Belgium will finally have its whisky, rum and spirits festival. This will take place on the weekend of 1 June to 3 June at the Autoworld at the Cinquantenaire (Jubelpark) in Brussels. This unique festival is open to the general public. It will celebrate whiskey, rum and gin as well as cognac, armagnac, calvados, vodka, tequila, mescal as well as sake, pisco and cachaca as well as some associated products related to the theme such as cigars, chocolate as well as a selection fo Scottish kilts. This event is intended to increase the awareness of the connoisseur, but also to arouse the curiosity of the amateur, who will undoubtedly discover many new products thanks to the range of brands presented. Hundreds of bottles from both the distillery and independent bottlers will be present. There will be around 50 exhibitors, both Belgian and international, with more than 100 stands and more than 180 brands, on more than 1,300 square meters. Throughout the duration of the event, … [Read more...]
Christophe Hardiquest cooks rabbit with gueze at Brussels brewery Cantillon
Rabbit is the type of dish that you either love or you hate. It has a lot to do with culture. Belgium, like France, Italy and even Malta, the country I come from has a certain affinity to this dish. It is a lean meat with lots of nutritional benefits though in some places people are starting to lose the tradition of eating rabbit. Christophe Hardiquest, chef of two Michelin star Brussels restaurant Bon Bon has been on a mission to recreate a traditional rabbit Brussels recipe at his restaurant. Over the past months, he has been working and evolving dishes with rabbit and gueze, a traditional sour Brussels beer that has unique characteristics that are enjoyed by beer lovers from around the world. A gueze beer is a blend of lambics that have been produced during different years which produce a beer that is acidic and fruity with a delicate woody fragrance and a dry finish that lingers on the palate. The rabbit dish at Bon Bon has been evolving. He has served a rabbit tartare … [Read more...]
Second Bon Bon Origins dinner features José Avillez with Christophe Hardiquest
Brussels based chef Christophe Hardiquest, chef of two Michelin star restaurant Bon Bon welcomed José Avillez, chef of Lisbon restaurant Belcanto for the second Bon Bon Origins dinner organised a few days ago. Working together with young Belgian Chef Kevin Perlot, they created a harmonious menu focusing in particular on the sea as their playground. The Portuguese chef has been working since 2007 to the highest levels showcasing the huge Portuguese heritage that exists and that is very often forgotten amid the stereotypical dishes of the country. When he started, he wanted to show that Portuguese cuisine was not just about cod. In fact, in his two Michelin star restaurant, he only uses cod liver or cod’s head as a way to show that there is more to his country’s cuisine that just its tradition. Fundamentally, we are speaking about a country that introduced tempura to Japan but few people tend to know this, a country which has a rich tradition close to one of the largest … [Read more...]
A dream come true for San Degeimbre as renovation of L’Air du Temps is close to completion
Six years after opening L'Air du Temps in its current idyllic location, in the middle of the Belgian countryside in Liernu, Sang-Hoon Degeimbre is set to embark on a new journey as he reopens the newly refurbished restaurant which will open the doors to many new possibilities. With a new dining room that is between the kitchen and the garden, clients are expected to get a completely new experience when they visit the restaurant next time. "It is what we wanted to do from the start," San told Food and Wine Gazette in an interview. "When we moved six years ago, we wanted to have the dining room that was connected to the garden but unfortunately, we did not have the budget to carry out that project. We wanted the guests to be connected to the garden." Ultimately this may prove to be a better decision because San and his team today know the farm which houses the restaurant inside out. "We now know the restaurant and the space better and we can therefore plan the new space in a way which … [Read more...]
Six international top chefs to cook at L’air du Temps this year after renovation of restaurant
Sang Hoon Degeimbre, chef of L'Air du Temps has announced that six top international chefs will be cooking at the newly refurbished restaurant in Liernu, Belgium throughout 2018. The newly refurbished restaurant will be inaugurated on Friday 13 April. The announced chefs that will cook at L'Air du Temps under a new series called PLAYFOOD are Anne Sophie Pic, chef of 3 Michelin star restaurant Anne-Sophie Pic in Valence France, Dominique Crenn of 2 Michelin starred Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, USA, Emmanuel Renault, chef of 3 Michelin star Flocons de Sel in Megeve, France, Mauro Colagreco of two Michelin star restaurant Mirazur in Menton, France, Magnus Ek of 2 Michelin star restaurant Oaxen Krog in Stockholm, Sweden and Andreas Caminada of three Michelin star restaurant Schauenstein Schloss Restaurant in Switzerland. "The playground for these unique dinners will be our vegetable garden," San announced. The restaurant moved to its new location give years ago. This new … [Read more...]
