There is something playful about the choice of the name of the restaurant L'Air de Rien, in Fontin in the province of Liege. When I ask chef Stéphane Diffels what it means he smiled and told me that sometimes you might feel the air blowing from behind you, you turn and there is nothing, 'rien'. There are other times when you just sit, relax and let time go by. The name of the restaurant may come from a play on words but there is also something playful going on in the kitchen. The cuisine is inventive, avant-garde but relaxed at the same time. The chef has created a style that manages to showcase the produce of the area using different techniques and textures to create a unique set of emotions when you are eating. The restaurant recently launched their new website and for the occasion they held a bloggers' lunch which we unfortunately had to miss. Nevertheless, an invitation came to visit the restaurant and given the logistics (it's around 120 kilometres away from Brussels) … [Read more...]
Interview with Gert de Mangeleer (Hertog Jan): Easy looking dishes but it only looks easy
When we visited Hertog Jan in Zedelgem a few weeks ago to interview Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens, we asked the three Michelin star Belgian chef our series of quick questions which we normally ask to get some insights into his mentors, the chefs he admires, food waste and social media among others. Gert de Mangeleer, 37, was the youngest 3 Michelin star chef in Belgium when he received the important accolade three years ago. For a more detailed account of his story you may want to read our interview here. You can also get Joachim Boudens, the co-owner of Hertog Jan story here. We started the questions with his perspective on food waste, particularly given the fact that the restaurant has its own garden which generates 95% of the fruit and vegetables that are used in the restaurant. “I consider food waste as a gain to our business. We try to waste the least possible. In a way, it is also why we created L.E.S.S. When we buy a lamb for Hertog Jan, we can use the best … [Read more...]
Gramm restaurant: A French-Japanese cuisine worth discovering
Very few days pass without me being asked what is our favourite restaurant in Brussels, given it is the city we know best. But as simple as it may sound, this question is not that easy to answer. In our books, there is no such thing as a favourite or a best restaurant. There are so many good restaurants that it is difficult to pinpoint one. Many times it depends on the occasion, the atmosphere, the quality of the food but also the mood you find yourself in. Obviously the top restaurants, of which Brussels has many, are stable and always reliable. But then there are many gastronomic restaurants, many by young chefs who are pushing the boundaries with their cuisine and who are worth discovering because they clearly represent the future. Some gastronomic restaurants in Brussels are now serving set menus in the evening. Chef Erwan Kenzo Nakata of Gramm Restaurant is one of them. In the evening he serves a six course menu which changes every week depending on the seasons and also what … [Read more...]
Culinaria 2015 programme announced
The programme for Culinaria 2015 has been announced. The annual culinary event, which enters its 7th year has as its main theme the Belgian effect. What is the Belgian effect? The theme this year highlights the best of Belgium and what probably unites the country best - its cuisine. Bringing together some of the country's best chefs (see list below), Culinaria takes place in the splendid Tour et Taxis, Brussels between Wednesday 6 May and Sunday 10 May. It is a unique opportunity for foodies to savour dishes prepared by many of the country's best chefs in one menu. There will also be workshops by international chefs such as Michael Troisgras (Troisgas), Nicolai Nørregaard (Kadeau), Loic Villemin (Toya) and Even Ramsvik (Ylajali). Belgian gastronomy has a lot to offer thanks to its position in the centre of Europe, its access to exceptional produce and the multicultural mix which has driven chefs to create a very interesting cuisine. During the event, Michelin star chefs … [Read more...]
Sergio Herman on food waste: Chefs need to lead the way
Sergio Herman is an inspirational figure for chefs and foodies alike. His work ethic and determination led him to the top of the culinary world making him one of the most recognised and talented chefs in the world. For his story, you may want to take a look at our more in-depth interview. When we meet chefs we like to ask a series of similar questions to try and get insight into what they look for when they eat out, what they like to eat, their mentors and their view on an issue on which we like to raise awareness - food waste. So we started this set of questions seeking Sergio's view of food waste. "Here at The Jane, we try to waste as little as possible. Trimmings which we don't use are turned into stews, served in the bar or to staff. We try to work with everything, maybe making chips with the trimmings from vegetables." "Sometimes I look around and see all the fish being used in restaurants around the world, I ask where is this all coming from. I worry because I think … [Read more...]
