The kitchen at the New CAPITOL has its own distinctive style. This becomes especially clear when head chef Norman Pontzen talks about how he composes his dishes. The ingredients are carefully selected and perfectly suited to the season. In fact, every dish tells a small story – including those on the current winter menu.
Even the starters, traditionally listed under the title “Opening Scene,” make it hard to choose: “Beetroot, root vegetable cream, apple, fresh goat cheese, walnut” – this is how one of the starters is described at the top of the winter menu. From this, the kitchen team creates a delicious, beautifully arranged, and healthy composition. Root vegetables – grown underground and delicious above ground – are experiencing a renaissance, at least at the New CAPITOL.
“Goose liver cream, pear chutney, brioche.” A nod to French cuisine, often reinterpreted by Norman Pontzen. “The goose liver cream on our winter menu has nothing to do with French foie gras or the associated animal cruelty,” he emphasizes. “I use goose liver and cook it down into a cream.” The pears come from Wemlighausen, a neighboring village of Bad Berleburg, and are turned into a savory chutney. The brioche, a classic French yeast pastry, is prepared “in my own way,” says Pontzen.
Another small story lies behind the “liaison onion soup,” where cream and egg yolk are carefully combined to create a smooth, velvety texture. It is served with croutons and chutney.
The main courses begin with two classics from the CAPITOL kitchen: the CAPITOL Bowl with winter salads made from cabbage, root vegetables, lentils, and barley, accompanied by beetroot hummus with sesame paste, garlic, olive oil, and gently oven-roasted root vegetables. Also returning is the burger made from Wagyu beef from Wemlighausen, served with spicy barbecue sauce, coleslaw, cucumber, dip, and oven fries.
A winter classic is “smoked meat with kale and mustard jus,” a brown sauce refined with mustard, served with mashed potatoes and celery. “I also cook the kale with a bit of mustard – it makes it easier to digest,” explains Pontzen. “Duck leg, orange jus, Burgundy-style red cabbage, oven dumpling” is another seasonal favorite, as are the braised ox cheeks with roasted vegetables.
As a “winter fish,” the CAPITOL kitchen serves cod with potato and pointed cabbage vegetables. The pasta (spaghetti) is served with lentil Bolognese and Parmesan. This time, the favorite dish comes from deputy restaurant manager Pascal Smolen: “Stuffed pasta with pork, spinach, creamy wild mushrooms, small salad.” “Norman Pontzen used to cook this regularly during my training in Winterberg,” says the 26-year-old. “It’s my absolute favorite.”
The “final scene” – the desserts – quite literally melt in your mouth: “chocolate mousse with orange and pistachio” or “marzipan ice cream with chocolate cake and sour cherries.”