What a sad week it has been for #Belgium but NO WAY that we’ll let our way of life be ruined by some crazy idiots. The last week, despite the heartbreaking events and all the pain and tears, I have experienced why our country is a beautiful place despite this shit. Take a look at the attached pics and see the beauty of Belgium expressed in these dishes created by three brilliant chefs… Marcelo Ballard Gert de Mangeleer and Dario Puglia Belgium, I am proud of you, I love you and they’ll never break us. 

Zeeland, in the Netherlands, is in fact kind of a part of Flanders….therefore people there are almost completely like Flemish people, hard working, passionate professionals who’d die doing their jobs with their heart…just like, say, Sergio Herman…Now he’s had quite a few exceptional characters passing through his kitchen in the days of the legendary 3* restaurant Oud Sluis…Filip Claeys, Tim Boury, Syrco Bakker, Nick Bril…but also a young guy from Australia, Luke Armstrong. I’ve always liked Luke, his clear and determined view on gastronomy, his relentless hunger for perfection, his endless energy…so I decided to keep an eye on him. After years of perfecting his cooking skills throughout Europe, it was with great pleasure that I visited him at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze in posh Mayfair, London, UK tonight. 
Maze is situated within the Marriot hotel and was, until shortly, known as the place where Jason Atherton delivered his credentials to the culinary world. Now we all know how the story went between Gordon and Jason, so not sure this is really helping Luke..

But hey, as the people from Flanders and Zeeland, Luke was born in a country full of stubborn and determined people, Australia. So a couple months ago, Luke took over as head chef, with a clear mission, give the fullest expression to his cooking style and regain the lost Michelin star…
Allow me to cut some corners here and to make a long story quite short. Luke delivered a stunning performance tonight. Using first class ingredients to create technically challenging dishes packed with well balanced flavors is a real achievement. Especially since he took over the kitchen just 4 months ago after well, a few difficult years for Maze which eventually led to the loss of their Michelin star. Everything tonight was delicious, from the first appetizers to the perfect refreshing Pavlova… His (shell)fish dishes were so good that they even challenge the epic ingredient quality levels over at Hedone. 
The pictures speak pretty much for themselves. If you are in London, you just have to try and eat here….you will not regret it… 
There’s no doubt that the lost Michelin star is going to be won back soon…and we have the kind people of Zeeland to thank for that as Sergio has had an unmistakable influence on the chef Luke Armstrong has become, despite his young age. Of course this would not have been possibly without Gordon Ramsay and his executive team who really have given the opportunity to Luke to reshape and rethink things here either. I am very curious to see how the symbiosis between Luke and Gordon will further influence the culinary style of Maze in the years to come, so YES, I’ll definitely come back!

My score for this meal: 17/20

https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/maze
   
    
    
    
    
 

Still setting the standard for Chinese fine dining in London for me. Consistent high quality for years and years. Well done Alan Yau!
   
    
    
    
       

Pieter D’Hoop is a talented food photographer from Brugge (Bruges), in Belgium. I first met him during Flemish Food Bash 2 in Oostduinkerke. He immediately impressed me with a series of pictures of both food and people that caught the atmosphere of the event in a brilliant way. So I decided to take a closer look at his work…

After his start as an independent photographer, Pieter quickly started focussing on food and restaurant photography. He soon developed his very own style, which is defined by extreme attention to detail and a very straightforward approach of the dishes and settings he’s been shooting. You actually get the feeling that you could pick up your fork or spoon and just start eating away at the dishes in his pics.

Pieter had the pleasure and privilege to be a fly on the wall in many Belgian and Dutch restaurants, which at times allowed him to be a silent witness to the fantastic dynamics of how a restaurant works and operates from dawn till dusk. A great example of this are the unique pictures below, which he took at one of Belgium’s 3* restaurants, Hertog Jan, where he was following both the front of house staff and the kitchen team during a whole day.

It goes without saying that Pieter is also a foodie and a very creative home cook. We will most certainly see much more of his work in the near future as he has some very nice restaurants lined up for future shoots.

Enjoy the beauty of his pics…and if you’re getting hungry, blame him, not me 😉

www.pdsign.be

When Sofie Delbeke and Matthieu Beudaert moved their Michelin starred restaurant to a beautiful house in the heart of the historical city centre in Kortrijk (West-Flanders, Belgium), they quickly realized the huge potential of the first floor, above their first restaurant, Table d’Amis…and so they started planning the creation of a second, one… Gust Gastrobar.
The idea here is to offer hearty, tasty local dishes and some terroir specialties, from close by and further away. All of this, brought with a good portion of Michelin know-how and experience, but with a definite no-nonsense, informal approach.