Sergio Herman: Seeing light at the end of the tunnel
When Sergio Herman stunned the culinary world in 2013 by announcing that he would close his famous restaurant Oud Sluis, few people could understand his decision. But, as he told Food and Wine Gazette, once he had achieved all his objectives he no longer felt motivated. "I could have gone on for another five or 10 more years but would it have been fun? For me the answer was no. I also wanted to find balance in life." He still works extremely hard and opening The Jane, a stunning restaurant in an old church in Antwerp with chef Nick Bril was no walk in the park. "It was very hard to set this up. I was here every day before its opening. But now I can say that after nearly a year open, I have more balance and I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel." Sergio is still present in his two restaurants The Jane and Pure C. "I quit Oud Sluis but I did not stop. It's still a hectic life but its completely different. This week for example, I am at The Jane three days, at Pure C on Friday … [Read more...]
Joachim Boudens (Hertog Jan): Time is one of today’s luxuries
Time is one of today's greatest luxuries, Joachim Boudens, co-owner of Hertog Jan, the three-Michelin stared restaurant in Zedelgem (Bruges) tells me as he gives me a tour of the restaurant. He takes me for a walk in the garden of Hertog Jan and although it is winter and therefore bare, you realise that this is really an integral part, if not essential, to the restaurant. "When people have finished lunch we tell our guests to take a walk in the garden. For dinner, some people come to the restaurant and you can see that they are a bit stressed because they have arrived a bit late or were stuck in traffic. You can feel this as soon as they walk into the restaurant. We normally tell them that it is a good idea to go for a walk in the garden. Sometimes they start to worry because they have arrived 30 minutes late. We tell them its fine, just go for a walk. After 10 minutes, they walk back in and look like completely different people. They are ready to relax and enjoy their dinner. One … [Read more...]
Interview with Jack O’Shea: Chophouse essential for nose to tail cooking
There is no question that Jack O'Shea knows what he wants. And he is determined to get it. With the Brussels Jack O'Shea Chophouse finally open, he is now focusing on growing the business to turn it truly global. A long-time proponent of nose to tail cooking and with the intention of wasting nothing, he is now leading by example having opened his first restaurant. "I have always loved cutting and selling meat. But ultimately you never have control of what happens to the meat when it leaves your butcher shop. The ultimate position would be to have your own restaurant and control how the meat is served, to make sure that it is cooked to perfection or as good as it can be," Jack tells me when I met him at the Chophouse in Brussels recently. But the restaurant has also given him the economies of scale he needs to not only follow his philosophy of wasting nothing from the animals but also to grow the business. "What the Chophouse will do is help me to centralise and stabilise my … [Read more...]
After Chophouse, Jack o’Shea to re-open Slabbinck in Uccle, Brussels
Fresh from the successful opening of the Jack o'Shea Chophouse in central Brussels, Jack o'Shea, one of Europe's leading butchers will be opening his third store in Uccle, Brussels. In many ways, the opening of this store is a tribute to André Slabbinck, a famous poultry butcher who died tragically last July when a car hit him and his partner Nadège as they were about to ride their motorcycle. It was a tragic story that shocked the Belgian and particularly the Brussels gastronomic community, because Slabbinck was considered to be one of the best Belgian artisans in gastronomy and a master when it came to poultry. When I met Jack o'Shea, a 10th generation butcher, a few days ago at the Chophouse (read the interview tomorrow) he told me that he wanted to pay tribute to André Slabbinck with the opening of his third shop in Brussels. "It was a tragic story. With this butcher shop, I want to reinstate his exceptional range of poultry products and in a way pay tribute to him. We … [Read more...]
L.E.S.S. by Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens (Hertog Jan)
L.E.S.S. the bistro by Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens of three-Michelin starred Belgian restaurant Hertog Jan is a relatively new restaurant in the idyllic city of Bruges. It was opened in the place which was previously Hertog Jan before they moved to their new premises in Zedelgem in July 2014. It stands for Love, Eat, Share and Smile and the idea is for friends or family to gather in a warm and relaxed atmosphere. When I visited Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens a few days ago, I asked what they aimed to achieve with L.E.S.S. and how it complements their three Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan, "It was quite hard to distance ourselves from the old location because for us it was like our baby," Gert said. "We took it over as a brasserie and we worked very hard for five/six years to gain three stars. I started alone working in that kitchen and there were days when I was baking my bread at 6am in the morning and I was still doing mis-en-place at 1am or 2am." But … [Read more...]