This was one of the most memorable days of our trip, a busy day of gastronomic and cultural discovery at one of Europe's great capitals. What other city in the world can boast fantastic shellfish, great Art Nouveau architecture along with the best beers in the world? 36 hours were clearly not enough, but that didn't stop us from trying!
We arrived late in the first evening after a stormy day-trip to picturesque Kinderdijk, and diligently spent the entire second day touring, eating and drinking as much as we could from early morning till evening. Tram lines #3 and #4 became our best friends, and the 48-hour ticket from STIB (11 Euros; NOT the overpriced 34 Euros Brussels Card!) was perfect for covering all our traveling needs on 3 calendar days.
Our day started in the early morning with the Manneken Pis and the nearby Grand-Place, striking Brussels' most recognizable landmarks off the list before the hordes of international tourists arrived. But here's the real reason for our morning visit -- this was just a short walk from our highly anticipated brunch spot ...
THIS was our REAL destination. In fact this little street side stand, and not the Grand-Place or any of Brussels' world-famous landmarks, turned out to be our favorite memory of the city. At least, that's was my tastebuds remembered.
Noordzee was certainly no fancy gourmet restaurant -- we're looking at an unpretentious stand-up bistro that grew naturally out of a neighborhood fishmonger, just steps from Chinatown and facing Place Ste. Catherine. Just look at the crystal clear eyes of the mackerels and trouts and you'll appreciate the absolute freshness of ingredients here. Prices were rumoured to be very reasonable, and kept that way partially due to the competition of an oyster stand right across the square. How reasonable? We're about to find out.
We knew we've found a real gem at the first sniff of their fish soup, even before the bistro opened for business (yes, we arrived early and waited for the 11:00 opening!). And it was worth the wait -- gigantic chunks of white fish, salmon and baby clams were combined in a Bouillabaisse-like stew that was fresh enough not to exhibit even the slightly hint of fishiness. Not only that, but the volume of fish meat and the accompanied bread and cheese were generous enough to make a small meal. And this was just the beginning.
We spotted these escargot-like morsels simmering away in a soup cauldron and couldn't quite resist the aroma. These sea snails came in a spicy clear broth with green onions and a generous seasoning of ground pepper. The highlight here wasn't the chewy snails, but the intense Umami flavor of fresh shellfish in the broth. The stage has been set for the grand entrance of the one dish we've waited for ...
THIS -- was one of the most memorable dishes of our 24-day trip. My previous experience with razor clams was in a clear-steamed dish at a very traditional eatery in faraway Hong Kong, and I didn't expect this chance encounter half a world away in Brussels. This time they're sauteed on a sizzling hot plate with a heavy dollop of fresh herbs and rock salt -- fresh, tender and extremely sweet and juicy. I couldn't tell whether it was the freshness of the razor clams or the mastery in the seasoning, but it was as close to perfection as it could get. To this day I'm still salivating over the thought of these razor clams. To me they're very simply ... perfect.
And what self-respecting food-lover could escape Brussels without having mussels in some form? Again these sauteed mussels were as fresh and juicy as the razor clams, and even though the seasoning was slightly salty, the price turned out to be absolutely unbeatable. I must still point out that ... we still had no idea what the prices were up to this point!
Even at the end of four shared courses our minds were still relishing over that delicious plate of razor clams. How expensive can a plate of seafood in a stand-up bistro be, we thought, 12 Euros? Without knowing the exact price we went back to the counter and ordered another plate of razor clams, re-indulging in that savory freshness from the sea. This was certainly one of the most satisfying seafood meals in recent memory.
The shop finally propped up this hand-written menu was we’re about to ask for the cheque. That mouthwatering Fish Soup that we smelled from half a block away turned out to be 4.5 Euros. The bowl of sea snails? Also 4.5 Euros. The big heap of mussels cost a measly 6 Euros. And our favorite razor clams, one of our favorite dishes of the trip, cost an unbelievably cheap 6 Euros per dish.
Now I’m absolutely convinced that this is among the best bargains in Brussels for an informal lunch, and I have no reservations about recommending it to anyone, especially seafood lovers. Arrive early if you can, as it can start to get busy around noon time.
Bill for Two Persons
| Soupe de Poisson | 4.5 Euros |
| Escargots | 4.5 Euros |
| Razor Clams x 2 | 12 Euros |
| Mussels | 6 Euros |
| TOTAL before tips | 27 Euros (CAD$37.8) |
We purposely avoided ordering any alcohol for brunch as we’ve got a better idea in mind. A short hop on Tram #4 took us to Brouwerij Cantillon, one of the last remaining Lambic breweries in Brussels, for a tasting and tour of a medieval brewing technique found nowhere else in the world.