The dining room is wrapped around the open kitchen and has been styled in a clever way, perfectly marrying design and the grandeur of this historical building. The large windows offer nice views and there’s a big terrace for warm summer days.

The menu is divided into kleine gust (the starters), grote gust (the mains) and zoete gust (desserts). The wine list offers a very large (in variety and price) choice of top quality bottles…you can see the hand of the charming hostess of Table d’Amis, Sofie Delbeke in the way this wine list was conceived.

Kleine gust offers a series of homemade starters and a selection of cheeses and cured meats to get things goin. In fact, if you are 4 or more it really becomes interesting because you can order a nice selection from the menu and share. Ideal to create a relaxed atmosphere, tasting all the goodness that they serve here, talking about food and wine, well, in other words having a good time… I had the delicious cheese croquettes made with the local cheese ‘brique des flanders’. Crisp on the outside, silky smooth and perfectly hot on the inside…and with a very pleasant, surprising spicy touch…mmmmmmmmmmm.

The main dishes are prepared on the Mibrasa grill and can be ordered with side dishes that are charged separately, which is very common in the UK but relatively new in this part of the world… The difficult task of making choice between so many good things is yet again a challenge if you’re eating alone…so hard!!! From the selection of meats and fish, I went for the pork cheeks prepared as a stew with Gouden Band, an excellent local beer, and Wostynmosterd…with fries and salad as sides. Pork with a nice, slightly fatty texture, not dry at all, divine sweet/sour/bitter sauce, perfectly balanced…a real treat!

I was a bit in a hurry so I skipped the sweets and went straight for coffee…still enjoying the nice meal I just had…Perfect and friendly service made this a most enjoyeable overall experience.
When in Kortrijk, make sure to visit Gust…you won’t regret it… Surely I will be back here and hopefully in good company so that I can taste much more of what the boys in the kitchen have in store. 

http://www.gastrobargust.be/  

 So, the year end is creeping up on us and it’s time for me to take a look back over my shoulder to my culinary year 2015…not in dishes but in chefs…because without chefs and their brilliant teams of sous, chefs de partie, etc…, waiters, maître d’s, dishwashers and cleaners, there simply wouldn’t be any fine dining at all. This is my way of saying ‘Thank you’ to all the hardworking professionals out there who made my 2015 into yet another culinary grand cru!

Here are, in (almost) arbitrary order, a number of people I want to put in the spotlights this year…

GEERT VAN HECKE, Chef at De Karmeliet, 3* in Brugge (B), I just have to start with chef Van Hecke. He is one of the key people who have shaped my passion for fine dining. His restaurant started next to my elementary school and later on moved to my street, the one and only Langestraat, where chef achieved the Champion’s League status of 3* which he proudly held ever since for over 20 years now! #RESPECT Thank you chef for your years of dedication and hard work, for what you have passed on to new generations of top chefs and most of all, for your warmth and kindness. It has been a privilege and honor to dine at De Karmeliet over the last twenty years, hope to be back soon for a last meal before the doors close for ever.

MIKAEL JONSSON, Chef at Hedone, 1*, in Chiswick, London (GB), what can I say Mikael, we were welcomed like princess when we came back to your restaurant earlier this month, after a long one year absence and we ate like kings. Your obsession for sourcing topnotch ingredients and for skillfully transforming them into pure, delightful dishes makes your restaurant into one of Europe’s prime foodie destinations. Your bold move to downsize has raised more than one eyebrow, but I can testify, it’s a huge success! It was so great to talk to you for well over an hour after service, getting an even better understanding of your cooking philosophy and almost endless knowledge about ingredients.

CHRIS BAU, Chef at Victor’s Gourmet Schlossberg, 3*, in Perl-Nennig (D) Dear Chef, how lucky am I to have your restaurant so close to where I live!! It’s become a yearly ritual to visit Schlossberg to enjoy your work, which is almost an artform…You master the combination of European cooking, local ingredients and Japanese influences to perfection. The beautiful plates that are coming out of your kitchen look so impressive that it’s a shame to eat them…or no, they are definitely so good that you just HAVE to eat them…and the wines….aaahhhh the wines play an important part in making a visit to Schlossberg truly unforgettable, also thanks to the irreplaceable sommelier Daniel… Thank you for your friendship and your hospitality!

