Willem Hiele and his wife Shannah are the 7th generation of the same family occupying this former fishermen’s house.
Cosy, living room dining with the chef cooking just next to you in an open kitchen…you can’t get a more intimate foodie experience than this…The chef comes at your table to give you some background about ingredients and preparations, but never in the snob way of some big restaurants…it’s more about sharing his passion…
Almost all fruit and veg come from the adjacent garden and orchard. Willem also breeds his own delicious chickens. On a sunny day make sure to take a tour 😉
A huge ancient fireplace dominates the dining room. Chef Hiele uses this fireplace as much as he can for his tasty, seasonal preparations.

Willem is proud of his heritage and terroir and it shows in his culinary creations. A main ingredient, a limited number of additional textures and flavors…delicious… Willem traditionally cooks a lot with fish as his restaurant is located a few miles from the sea.

Lady of the house Shannah does not only excel in making you feel very much at home from the moment you walk into the door, she also surprises you with perfect winepairings and non-alcoholic drinks to go with her husbands creations.
Make sure to book well in advance given the limited number of covers…
www.willemhiele.be
   
    
    
    
    
    
 

I’ve said it many times before, we are truly culinary blessed in Belgium…and what’s even better…that goes for the whole array of eating out…from fries and snacks all the way up to 3* fine dining…
Today, we tasted the delicious bistro cuisine of chef Stijn Bauwens at Bistro De Kruidenmolen in Klemskerke, between Ostend and Bruges. 
Stijn prepares some of Belgium’s classic bistro dishes with his own personal touch. Classics like croquettes, pig’s trotters, stews etc are hugely popular here. 
A lot of chefs come to eat here, not only because this is one of the few restaurants open on Monday, the traditional closing day for the industry…but certainly also for the food, food that gives you a feeling of coming home to pure traditional culinary delight. 
His wife Veerle is in charge of the front of house and serves customers in a relaxed, professional but most of all friendly way. 
If you’re in for some of the best preparations of Belgium’s bistro cuisine…book your table here!! 

http://www.kruidenmolen.be

Just got back from two days in Belgium…and what a culinary delight it has been, yet again…
Epicerie du Cirque, 1*, Chef Dennis Broeckx, Antwerp
Rock-Fort, Chef Hermes Vanliefde, Bruges
Boury, 1*, Chef Tim Boury, Roeselare
Three great guys, great chefs, great meals. 
Individual posts to follow but here are some pics…

What a lovely way to celebrate 10 years at the top of the culinary world, 10 years 3*: 10 top chefs…10 dishes and excellent German wines…a funky, classy food and party loving crowd and a most impressive spotless organization. Hats off to Chris Bau and his team. A true honor and pleasure to have been here today!!! Thank you and RESPECT!!!!!
   
    
    
    
    
 

So proud of my hometown #Bruges , top gastronomy, probably amongst Belgium’s finest… Filip Claeys (www.dejonkman.be)…2*, GM Chef of the Year 2015. Big Thank You to the whole team for an unforgettable, delicious evening!!!!! I see a very exciting evolution compared to last year’s visit and I would dare to say that Filip and his team managed to take it to the next level, once more….Excelling in both meat, fish and vegetarian preparations…A stable, young, dynamic but very professional front of house team completes this true Belgian top experience….
   
    
    
    
    
 

It’s been an amazing adventure getting to this day and even though it got off to a bumpy and very wet start it was one hell of a party. Thanks y’all!!!!
   
    
    
    
    
    
 

 I have had many conversations about the pro’s and con’s of Tripadvisor…in conclusion I would say it can give a good indication on the quality of a restaurant or hotel you are planning to visit, but it’s not conclusive at all…Indeed, the audience contributing to this travel site is just too diverse…the chances are too high that they are too much off from your own profille (i.e. preferences, weakspots, etc…).

This being said, do I contribute to Tripadvisor myself? YES!!! I do it to support hardworking chefs and hotel staff who deserve to get credit for their work. Just because the lack of consistency in the reviews, where a brilliant Japanese restaurant can get a bad review from someone just because that person isn’t into Japanese food, really gets on my system…
The more you write the better, people can get accustomed to how you write and evaluate places and the figures on the screenshot just show you what a massive medium Tripadvisor is…

Love it or hate it, there’s just no way around it…you just need to learn how to live with it and use it to your advantage….