BRUSSELS: On 22 September, during the annual car free day, Thon Hotel Brussels is organising a breakfast for charity on Rue de la Lot in one of the city’s busiest streets. From 10.30am to noon, a long table will be set up to cater for more than 800 people. The continental breakfast will be free for all with donations being accepted for three partner associations, GoodPlanet Belgium, the Red Cross and Birds Bay. The car-free day in Brussels is organised on an annual basis and gives residents of the Belgian capital city the chance to enjoy their city free of cars, buses and traffic jams. This day is therefore conducive to the organization of exceptional events in places usually not accessible on foot or by bike. This is why Thon Hotels Brussels took the opportunity to organize a breakfast on one of the most crowded avenues in the capital. The table will be installed between 35 and 77 Rue de La Lot and bike parking will be available. Coffee, croissants, orange juice and … [Read more...]
Gaufres & Waffles opens in Brussels on 6 September
BRUSSELS: On Friday 6 September, the first ever Gaufres & Waffles opens in the heart of the Belgian capital in the Galerie du Roi. Gaufres & Waffles is a new street food concept offering sweet and savoury waffles. It's a tribute to the Brussels waffle which has also been called the 'Belgian waffle' since the New York Expo of 1964. The concept is original as it takes the traditional waffle which is one of the most important sweets of the Brussels' culture and creates also a savoury version. At Gaufres & Waffles, the waffle is no longer a dessert or a sweet snack but rather a meal. The recipes have been created by Yves Mattagne, chef of Brussels 2 Michelin star restaurant Sea Grill. The savoury waffles which cost between 9 and 16 euros feature Veggie, Ham and Cheese, Chicken, Beef Tartar, Salmon, Duck and Foie Gras and Lobster. The sweet waffles cost between 6 and 10 euros and include the original Brussels waffle, a waffle with chocolate, a waffle with blueberries, a … [Read more...]
A taste of the sea at new pop-up Bar Bulot in Bruges
The sea is very much the focus of the new pop-up restaurant opened by Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens in the original Hertog Jan and recently Bistro L.E.S.S. The pop-up is Bruges' new hotspot for summer. The pop-up restaurant opened a few days ago in time for the summer season. Following the successful opening of the new L.E.S.S eatery in the centre of Bruges, Gert and Joachim are offering a taste of the sea this summer in the Flemish city of Bruges. Under the guidance of chef Pieter Lefevere and host Maxime Depreitere (both former Hertog Jan), the restaurant will remain open till the end of September before the place undergoes refurbishment before the opening of a new concept to create a typical Flemish bistro before the end of the year. This is another concept that they have worked on since closing their flagship three Michelin star restaurant Hertog Jan in December last year. The concept again focuses on sharing and simplicity. On the menu, guests can choose from a … [Read more...]
Bar Bulot, new seafood pop-up restaurant by Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens opens on 27 June
Bar Bulot, is a new pop-up restaurant that will open in the location of the first Hertog Jan and bistro L.E.S.S. on 27 June. The concept, created by Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens of Hertog Jan has been created just in time for summer. It is a seafood restaurant that will be open till October before works on a traditional Flemish restaurant they intend to open in the same spot will start. Gert and Joachim hope to open the new restaurant by the end of the year. In the meantime, visitors to Brugge will be able to savour a taste of the North Sea and France at the new bar Bulot. Their new summer project will have an outdoor terrace which is the ideal place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy time with friends and family. The restaurant will be entirely devoted to seafood. The Bulot team, led by chef Pieter Lefevere and host Maxime Depreitere (both former Hertog Jan), promises to bring the holiday atmosphere to each table. On the menu guests can … [Read more...]
Pop-up at Souvenir in Gent this summer
Why should a restaurant stay closed when the chef is on holiday? At a time when costs of property and rent are very high globally, wouldn't it be a good idea to give promising staff the potential to flourish? That is what chef William Sigurdarson and his wife Joke Michel have decided to do this summer. They will keep the restaurant open in July while they are away. During July, chef Radu Iliescu will take over the kitchen of Souvenir in Gent, Belgium as he showcases his talent in the setting of Souvenir. They have called the pop-up Radu takes over. The lunch menu will be set at EUR 33 for arrivals between 12 noon and 2pm while the dinner menu will cost EUR 44 for arrivals between 6.30pm and 9.30pm. The chef will also prepare snacks and extra dishes to pimp up the menu for guests who wish. Bookings can be made online or else you can just walk in and get available seats. The Icelandic chef made a name for himself at Souvenir in Ypres before moving to Gent to open the … [Read more...]