Q&A with Nick Bril: ‘I get a good vibe in Antwerp. Being here is closer to my style of cooking’
Nick Bril runs The Jane in Antwerp considered by many to be one of the most stunning if not the most stunning restaurant in the world. We recently caught up with him to learn more about him, what drives him and how it feels to run a very busy restaurant. In this second part of our interview, we delve into what inspires him, who he considers to be his mentor, his move from the Dutch region of Zeeland to Antwerp and much more. You moved from Zeeland in the Netherlands to a city like Antwerp in Belgium, from nature to a buzzing city? How was the move? I am maybe more eclectic than Sergio (Herman) and Syrco (Bakker - Pure C). The latter is maybe following Sergio in the mindset of having Zeeland as a region. I am enjoying being able to go to Chinese supermarkets around me, to be able to buy Indian spices around me, having multicultural people around me. I can just go out of the place I live and by amazing merguez sausages from a Turkish butcher. Sergio and Syrco travel to get that … [Read more...]
Jose Avillez of Belcanto restaurant in Lisbon to cook at Brussels restaurant Bon Bon
José Avillez, the Portuguese chef of two Michelin star restaurant Belcanto in Lisbon will be the second chef to cook at the Bon Bon Origins collaborative dinner series which takes place on Thursday March 29. Christophe Hardiquest, chef of the two Michelin star restaurant Brussels restaurant Bon Bon launched Bon Bon Origins out of the desire to rediscover traditional Belgian recipes that have stood the test of time but deconstructing them and bringing them to life again in a contemporary way, he will be organising collaborative dinners with different chefs that are focused on their own terroirs. After the first dinner with Belgian chef Gert De Mangeleer of Hertog Jan, the Brussels based chef will be cooking with the acclaimed Portuguese chef. As a Portuguese chef, José Avillez’ main focus is to promote Portuguese gastronomy and to contribute to making Portugal a top gastronomic destination. He is considered as one of the great references of gastronomy in Portugal and has … [Read more...]
Bruges to host JRE congress in 2019
The Belgian city of Bruges will host the 2019 congress of the Jeunes Restaurateurs Europe (JRE), the new president of the Belgian association Olivier Massart announced. This is the second time that the event is being organised in Belgium, the first congress was held in Brussels in 2005. Massart, the chef of O de Vie in Juprelle said the congress will focus on the theme the Gift of Good Food - never ending passion and is expected to attract over 300 chefs together with their partners from all over Europe. The association JRE groups chefs between the age of 23 and 49 and has around 30 members in Belgium. The new president said that he will be following in the footsteps of his predecessor Steven Dehaeze who carried out sterling work over the past years while introducing new activities and introducing new members to the association. “I would like to thank him for his work,” he said at a press conference organised at Le Coriandre, a Brussels restaurant that forms part of the … [Read more...]
The Jane Table by Nick Bril officially launched
Nick Bril, the chef and co-owner of The Jane, one of the world's most stunning restaurants last week launched The Jane Table, a private dining room in his office at PAKT, just metres away from the former military chapel where The Jane is based in Antwerp. "When I saw PAKT, memories immediately went back to a schnapps producer I visited in Copenhagen. The company was located in an industrial building on the 4th floor. I loved the place immediately and I got the same feeling when I saw this site which is industrial, rough and unique in the city. The management team of The Jane and he had their offices in the cellars of the restaurant and they immediately decided to rent the office space because this was an ideal place to be away from the busy service and the crowds of The Jane. The Jane Table is a collaboration between The Jane, bulthaup ligna recta Antwerpen and Electrolux. The idea is to organise small and private dinners in an industrial building on the PAKT site, situated … [Read more...]
Sergio Herman to open Frites Atelier Amsterdam in Brussels and Gent
After the successful opening of Frites Atelier Amsterdam in Antwerp, Sergio Herman has announced that new shops will be opened in the Belgian capital city Brussels and in Gent. The dates and location of the successful chain of french fries has not yet been announced. Launched in 2016 in the Netherlands, Frites Atelier Amsterdam has shops in the Hague, Utrecht, Arnhem and Antwerp. A shop in Amsterdam is also set to open shortly. There seems to be no stopping Sergio Herman. After deciding to stop cooking full time at the end of 2013 when he closed his three Michelin star restaurant Oud Sluis in the Netherlands he has successfully launched new projects like The Jane, further developed Pure C, created Frites Atelier and opened Air Republic in Cadzand. Sergio Herman is also considering opening Frites Atelier Amsterdam at Brussels Airport and Amsterdam airport. While the French fries that are served at Frites Atelier Amsterdam may not be the same that the Belgians are used to … [Read more...]