eat! BRUSSELS, drink! BORDEAUX showcases Brussels’ chefs at its eighth festival
On 5, 6, 7 and 8 September 2019, the eat! BRUSSELS, drink! BORDEAUX festival will once again take over Brussels Park. More than 30 of Brussels’ chefs and artisans will be working away at their stoves in their pop-up kitchens to serve up their signature dishes to the public. About 50 Bordeaux winemakers and traders will bring you a wide array of wines which embody the simplicity, diversity, quality and accessibility of Bordeaux Wines, giving you the perfect drink to go with your food and the opportunity to discover something new.
The eighth eat! BRUSSELS, drink! festival is stepping up in its activities and is welcoming more than 30 of Brussels’ chefs and artisans. This is a wonderful opportunity to discover the stars of Belgium’s gastronomy scene in the green surroundings of Brussels Park. This year, cheese and desert bars will once again add the finishing touches to the festival’s gourmet menu.
About 40 Bordeaux Wine winemakers and merchants will also be at the event and will bring you a complete range of Bordeaux Wines (reds, whites, rosés and crémants), which will go perfectly with the dishes prepared by the chefs.
More than 30 of Brussels’ chefs
New famous Brussels chefs are joining in the fun, meaning that there will be even more for you to enjoy at the festival. They will be serving up a signature dish for visitors which sums up their culinary identity.
The chefs at the festival:
Laure Genonceaux – Brinz’l
Laure Genonceaux proudly emphasises and showcases her Mauritian roots with a little nod to the Brinzelle, Mauritius’ local aubergine. However, her cuisine is very much French, creative and high-level. Laure celebrates local produce from our region. When creating her dishes, she focuses on prioritising natural produce and treating producers with respect.
Denis Delcampe – Le Tournant
Le Tournant is located right in the heart of Ixelles, on the edge of the Matonge district. There, Denis Delcampe prepares gourmet market cuisine, influenced by world cuisines. The restaurant also heavily pushes its natural wine menu and the resulting food-wine pairings to the forefront.
Alex Joseph – Rouge Tomate
This is undoubtedly one of the most wonderful high-end restaurants in the city. Since Californian chef Alex Joseph took over the kitchen there, Rouge Tomate has started to produce sophisticated contemporary cuisine which is constantly developing. Alex won the Benelux 2015 San Pellegrino Young Chef competition.
Ugo Federico & Francesco Cury – Racines et Petit Racines
More than anything, Racines is a culinary journey. It takes you on a journey to an authentic, delicious and idyllic Italy. This Italy has an endless supply of premium natural produce. Discover this Italy in these two chefs’ restaurants, Racines and Petit Racines.
Yoth Ondara – Crab Club
This bistro with trendy industrial décor opened its doors in the Porte de Hal district in 2015 and brings you themed cuisine centring around sea food, which comes from sustainable fisheries and stocks. Each day, the chef Yoth Ondara, of Thai origin, brings you a variety of fresh and simple dishes with Asian influences as well as surf-turf pairings, served mezze-style for you to share.
Julie De Block & Glen Ramaekers – Humphrey
Nestled in the headquarters of the PIAS record company, this international canteen is like no other. While producing reinvented cuisine with Filipino influences, Glen and Julie place a heavy emphasis on natural produce and set out to tantalise your taste buds.
Valerio Borriero– SAN Sablon Restaurant
The double-Michelin-starred chef has opened three restaurants in Brussels and Ghent under the San name. The chef Valerio Borriero runs the Sablon restaurant, bringing you extraordinary dishes, as you would expect.
Alessio Sanchez – Sanzaru
Located in a listed 1930s villa, Alessio Sanchez brings you “bistronomic” Japanese cuisine, inspired by a clever blend of natural flavours from Peruvian products and Japanese culinary techniques.
Luigi Ciciriello – La Truffe Noire
La Truffe Noire has been delighting lovers of fine food for nearly 30 years, with its truffles standing out as the absolute highlight. Whether you’re having black, white or summer ones, the truffles served up by Luigi Ciciriello in this stylish establishment near to la Cambre are sublime. This eatery, which focuses on this sophisticated, powerfully magic and extraordinary ingredient, promises to give you an unforgettable experience with this gastronomic diamond at the forefront.
Karen Torosyan – BOZAR restaurant
Serving pies such as Pâté en croûte, pie, Pithivier and Coulibiac, Bozar restaurant is a dream world and a true hallmark of Bozar’s identity. The art-deco backdrop of the restaurant makes it an oasis of sophisticated cuisine prepared by Karen Torosyan, a passionate artisan chef with a Michelin star under her belt.
The newcomers:
Jean Philippe Watteyne – The 1040
Jean-Philippe Watteyne decided to set up his restaurant at the Sofitel Brussels Europe hotel from the month of May. Here, this chef from Mons brings you gourmet cuisine in the new 1040 brasserie. If you enjoy nice flavours, you must stop by here!