SANGHOON DEGEIMBRE, Chef at l’Air du Temps, 2*, in Liernu (B), over the years our friendship and mutual respect has grown strong like the best steel…every visit to your beautiful restaurant and its gardens is like a fairytale…with your dedicated team of hospitality professionals you turn every meal into a whirlwind of discoveries both for the eyes and the palate. Not only Belgian but also European top level…and most of all, a truly unique dining experience…My home away from home. X

EMMANUEL RENAUT, Chef at Flocons de Sel, 3*, in Megève (F), My meal here was the first ever to get a 20/20 score…so yes, the perfect meal does exist. Particularly pleasing for me since Emmanuel Renaut is the only 3* chef I’ve known in the days when he had no stars. Despite his quick ascension to the top of world gastronomy, Emmanuel managed to remain…well…Emmanuel…a humble and warm man and at the same time incredibly driven 😉 His love for the mountains, his seemingly simple, but detailed approach to the conception of a dish and his incredible technical skill make his restaurant the finest I have ever eaten at, world-class, no doubt.

TIM BOURY, Chef at Boury, 1*, in Roeselare (B), West Flemish people are known to be hard working people who take their jobs very seriously and who don’t talk more than is strictly necessary. Well, that is a pretty good description of Tim Boury…till you get to know him better. Then, you realize he is all that and on top of that he is a damn good cook who developed his very own style…and a great guy. I had my best lunch of the year here with the grilled beef served on a mini bbq on the table as an absolute culinary high. The service is also remarkable and in the good hands of his wife Inge and the young but very professional front of house team. Tim, I have to say, I expected your 2* this year but for some mysterious reason Michelin decided to ignore the whole of West Flanders, not only you, so I guess it will be for 2017 (fingers crossed)!!!

LOÏC VILLEMIN, Chef at Toya, 1*, in Faulquemont (F) My dear Loïc, on two occasions this year, you showed me why you were rightfully the youngest chef to get a Michelin star in France. Your cooking is super well mastered, technical, inventive and extremely well balanced… Your potatoes cooked in clay were simply extraterrestrialy good! I have not often seen such talent as yours. I will keep a close eye on your work and evolution for sure…can’t wait to be back in Faulquemont

CYRIL MOLLARD, Chef at Ma Langue Sourit, 1*, in Moutfort (L) Cyril, for me it has been an excellent year for Ma Langue Sourit. I must have eaten some six times at your restaurant which allowed me to be repeatedly charmed by the consistency of your tasty creations. What an evolution in the plate and in the service you have gone through! Your restaurant is ready for the next level…it’s tangible when you dine at your restaurant…except for the guides who seemed to have ignored this completely this year.

MARCELO BALLARDIN, Chef at Oak, in Gent (B), Marcelo, I decided to give you a place in my list despite not having eaten at your restaurant…though I did have the occasion of eating your food at the GaultMillau 2016 press lunch and at Horeca Expo. You move me with your cuisine. The way you delicately integrate Brasilian influences into your dishes is superb. You create dishes that express your unique vision on cooking and I cannot wait to discover more in 2016!!! By chance we could extensively exchange views and ideas and I was amazed about the river of ideas coming out of you 😉 I am sure you are one of Belgium’s top talents for the years to come…
WILLEM HIELE and BRUNO TIMPERMAN, Chefs of Willem Hiele in Oostduinkerke (B) and Bruut in Burgge (B), Willem and Bruno, I just have to mention you guys in one breath…you are to me, two brothers from, obviously, two other mothers…You are both perfect representatives of all that seasonal terroir cooking should stand for. The way the two of you met and how you stick together like glue, with an amazing four hand dinner as a result is so cool.
It’s not only great to eat your food, but equally great to hear you talk about your ingredients, cooking techniques and dish creations…I have spent hours and hours with you guys and it’s been unforgettable…especially the two of you making me scrambled eggs with chives, brown shrimps and whit truffle at 03:30am, just because I was getting hungry again was just EPIC. Big kiss to both of you…you cook from the heart, pure, no bullshit…love it!!!! 

VINCENT FLORIZOONE, Chef at Grand Cabaret in Nieuwpoort (B)…Flori, you are one crazy but special guy….talented chef and relentlessly motivated organizer of a great chef and foodie get together which has already become a reference, Flemish Foodbash…It’s been one hell of a tough ride for you this year, both personally and professionally and I have stood right next to you during some unbelievable moments but also during some tough challenges…respect my friend…and I wish you all the best for the future, once the doors of your legendary Grand Cabaret will close in a few days from now!!!!

Love you all, a big thank you and see you next year for more culinary adventures!! Best wishes for 2016!!!!