LIERNU: On 1 July, L'Air du Temps, a two Michelin star restaurant in the heart of the Belgian countryside will open an open-air wine bar, Le Bar a Quilles between 3pm and 7pm. In the lush garden of the restaurant, some 50 kilometres away from Brussels, guests will be able to walk in without a reservation and choose from a selection of drinks by sommelier Michel de Muynck. The bar will be open throughout the summer months from Wednesday to Sunday from 3pm to 7pm. The bar will be accessible from the restaurant's parking area. Earlier this week, Sang Hoon Degeimbre, chef of the restaurant L'Air du Temps, one of the top Belgian restaurants announced the opening of a sustainable restaurant called VerTige in Brussels under the guidance of young talented chef Kevin Perlot. The SAN Group of restaurants also include San Sablon, San Gent, Toshiro and Rizom. For lunch, all restaurants are offering a take-out possibility while they are open for lunch and dinner. … [Read more...]
Casse-Croûte by Karen Torosyan here to stay
BRUSSELS: When chef Karen Torosyan of Restaurant Bozar in Brussels had to close the restaurant because of the lockdown, he decided to venture into what he called Casse-Croûte. This was an initiative to serve some of his signature dishes in the form of a takeaway. On offer during the lockdown were a selection of his patés, fois gras, rilettes, ham with parsley (jambon persillé) as well as his famous pâté croûte with pork, duck and goose liver served with pickled vegetables. He also served a number of hot dishes including some of the pies that have made him world famous (he was world pie champion after all) as well as desserts. Now, with the lockdown over and the restaurant open, Karen Torosyan has kept his Casse-Croûte open and intends to eventually open a Brussels boutique. For the time being, he continues to serve his artisanal creations from his restaurant in central Brussels. "Casse-croûte was born out of the crisis and I've been working on it for three months. The response … [Read more...]
VerTige, a new restaurant by San Degeimbre and Kevin Perlot opens in Brussels
BRUSSELS: The first time Sang Hoon Degeimbre ventured to Brussels, it was to open San Brussels in Rue de Flandre in the centre of the city. After five years, that restaurant will make way for VerTige, a new sustainable concept that brings to Brussels the talented Kevin Perlot. San Brussels was the first urban restaurant that took the lunch time concept at L'Air du Temps of serving dishes in bowls and brought it to the city. Since then he has followed with two other San restaurants, one in the Sablon area of Brussels and another in Ghent. In five years, the SAN family of restaurants has also grown to include Toshiro and Rizom. Now the young talented chef Kevin Perlot is taking over San Bruxelles and turning it over into VerTige. The 25-year-old chef has worked in various renowned restaurants in Belgium including three years at L’Air du Temps and most recently he developed his culinary identity at Pepite, a famous culinary cellar in Namur. His ambition at the new … [Read more...]
Sergio Herman’s Le Pristine to open on 14 July
ANTWERP: Le Pristine restaurant and Le Pristine Café, Sergio Herman’s newest restaurants will open their doors in the fashion district of Antwerp on Tuesday 14 July. Reservations to this new hotspot will open from Tuesday 23 June on the restaurant’s website. Over the last few months, Le Pristine's core team has used the time of the pandemic to carefully prepare for the opening of Sergio Herman’s latest restaurant. The restaurant will offer a taste of the Zeeland terroir, from where Herman hails together with Italian flair. The concept promises to be very different from everything he has done before. Le Pristine is contemporary and classy, but above all has an impressive interior that exudes an exceptional international quality. Sergio Herman is familiar with the Antwerp scene. Together with Nick Bril, he launched The Jane, one of the top restaurants in Belgium and the city is also home to Frites Atelier. The Dutch chef rose to fame with Oud Sluis which he closed a few … [Read more...]
Butcher, restauranteur, chef team up to open Maven in Antwerp
ANTWERP: At a time when many restaurants are struggling with the after effects of COVID-19, a new restaurant will open in Antwerp called Maven. The restaurant will open in Liegestraat on the bustling South side of the city. It is a concept that brings together the expertise of renowned butcher Luc De Laet, the passion of catering entrepreneur Win Van der Borght and the talent of Jules Koninckx. Starting a meat restaurant at a time when eating meat is under pressure may be considered politically incorrect but the three are just ‘daredevils’. “There is nothing wrong with eating meat,” says butcher De Laet. We eat too much meat. So we have to eat less but above all better meat.” The name Maven has been chosen because in Hebrew it refers to ‘the girl who knows everything’ while in old English it means ‘one who understands’. Maven therefore stands for knowledge and skills, someone who knows how to work. That is what De laet, Van der Borght and Konickx are promising. “Creativity, … [Read more...]