Cédric Callenaere – Aux Armes de Bruxelles
There’s no well-off clientèle here, just a Belgian, Brussels and international crowd which recognises good flavours and likes to indulge. The chef Cédric Callenaere is breathing new life into this institution’s cuisine, with amazing and, most of all, delicious dishes!
Cédric Mosbeux – Fernand Obb – Delicatessen
Fernand Obb – Delicatessen presents itself as a “popular kitchen counter”. Cédric Mosbeux, a Brussels native, has set out to bring staples of Belgian cuisine into the 21st century. He has risen to the challenge as he can boast that he won the inaugural competition to find the best shrimp croquette in Brussels.
Kenzo Nakata – Gramm
The 2018 edition of the Gault & Millau guide awarded the prize for best young chef of the year to Kenzo Nakata from Gramm restaurant, and it’s clear why! Indeed, this restaurant, located at Rue de Flandre 86, and its delicious cuisine has got everyone talking.
Pierre Baeyens & Jonathan Delhière – Gus
At Gus, you can discover a subtle blend of the arts of brewing and gastronomy. In a friendly and relaxed setting, you can enjoy a range of new beers, brewed on site by Aurélien Grodent. The cuisine prepared by Pierre Baeyens and Jonathan Delhière, who used to run Bon Bon and Air du Temps respectively, includes bistro-inspired dishes. You absolutely must stop by this restaurant.
Toshiro Fujii – Toshiro
After more than ten years delighting our tastebuds under the double-Michelin-starred chef Sang Hoon Degeimbre (L’air du temps, SAN), Toshiro Fujii has opened his own restaurant. Here, you can enjoy creative cuisine which focuses on his Japanese origins inside a sleek setting.
Isabelle Arpin
Isabelle Arpin’s cuisine does not follow what’s fashionable and is not pinned down by trends. However, at the same time, it is also as distinct and gourmet as possible. The chef operates based on the principle of not listing dishes on her menus, meaning that she can be really creative when it’s time to cook.
Kamo Tomoyasu – Kamo
KAMO brings you the best of Japan on your plate. This restaurant has Japanese cuisine and its requirements at the forefront of its mind, and prioritises bringing you seasonal and highquality produce. At KAMO, you’ll discover Japan, its art and its sophistication.
Simona El Harar – Kitchen 151
Located in the Ixelles district, in just a few steps, Kitchen 151 transports you from the streets of Brussels to the heart of the eastern and southern shores of the Mediterranean. You’ll enjoy a dining experience which celebrates both modern fusion cuisine and the rich culinary cultures of the Middle East and the Maghreb.
Kevin Lejeune – La Canne en Ville
Chefs Kevin Lejeune and Virginie Essers are at the helm of this mythical restaurant and bring you flavoursome and sophisticated cuisine. La Canne en Ville has remained faithful to its district local restaurant ethos. Every morning, the chef and his team set out to create a new modern, gourmet and light menu for the day.
Dirk Myny – Les Brigittines
At Les Brigittines, you’re the guest of Dirk Myny, its head chef. You’ll enjoy your evening meal in a former art nouveau post office which boasts a large fireplace. Here, Dirk Miny admittedly serves brasserie cuisine, but this is seasonal and gourmet cuisine, which focuses on local produce and comes in generous portions. Throughout your meal, Dirk Miny will reveal the delights of a whole-hearted and increasingly local cuisine.
Alexandre Cardoso – Les Caves d’Alex
Ixelles is home to Les Caves d’Alex, in an incredible setting with amazing barrels in a room with an intimate atmosphere. However, above all, Les Caves d’Alex’s French culinary classics, with matured meats as its speciality, have established this restaurant’s reputation outside of Brussels. This restaurant is easy on the eye and will delight your tastebuds!
Karin Burton – Lou Ferri
Having established a gourmet restaurant in the pretty little village of Euzet-les-Bains, Karin Burton decided to leave her beloved southern homeland to come to Belgium and set up a new place. However, she didn’t come here empty-handed, as she brought with her all the tastes of Camargue and Provence. The seasons in the south have a major influence on the menu, with names that make you think of the sun. Stepping through the door of Lou Ferri is a bit like travelling 1,000 km in a fraction of a second.
Georges Baghdi Sar – My Tannour
Tannour is a bread of Syrian origin. It’s no wonder then that this fast-food restaurant located a stone’s thrown from Place Flagey is named after it, as you can watch the chef, Georges Baghdi Sar, make it in front of you there. This restaurant brings you high-quality produce and takes you on a wonderful journey in just a few mouthfuls.
Alang Wichaiphum – Old Boy
The Asian restaurant Old Boy, located in Ixelles, originated from its founders’ passion for Asia’s tastes and flavours. The chef Alang Wichaiphum brings you Chinese and Thai dishes, which will delight your tastebuds thanks to the fresh and seasonal produce used to make them.