‘If you do something you love, you will never work a day in your life’ – Christophe Hardiquest’s in conversation with 10-year-old
What does a 10-year-old ask a chef? How does the conversation go? Most importantly what can one learn from a conversation between a beginner, in this case and someone who is on top of his game. For a school project, my 10-year-old son had to present to his class a topic related to food. It could have been anything from the food pyramid to wine making. He decided to choose to speak about the Michelin guide and top chefs. Without any prompting his decision was clear from the start. Talk about following in someone's footsteps. He asked me whether it would be possible to interview a chef as part of his project. Christophe Hardiquest, of Brussels 2 Michelin star restaurant Bon Bon kindly accepted. On a late spring afternoon, we headed to the leafy Brussels commune Woluwe St Pierre to meet with the chef who has a 19.5 Gault & Millau score, the highest in Belgium together with Peter Goossens. And this time, I took the back seat as I sat behind the camera to record the … [Read more...]
Brussels ‘Dinner in the Sky on Water’ programme announced
For its 2019 Brussels edition, Dinner in the Sky will head to the Canal, opposite the future Kanal Pompidou Museum. Since its launch in Brussels in 2006, Dinner in the Sky has always focused on making its guests experience "childhood dreams". Whether in Belgium or in the 70 countries where the concept has been developed. This year, that magic takes place on the water: the Dinner in the Sky tables will be put on the canal. Literally. Guests will be greeted "on the water" at the foot of the Quai Beco. A surreal introduction to say the least, before dinner which will take place at 50 metres up in the air. An hour and a half of gastronomic delight with a 5-course menu prepared and served by a starred chef and a unique view on the Port of Brussels, Tour and Taxis, the future Kanal Pompidou Museum. This journey unlike any other will be led by 12 chefs, totalling 17 stars: Yves Mattagne (Sea Grill**), David Martin (La Paix**), Pierre Résimont (L'Eau Vive**), Alexandre … [Read more...]
Anne-Sophie Pic to cook with Sang-Hoon Degeimbre at L’Air du Temps
Anne-Sophie Pic, the chef of three Michelin star restaurant Maison Pic in Valence, France and one of the most influential French chefs will cook at L'Air du Temps in Belgium on Thursday 16 May. This will be the third collaboration dinner that Belgian chef Sang-Hoon Degeimbre will organise at the Liernu restaurant. Earlier this year, Andreas Caminada, chef and owner of three Michelin star Swiss restaurant Schloss Schauenstein cooked for the first time in Belgium at the two Michelin star restaurant L’ Air du Temps. Sang-hoon and Anne-Sophie Pic will share their vision on produce and terroir at this unique dinner. At Maison Pic, Anne-Sophie experiments with combinations of flavours. In some dishes, she presents up to five aromatic groups while making each taste visible and legible with all elements counting. She says it is the 'game of balance and audacity that interests me and I wish to present with my teams.' Under the theme PLAYFOOD, the Belgian chef is … [Read more...]
Brussels restaurant Bon Bon launches app
Brussels restaurant Bon Bon of chef Christophe Hardiquest has launched an app which will allow clients to book tables that become available at the last minute. Customers who download the app on their smartphones (iPhone or Android) will be able to receive notifications when a table is available but will also be able to get advance notice for events that take place at the restaurant. Chef Christophe Hardiquest last year embarked on a mission to discover and modernise old Brussels recipes and invited chefs from around the world for Bon Bon Origins. The project was 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. The App also enables client to reserve a table with one click and also to consult the menu of the restaurant. … [Read more...]
Playfood 2 at L’Air du Temps: Andreas Caminada cooks for the first time in Belgium
Andreas Caminada, chef and owner of three Michelin star Swiss restaurant Schloss Schauenstein was recently in Liernu, Belgium to cook at L' Air du Temps, the restaurant of chef Sang Hoon Degeimbre. Under the theme PLAYFOOD, the Belgian chef is inviting a number of international top chefs to cook at the restaurant following the refurbishment of the restaurant last year. The first guest of Sang-Hoon was Swedish chef Magnus Ek who visited the newly refurbished restaurant with its impressive dining room overlooking the extensive vegetable garden and the countryside of Liernu. Caminada was the second chef to visit the restaurant and he will be followed by Dominique Crenn from the United States and Mauro Colagreco later this year. For the dinner, Caminada and San presented a harmonious menu which featured a number of their signature dishes. This was the first ever time that Caminada cooked in Belgium. The day before the four hands dinner at L'Air du Temps, he presented … [Read more...]