For 6 Euros the visitor gets a self-guided tour of the brewing facilities as well as two sampling glasses of unblended Lambic, Kriek or Gueuze. While the concept of spontaneous fermentation may sound dauntingly old-fashioned in the 21st Century, this century-old family brewery does offer a rare window into the impressive brewing traditions of the Belgians. The tasting room is also an excellent place to spend a leisurely afternoon -- one of the (local?) visitors even brought along a book to slowly savor a 750mL bottle of Gueuze.
Like most Canadians I’ve never had Lambic beer before -- it’s just not widely available outside of Belgium -- and had no idea how different it can taste compared with our "normal" ale or lager. My wife cringed at her first sip, and frankly I had to completely wipe clean the definition of beer in my own mind. That moment of cultural ephiphany alone was worth the visit, and taste was almost secondary. Honestly, my tastebuds prefer Chimay better.
Part of the late afternoon was spent at one of Brussels’ truly underrated sights, an immaculately preserved architectural treasure from La Belle Epoque. I’ve got a soft spot for all things Art Nouveau -- Hokusai (if he can be considered the original inspiration of the style), Alfonse Mucha and of course in Belgium, Victor Horta. While some Horta’s best known pieces (eg. Hotel Tassel, now occupied by a government agency) remain private and are rarely open to the public, his old house and studio has been enshrined as a museum.
The century-old house itself, along with several of Horta's masterpieces in the same neighborhood, have been designated a UNESCO Heritage Site. Leaning against the sensuous curves of the staircase one is immediately immersed into a world of ornate organic shapes formed out of meticulously handcrafted stone and metal. Anything from door handles to coat racks to stained glass skylights bore Horta's signature ornamentations. This was my favorite sight in Brussels.
No pictures are allowed inside though, which is a shame. Also note that the museum is only open for a short time between 14:00 and 17:30. Arrive early if you’re an Art Nouveau fan, as there are enough fine details from that bygone era that demands to be taken in and explored slowly.
After a short nap we returned to the Bourse for dinner. We tried our luck at the wildly popular Fin de Siecle, arriving barely in time for the last available table among a mostly French-speaking crowd. No credit cards accepted, but prices were reasonable enough that you should have enough cash. Where else could you find Stoemp Saucisse for 13.32 Euros for dinner, within walking distance of the Grand-Place?
I asked our knowledgeable waiter for his own favorite beer, and he introduced me to this strong and malty Tripel Karmeliet. This probably turned out to be my second favorite beer in Belgium after the Tripel de Garre, and now that I've found a store in Canada that carries this beer, this is gonna become a frequent fixture in my fridge!
My wife kicked off the meal with the Soupe du Jour, which turned out to be an extremely rich puree of spinach. Just one spoonful and we knew ... that the chef wasn't going to skimp on ingredients, no matter how low the prices were.
We simply couldn't resist ordering the 13-Euros Stoemp Saucisse, arguably one of Brussels' most recognizable local dishes. Despite the unbelievably low price, the portion was large enough that my wife barely tucked into the Stoemp after finishing the sausages. The farmhouse sausages were quite decent, but the real highlight was the richness and flavor of the mixed vegetables inside the Stoemp. For the first time ever I actually felt bad about not finishing a plate of mashed potatoes ... this was probably the best mashed potatoes we've ever had.
Even more ginormous was my Jambonneau Moutarde, a whole braised knuckle of ham smothered in a grainy, sharp mustard. To my wife's surprise I actually managed to finish the entire knuckle plus some of her Stoemp, but I certainly had no room for the baked potato or for desserts. Now we really needed a good after-dinner walk!
Bill for Two Persons
| Chimay Bleue | 3.97 Euros |
| Tripel Karmeliet | 3.97 Euros |
| Potage du Jour | 4.72 Euros |
| Stoemp Saucisse | 13.32 Euros |
| Jambonneau Moutarde à l'Ancienne | 17.92 Euros |
| TOTAL before tips | 43.9 Euros (CAD$61.5) |
We ended our day exactly where we started, paying our last visit to the Grand-Place and stopping at Chocolatier Elisabeth for some truffles and pralines for snacking on the train. The next day we would leave Brussels on a morning train, stopping by Ghent en route to our next destination of Bruges.
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