Showing posts with label Restaurants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Restaurants. Show all posts

Food of the week-a life inspiration series

We started the week with a work lunch at 'clouds in my coffee', a charming lunchroom in Destelbergen of all places.
The home of the girl behind the online store I-object, and a place so simple, pure and cosy, you feel at home right away.
Simple goat cheese salad, granny-made cheesecake, and some bio lemonade. That's what we call a healthy and tasty lunch.



Peter De Clercq is one of the few chefs that really know how to grill. He became some years ago BBQ chef of the world. His remarkable BBQ skills became the speciality in his restaurant Elckerlijc in Maldegem.
The venue is more or less rustic, but you don't go for the interior: the seduction comes from the first class organic meat selection list, the many different wood De Clercq BBQ's on ( fire wood drenched in Scotch whiskey anyone?)and the excellent flavors he gets out of his fire places.
In summer there is a huge outdoor terrace, with extra heating, for nightlong talks with friends over a glass and De Clercq's succulent dishes.
Address: http://www.peterdeclercq.be

This is one of Peter's star dishes, and a must taste. Scallops smoked 'à la minute' in a glass bowl: fabulous.
Not really part of the food of the week, but a nice gin and tonic, with a frozen curl of cucumber beautifully draped around the glass. Gin= Hendrickx, tonic = Fentimans.
When I have the opportunity to have squid in one way or another, I go for it.
This one is one of the nicest I ever tasted.

http://www.kabu.be
Also at Kabu: their japanese version of a 'classic Dame Blanche'. Yummie.
http://www.kabu.be
I remember this cake with hot milk. It was a treat at the office. Self made by one of the girls.  
Ah, Volta http://www.volta-gent.be in Ghent. Not my first time, my fourth.

I love this cuisine, I love the bar upstairs, just before you can join your table.
Diner with friend Bernard from Gaggarin Gallery http://www.gaggarin.com. We always test the restaurants in both our home towns (Ghent and Brussels). Always intense discussions and talks, always with excellent food.

This was a dish with scallops and beetroot. Beautiful food.
Good, tasty, big bread at Volta.

"Croquettas". I don't remember the filling, but they were nice.
Skrei, the fish that you can't escape this month. I just loved the shape and drawing on this plate. Spring and nature going wild. It tasted like that too. Great.
The most sweet, old fashion but so beautiful little 'cake with your coffee'. Still at Volta. Filled with orange juice and very, very light.
Crumble desert and again so well dressed and a flavor explosion.

At Xandres http://www.xandres.be, one of my clients, we had a cancer fundraising week. Every department had to make one dish, each day of the week somebody lease, to surprise the others. Theme related and all for a good cause.
Our marketing and communication department served hotdogs with real Frankfurters and off course, some good Genht mustard and sauerkraut. I don't like it but doesn't it look great on picture?
Frankfurters in a pot. Weird, I know.


To stay in the US theme, we served some soft 'marshmallows'. They were gone in 10 minutes.

That's was it for last weeks. More week food coming as I stayed for some fashion shoots in Amsterdam. Enjoy your week food and keep it simple but tasty!

Sergio cooked for my birthday-a life inspiration day

Booked 10 months upfront, but finally: the day I was looking forward too. My birthday December 11th, and Sergio was going to cook for me!
We arrived at 12 o' clock, in that strange little town called Sluis. Frequented in the weekends by loads of Belgians looking for cheap clothes and decoration stuff, 'volks' like we call it, and in the middle of this chaos: Sergio's 3 star heaven for the elite....



And yes, we felt privileged and part of the fabulous food elite when we left 6 hours later.... OS IS one of the best restaurants in the world.


It was our first time at Oud Sluis(really) although we visited Sergio's Pure C already 4 times, with some sleepovers in the Strandhotel and it's little beach house. We have our love for Ibiza in common with Sergio and Pure C feels a bit like home .


But let's start with the appetizers....


Even the butter in Oud Sluis is an adventure. Butter mixed with healthy algues.
Glass wear and porcelain so beautiful and made by different designers (Piet STOCKMAN, STUDIO JOB,...)
Bring back the Fall, as a remedy against the ones who don't like the Winter cold...


