows in the back of the bar offer the barman a peek into the basement restaurant - On the oval

 

windows two crystal containers, one with brandy and one with whisky. The bar itself is made from an antique book case.

 

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This is how coffee was once served, strong, small and with a glass of iced water on the side - Next to it a hand made bonbon.

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Our senior staff members:

From left to right,  

                                  

 

·          Nico Molhoek                      - Maître d’Hôtel

·          Wolfgang Bartos                 - Barman

·          Ronald Hoenderop              - Chefk

·          Eppo Harbrink Numan         - Ontwerper/eigenaar

·          Luc Talsma                        - Gérant / Somelier

·          Olaf Weissman                   - Chef de Rang

·          Arturo da Luca                   - Chef de Rang

 

 

Eppo’s three childeren

 

·          Lucinda

·          Paula

·          Leonard

                                  

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      The waiting area for the Ladies and Gents.

 

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      Antique washbasins in the Ladies powder room

 

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      The Ladies’ water closet

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      Washbasin in the Gentlemen’s cloak room

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As - “ICING OUT OF THE CAKE” - Jeanne Solan, an American solo dancer from

 

The Netherlands Dance Theatre.

 

 

 

                              

After four years of frantically collecting curios - spending one year behind the

 

drawing board - one year fighting a lawsuit - two years of backbreaking labour

 

from 8 in the morning till 9 in the evening including the weekends. At the time

           

some of Eppo’s closest friends Kathy Gosschalk, Gerda Twigt and Floris van

 

Spronsen decided to give his place a classy send-off during its official opening           

 

Gala (tenue romantique obligatoire) a place of this level and allure they thought           

 

deserved. (Mecri encore)          

        

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    Bajazzo’s business card                                                                                                                                                      

                         

 

 

 

 

 

 

Web design text and copyright © Eppo Harbrink Numan 2007 / Website construction and Hosting Richard Bakker AHCS