Bart de Pooter has no problem with clients taking photos in restaurants. He says he has got a collection of thousands of photos of food he has eaten in restaurants. Bart is in many ways a pioneer. He was the first Belgian chef to put his name to two Michelin starred restaurants in the country, he was one of the first chefs to venture to Asia when it was still not on the radar screen of world gastronomy like it is today. This is the second part of our interview in Q&A format. Who are the chefs that have inspired you most? Pierre Gagnaire, Albert Adria and his brother Ferran were all important. What is your best ever meal? That is a very difficult question because I don't have one. For me it is all about the experience. Sometimes, a dining experience can be so overwhelming that I will not go a second time because I fear that I will lose that experience. But I still remember my first experience in a three Michelin star restaurant at Alain Ducasse in Paris … [Read more...]
Showcase of Belgium’s heritage, traditions and roots at first Bon Bon Origins dinner
Thursday 19 January, Restaurant Bon Bon, Brussels: A few days after the shock announcement that Hertog Jan, one of two 3 Michelin star restaurants in Belgium would close at the end of this year, chef Gert de Mangeleer was cooking his first ever collaboration dinner in Belgium as guest of Brussels chef Christophe Hardiquest. This was the first Bon Bon Origins Dinner, a series of dinners created by Hardiquest, chef of two Michelin star restaurant Bon Bon who has been going back to the origins researching stories and recipes that are part of Brussels and Belgian heritage. One such story from the previous century has made it to the first Bon Bon Origins dinner. Up to the 1950s, in the streets of Brussels, there used to be a man called the 'marchand de coco' who would walk with 40 kilogrammes on his back and serve a drink called the Kalichezap, a mix of lemon, almonds and liquorice among others. Today, chef Christophe Hardiquest has turned this drink into a dessert that is served in … [Read more...]
New start for Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens after decision to close Hertog Jan
Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens may have decided to close Hertog Jan to gain more flexibility but they will certainly be keeping themselves busy. They want to pursue other opportunities even if they want to do it on their terms. "The decision to close Hertog Jan was not something we took yesterday. We had been discussing about the possibility of closing the restaurant for more than one and a half years," Gert de Mangeleer said. Chef Gert de Mangeleer and sommelier Joachim Boudens, the joint-owners of 3 Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan announced early on Saturday morning in a press release sent at around 2am in the morning that they would be closing the restaurant in December this year. "Since a year and a half ago, we found that the restaurant was constraining us from pursuing other opportunities. It is not an easy decision to close such a restaurant. We have been seriously thinking about our decision for the past 8 or 9 months," De Mangeleer told Food and Wine … [Read more...]
Belgian top restaurant Hertog Jan to close its doors
Dreams come true, new stories start Hertog Jan, the three Michelin star restaurant of top chef Gert De Mangeleer and sommelier Joachim Boudens, will close its doors after 13 highly successful years. Gert and Joachim shocked the Belgian gastronomic scene and the culinary world with a press release sent in the middle of the night announcing that they have achieved their greatest dreams with Hertog Jan and want to stop at the height of their careers. The duo are looking to the future with great energy and entrepreneurial spirit and are already making new plans. They have cited more flexibility as one of the main reasons for the closure. Hertog Jan is one of two 3 Michelin star restaurants in Belgium. Gert, Joachim and the entire Hertog Jan team will welcome their last guests on Saturday, 22 December 2018. "We’ve always had dreams: first we wanted our own restaurant and 1 star. Later we dreamed of 3 stars and of a restaurant with international allure…Our greatest dream has always been … [Read more...]
Bart de Pooter: A dinner that changed everything
Every person has a defining moment which makes you change paths or perspective. For Belgian chef Bart de Pooter that moment came at the dinner table of legendary restaurant el Bulli. He had been running Pastorale, a two Michelin star restaurant in a small village, Reet, close to the city of Antwerp for 26 years but that dinner changed everything. “When I went there and was served 26 courses, I felt very frustrated when I returned home because I realised that out of all those courses, I could maybe only create 3 dishes,” said Bart. He could not understand what had happened. Feeling lost, he went on a voyage of discovery looking at what made him and his restaurant unique. “I was a classic cook and quality was always important but then I became someone who wanted to translate his culture and create an identity.” Upon reflection and deep thinking he came up with Biotope or the habitat that has become his signature. Whether it is the vegetables, the produce or even the wood and … [Read more...]