Paul Delrez – La Guinguette en ville
At just 27 years old, Paul Delrez already runs two restaurants in Brussels. La guinguette en ville feels like a timeless small local restaurant where you can stop off and enjoy a wonderful gourmet dining experience. The young chef prepares cuisine which tips its cap to bistro culture, with gourmet dishes and seasonal variations.
Olivier Vanklemput – Viva m’ Boma
Finding a perfect balance between tradition and modernity, quality produce, and suitable cooking methods and seasoning, Olivier Vanklemput and his sous-chef prepare both typical Brussels dishes and creative recipes which prominently feature offal.
Dessert counter and cheese bar
Dessert counter
Many leading pastry chefs will be working away every day to add the finishing touches to the festival’s menu. Those of you with a sweet tooth will be able to enjoy a range of delicious deserts priced at 9 euros. Bordeaux wine makers and merchants will be delighted to provide you advice about which wine will go perfectly with your desert.
The pastry chefs:
Nikolas Koulepis – Pâtisserie Nicolas Koulepis
After a stellar stint at Villa Lorraine and then the restaurants Bouchéry and Notos, Nikolas Koulepis has recently opened his own Greek-inspired patisserie on Rue du Page. Walnuts, pistachios and cinnamon feature heavily in these light and sophisticated artisanal pastries, and the smell of freshly baked Viennese pastries regularly fills this beautiful patisserie.
Manuel Garcia – Garcia
“The reputation and success of Rui Garcia are no accident. Indeed, this Portuguese chef came to Belgium with all the expertise and the culinary secrets from his country of origin.
Since it opened, Garcia patisserie has become a benchmark in our capital city. Here, you’ll find not only the staple ‘pastel de nata’, but also a wide range of regional Portuguese pastries.” Anaïs Gaudemer – Cokoa
Anaïs Gaudemer, who used to be a landscape gardener and has been mad about pastries since a very young age, is behind this extraordinary pastry shop. Cokoa is inspired by nature as a basis for creating new and innovative pastries, which are concocted based around the seasons and the impulses of their creator Anaïs Gaudemer. Come and discover a wide range of products which are just as delicious as they are colourful.
Yasushi Sasaki – Pâtisserie Sasaki
Yasushi Sasaki, a former student of the famous pastry chef Mahieu in Stockel and who featured in the top 4 of the Gault et Millau Chocolate and Pastries guide in 2015, brings you Japanese-inspired sweet treats containing low levels of sugar. This gourmet chef creates wonderful flavours and astonishes people with his new spins on patisserie classics.
Cheese bar
There’s nothing better than enjoying a range of cheeses served with an excellent Bordeaux wine. Why not have a blue cheese with a sweet wine? This year, a large number of leading cheesemakers will be at eat! BRUSSELS, drink! BORDEAUX, giving visitors the opportunity to discover new flavours thanks to their original selection.
The cheesemakers:
Julien Hazard – Julien Hazard Affineur
Julien Hazard is a certified cheesemaker and maturing expert who supplies cheese to most of the gourmet restaurants in Brussels. At eat! BRUSSELS, drink! BORDEAUX, he has more than three hundred varieties of cheese on offer. Most of them have been carefully matured in the cellars of his shop located at Rue Vanderkindere.
Véronique Socié – La Fruitière
Crowned the 2016 Belgian Cheesemaker of the Year, Véronique Socié is the second woman to win this prize and the first to open a cheese bar in Belgium’s capital city. This ambassador for her craft produces goats cheese originating from the Jura region and puts on tables d’hôte in her shop, where you will be able to discover a selection of her favourite cheeses.
Lara Milan – Le Comptoir du Samson
Le Comptoir du Samson is a family affair. The two sisters, Hélène and Lara Milan, who are passionate about local Belgian produce, along with their uncle, Vincent Verleyen, who won the 2014 Belgian Cheesemaker of the Year prize, bring you a selection of cheeses which have been made with raw milk in the Condroz in Namur using traditional methods, and which are labelled as organic products.
Etienne Boissy- From Comptoir
After a career in Restaurant services which included 10 years as a Professor of Table Entertaining at the Paul Bocuse Institute, Etienne Boissy won the prize for “France’s Best Cheesemaker” for 2003-2004. Since this success, Etienne Boissy has constantly provided his customers with products of the very highest quality. You absolutely must not miss this counter.
Enjoy Bordeaux wines how you want
Bordeaux Wines, who are the key partners for this festival, have once again joined us on this culinary adventure. The festival is a unique opportunity to discover the qualities of Bordeaux wines and meet around 50 Bordeaux wine makers and merchants who will share their passion in a friendly and relaxed way.
Disover the stories and anecdotes of these men and women who make Bordeaux wines. These accessible wines, which are easy to drink, are made by carefully blending a number of grape varieties together and will delight visitors’ tastebuds. This is a unique opportunity to discover new fresh and young Bordeaux reds, dry whites, rosés, clairets and sweets, which make wonderful aperitifs and go with all types of cuisines. Wine pairings, which have been put together for the event, will also be made available for the chefs’ dishes, deserts and cheese platters at the festival.