#Whatnext: Le Bon Bistro, a fine dining restaurant becomes a bistro on days it is normally closed
BRUSSELS: Christophe Hardiquest, chef of two Michelin star restaurant Bon Bon in Brussels announced the opening of Le Bon Bistro by Bon Bon at his restaurant Bon Bon. The bistro will open from Sunday to Tuesday and will be run by Christophe's right-hand man and sous-chef Adrien Cunnac who has worked with the Belgian chef for the past 8 years. Hugo Traineau, who worked at Bon Bon for the past four years will be responsible for the hospitality in the dining room. "We are pleased and proud to start this new adventure," Christophe Hardiquest said. In the opening of our WhatNext series we hinted at the possibility for restaurants to maximise the use of their space particularly at times when the restaurants may need to reduce their covers or rethink a certain part of their function. Restaurant Bon Bon is normally closed three days a week (from Sunday to Tuesday) to give his team the chance to rest and have a decent work life balance, Christophe has now decided to open seven days … [Read more...]
(25) Bar Bulot, L.E.S.S offer takeaway in Bruges, Antwerp and Ghent
BRUGES: Bar Bulot and L.E.S.S., the two restaurants owned by Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens have moved to takeaway from the beginning of May amid the COVID-19 crisis. They are, however, extending their coverage testing not just takeaway in their city Bruges but also in Antwerp and Ghent. With no date yet set for the reopening of restaurants in Belgium, Gert and Joachim have shifted to delivery for the time being. At both restaurants, one in central Bruges and one in the former building which housed their first ever Hertog Jan which brought them three Michelin stars, they are offering two different menus with signature dishes from the two restaurants. Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens opened L.E.S.S. in its new location in one of the main Bruges squares last year and the head chef Ruige Vermeire clinched a star for the restaurant in less than a year. Bar Bulot opened late last year after a successful summer pop-up. The two operated Hertog Jan which they closed … [Read more...]
(22) Eating in with Karen Torosyan
BRUSSELS: It has been many days since I last used my car. Last Saturday, at 4.40pm I left home in the direction of central Brussels to pick up a delivery from Casse-Croute, the boutique takeaway that Karen Torosyan opened soon after the lockdown at Bozar Restaurant in Brussels, Belgium. The streets were deserted. Empty. Driving slowly around felt like I was the only one out. That feeling would be replicated days later when I decide to walk to the city centre to look at what has become a 'ghost' town. I arrive a few minutes before 5pm, the time of my appointment with Karen. Parking is no problem, I leave my car around the corner, something that until a few weeks ago would have been unthinkable. I am a few minutes early. For many weeks now, apart from family and neighbours, I’ve spoken to people I know only via my phone. It feels weird. There is a sign on the side door to the restaurant asking you to call the chef once you have arrived. He’s busy in the kitchen so he … [Read more...]
450 candles used to protect Valke Vleug’s vineyards from frost
LIEZELE: While the Coronavirus has captured the world’s attention and focus, winemakers also have to contend with nature. Despite unusually warm weather over the past few days in Belgium, the night of April 14-15 brought about temperatures below zero. 450 candles were used at the winery Valke Vleug, in Liezele, Belgium, to protect the grapes from frost damage. Frost, at this time of year and normally till mid-May is a major threat to wine growing particularly in cooler climates. Valke Vleugel’s wine estate has 4.2 hectares and 9 grape varieties, including Chardonnay, Pinot Auxerrois, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The grapes have formed their buds. If the temperature drops below -2C, the grapes are permanently damaged. ”This is a very vulnerable period, not only for fruit growing but also for winegrowers, ”said Pieter Raeymaekers, co-founder and winemaker at Valke Vleug. Cool climate Night frost is a risk in all wine growing in cooler climates, so-called cool … [Read more...]
Graanmarkt 13 turns 10: We need to create more vegetarian heritage dishes in Belgium says Seppe Nobels
ANTWERP: Seppe Nobels still remembers the first dish he served on the night Graanmarkt 13 opened for the first time 10 years ago on 13 February. It was a carpaccio with old Brugge cheese and truffle. Little did he know that this dish, while representing a beautiful memory is not a dish that he would be serving nowadays in the restaurant in Antwerp. “Today, I work a lot with vegetables. We have our own fields 20 kilometres away from Antwerp and we have a farmer there who lives on the farm and supplies us with produce which is completely biodynamic,” Seppe told Food and Wine Gazette. For the 10th anniversary of the restaurant opening, Seppe has looked back at dishes he has prepared over the past 10 years and created a unique menu that is being served for just 10 days. “When I took some of the most important dishes over the past 10 years I ended up with 25 dishes. But now I only work with seasonal produce and local ingredients from Belgium (and the Netherlands which is less … [Read more...]