The Jane launches private dining room
Nick Bril, chef of The Jane in Antwerp has launched a private dining room in his office at the PAKT complex just a few metres away from the award winning restaurant. The Dutch chef of The Jane who opened the restaurant together with Sergio Herman, who we worked with at Oud Sluis, told Food and Wine Gazette that the private dining room will give the restaurant and its team more flexibility to enjoy their work. "It is great because it will give me the liberty to manage the reservations without the need to have it fully booked because the space also serves as my office and research area. It gives me the liberty to create or test a menu, to invite people and get their feedback," he said. PAKT is a new hotspot in Antwerp close to The Jane which houses all things creative, innovative and culinary. It is also includes a communal rooftop garden as well as the rooftop garden of The Jane which has been in use since last year. Nick said that the space can also be used for product launches and … [Read more...]
Nick Bril to open new restaurant in Antwerp
Nick Bril, chef of award winning restaurant The Jane in Antwerp will be opening a new restaurant in the Belgian city of Antwerp. The restaurant is set to open later this year. The Dutch chef who partnered with Sergio Herman to open The Jane after working with him at Oud Sluis for many years told Food and Wine Gazette that he will be working together with a new hotel which is opening its doors just 100 metres away from The Jane. The new restaurant which will be more simple and more accessible than what one can expect from Nick Bril and The Jane. "The hoteliers of Hotel Julien, a renowned boutique hotel in Antwerp contacted me as they were opening a hotel just a few metres away from our restaurant. They wanted to speak about the possibility that guests at their hotel would be able to book a table at The Jane.” The Jane is a highly successful restaurant and often considered as one of the most visually stunning restaurants in the world. The hotel will have 46 rooms with a … [Read more...]
Christophe Hardiquest launches Bon Bon Origins: Gert de Mangeleer is first guest chef
Christophe Hardiquest, chef of the two Michelin star restaurant Bon Bon today launched Bon Bon Origins. Born out of the desire of the Belgian chef 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. The first guest chef to cook at the Brussels restaurant is Gert De Mangeleer. The dinner takes place on Thursday January 18. The Belgian guest chef for the night needs no introduction. He is chef of three Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan which he took over with his culinary soulmate and front of house Joachim Boudens in 2005. In 2006, Hertog Jan was awarded its first Michelin star, followed by a second in 2009 and a third in 2011. In 2014, he received the European chef of the year award. Hardiquest said that with the collaborative dinners with different international chefs, he … [Read more...]
Souvenir restaurant to move from Ypres to Gent in March: ‘We wanted to retain access to our suppliers’
Viljhjalmur Sigurdarson, the Iceland chef of restaurant Souvenir and his wife Joke Michiel have announced that they will move their restaurant in the small Flemish city of Ypres to Gent. After four years in Ypres, Vili and Joke have decided to move due to roadworks which will make their restaurant in the village of Ypres inaccessible for a long time. When announcing their decision they said it was a very difficult decision but one that has been taken out of necessity. "It was time to reflect on how we could continue to do what we were doing," they said. Gent has become one of the most important culinary cities in Belgium. Earlier this year, Kobe Desramaults opened his new restaurant Chambre Separee after closing In De Wulf in Dranouter, 20 kilometres away from Souvenir. Vrijmoed and a number of other restaurants like Publik and Oak go from strength to strength. "We have had four beautiful years in Ypres. It has been a rollercoaster of hard work, rewards, sacrifices, great … [Read more...]
Seven tables for dinner at The Jane Antwerp to auctioned in aid of Deaf Flanders
From today, you can bid for 7 tables at one of the most sought after restaurants in the world with a guarantee that you will get a booking next year. The Jane in Antwerp, the restaurant created by chef Nick Bril and Sergio Herman will be auctioning 7 tables from today till the 24th December. The winners of the auctioned tables will be able to experience a full culinary treat at the Jane, easily one of the most impressive restaurants in the world housed in a former church. The proceeds from the auction of these 7 dinners for 2 will all go to Deaf Flanders. The auction takes place during Warm Week, Music for Life and the winners get to pick their own date in 2018 without the need to take the standard reservation system. This is a unique opportunity to secure a seat in a restaurant that is extremely hard to book without having to go through their three month booking system. Stu Bru reported that a few days ago, Nick discovered that his four year old daughter was nearly … [Read more...]