The wine was for me the revellation of the day. Great choices, amazing taste, surprising combinations... The girl sommelier found the exact balance between interesting product information and a good story. Not too much, just enough. And, the saké you see on the picture: one of the best we ever tasted.



The green mushroom and others

The golden crab.

Another special, rough presentation.






One of the many desserts, every one of them a mouthwatering festivity. And, that means something for me, a non desert  person.




Damien Hirst meets Sergio Herman. Chocolate skulls like brothers next one another.



Did I mention is was my birthday? We did at the reservation 10 months ago, and they remembered! A white porcelain cake with white candles made by Studio Job arrived at my table, and after blowing all!! the candles, the cake was removed. Underneath another sweet treat by the master himself, just for me. (Ivan and I split the dish off course!)
Peace for my birthday, with a golden box, a white peace sign and some ice pearls of a black plate. Designed pour moi!
And more.....
And more... This one was ' A mouthful of cherries'
The final touch, for the final touch. Gold again to end a golden day with delicious food from a fantastic team.
Part of the menu.


Sergio's restaurant is not too posh, there is an open kitchen, 'un atmoshpere décontracté' and the staff is in a relaxing way very sweet, young and mucho professional. All in blue jeans,a black blazer jacket and...the Music For Life badge, an initiative from a Belgian youth music radio Studio Brussel on dementia awareness.




And, was Sergio in his kitchen? Off course!
Did we meet? Off course.
We chatted about food, his stardom and his latest very cool book on 'kot food': student food made in student homes. This means low budget, XL creativity and weird combinations... Sergio pimped some of these student recipe's and made them 'touched by his' signature. 
Great little booklet, no nonsense, like Mr Herman is in real life.

Thank you Sergio and team for a lovely extended birthday lunch, and we hope to see you back in Sluis, or maybe in La Chapelle Antwerp.

Kate

http://www.sergioherman.com/en/oudsluis/about/
http://www.lachapelleantwerp.com
http://www.strandhotel.eu/fr/resto-bar/

Eat with hands and heart-a life inspiration day

Toukoul is a remarkable restaurant in Brussels
Toukoul is a remarkable restaurant in Brussels, in an amazing warm interior serving unknown Ethiopian food. 
Deco-wise they found a nice blend between a contemporary, cosmpolitan style and some bold authentic features like the entire wooden wall, constructed out of rough basic beams or some original used nature elements like the stone-turned-washbowl.

The staff looks beautiful (yes, that's the word), and they are absolutely one of the most friendly I've ever met in resto business. The cocktails mixed by the guy who worked at the legendary bar l'Archiduc'and the regular music bands that play, add to the vibrant atmosphere.

The food? Ah!Something special, indeed... 
First you get a mini hot towel to wash your hands and you choose one dish (or some of the typical Ethiopian suggestions). 
The dishes arrive in bowls, a silver large plate is set on the table with inside an XL but light pancake. The different dishes are put on the plate on the pancake. No silverware, you use your hands or a small, rolled pancake that's on the side and serves as tool-to-eate. 
A great ritual in Ethiopia, is the fact that when you eat together, you put the first bite of the dish in the mouth of your partner. A welcoming gesture that strangely enough is not that weird at all. It brings back a delicate intimacy, that sets the tone for the evening.
Desert? Off course. Grilled pineapple, with roasted herbs (not sweet at all), in combination with some ice cream and a berry 'coulis'. WITH SILVERWARE.

Toukoul, remarkable restaurant, Brussels

Toukoul, remarkable restaurant, Brussels

Toukoul, remarkable restaurant, Brussels
Bijschrift toevoegen

Toukoul, remarkable restaurant, Brussels

Toukoul, remarkable restaurant, Brussels


Toukoul, remarkable restaurant, Brussels

http://www.toukoul.be
Reservation by phone 0032 2 223 73 77
Rue de Laeken, 34/Rue Marronnier
1000 Brussel