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A Great Dinner at Brasserie Pakhuis Ghent

December 16, 2011 by cheriecity

Brasserie Pakhuis is one of those great restaurants that I feel privileged to have discovered. Pakhuis has style and atmosphere in abundance and its spectacular design is sure to impress.

Down a narrow lane in the Old Town of Ghent, Pakhuis feels like a secret that only those ‘in the know’ could find. This isn’t exactly the case however, as Pakhuis is one of Ghent’s most talked-about restaurants, but it does still feel special.

The restaurant

Housed in a large 19th century warehouse, Pakhuis was designed by Portuguese architect Antoine Pinto, who is also responsible for nearby hip restaurant-bar-club, Belga Queen.

Pakhuis serves a contemporary French-Italian menu with New World wines and was recognised with a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide 2011.

Together with two restaurants in Antwerp and Brussels, Pakhuis owns a farm called Le Devant, in the Bresse region of France. High quality meat, seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs go from the farm to the table and the restaurant’s signature dish is Bresse chicken.

The terrace

On a balmy summer’s evening, the terrace is the place to be, with its attractive white canopy. As we were a large group of European writers, we occupied a whole side of the terrace and ate from the Pakhuis set menu.

The group starter was smoked eel and mussels, but instead I chose a simple yet delicious Celeriac Soup with fresh herbs (my seafood palate has yet to appreciate eel).

Dishes

The soup was light and peppery with tiny pieces of celeriac and topped with fresh herbs – a good start to the meal.

I particularly enjoyed the main course of Roast Duck with blueberries, cabbage and Bintje potatoes. The duck was cooked medium rare, so was especially tender and the skin was golden and nicely scorched.

To finish, we had a slice of caramelised apple tart with a delicious biscuity crust, topped with crème fraiche. I washed it all down with a fresh mint tea, which they do really well in Ghent, served in an elaborate glass tea pot.

Brasserie Pakhuis is an absolute ‘must’ when visiting Ghent, whether you’re soaking up the bustling brasserie atmosphere inside or lounging elegantly on the terrace with cocktails. It really brings a new meaning to the words ‘warehouse chic’.

Chérie City was a guest of Brasserie Pakhuis.

All photos by Chérie City.

Ghent, Restaurants

A Great Lunch At Belga Queen Ghent

October 22, 2011 by cheriecity

If you’re looking for an ultra-stylish brasserie for a memorable meal in Ghent, Belga Queen should be top of your list.

Designed by bon viveur Antoine Pinto, Belga Queen is a high-end hot spot, located in a former 13th century grain storehouse on the Graslei canal, just three minutes walk from where I was staying at Marriott Ghent.

Described as a ‘Belgian Wonderfood Place’, Belga Queen serves contemporary Belgian dishes using locally sourced ingredients, many featuring beer.

The restaurant

Belga Queen is a real dining destination set over three floors with variety of casual and more formal spaces including a brasserie, cafe, restaurant, club bar and terrace.

The imposing stone building with wooden beams and authentic features has been given a modern twist with touches of chrome, plush leather chairs and cool statement lighting. Add to that lashing of black and gold and Belga Queen signature crockery and you have one swish restaurant.

The terrace

The terrace at Belga Queen occupies a perfect spot right on the buzzing Graslei and is the place to be spotted in Ghent. In the summer, it’s the perfect place to spend a few hours, enjoying good food and wine.

The dishes

I started with a chilled tomato parfait with a rocket and parmegiano reggiano salad, basil-infused crumbs and a warm basil soup.

The tomato was refreshing and went well with the rocket and the thick creamy soup was an interesting, delicious after-thought.

This was followed by Belgian Charolais tenderloin with an Orval sauce (a kind of béarnaise sauce made with Belgian beer) and a cone of Belga Queen fries.

The steak was tender and juicy, cooked perfectly medium, and came with sautéed mushrooms and hot, crispy slim fries. It was perhaps a little heavy on the mushrooms, but there was also a generous amount of steak, which I struggled to finish.

We finished with a Café Gourmand featuring five mini desserts. I loved the praline cake with chocolate ganache and another highlight was the Cuberdon – a blackcurrant sweet local to Ghent, that’s hard on the outside and gooey in the middle.

Instead of coffee, I had a fresh mint tea, which came in a glass teapot and was the perfect end to the meal.

Belga Queen is all about indulgence and the high glamour dining experience, so you’ll need a hefty travel budget to dine there, but the food won’t disappoint.

All photos by Chérie City.

Chérie City was a guest of Belga Queen and Ghent Marriott

Bars, Cafes, Ghent, Patisserie

An Amazing Foodie Tour of Ghent, Belgium

October 5, 2011 by cheriecity

Belgium is world renowned for its fine chocolate and beer, but there are still some local food secrets to discovers, such as Ganda ham, Nazareth cheese and Jenever – a kind of gin popular in Belgium and the Netherlands.

This week, I was invited to come and explore the foodie and cultural delights of Ghent, staying at the Ghent Marriott, perched conveniently on the picturesque banks of the river Lys canal.

On our second day in the city, we took a 3-hour ‘Nibbling Through Ghent’ walking tour with Lynn from VIZIT. She regaled us with tales about the city’s landmarks and colourful locals. We heard about students occupying the castle over the rising price of beer, why the noose is the symbol of Ghent and various saucy stories of naked statues and how to spot a Medieval brothel (just look for two backward facing swans)!

Julie’s House

Our first stop was Julie’s House, a petite bakehouse and tea room in the historic Patershol area, close to the canal. Just open for a few years, Julie’s House has become the place to stop for a sweet treat. Julie serves a daily selection of pies and tarts, bijou cupcakes, brownies, scones and clafoutis.

We sampled chunks of delicious Rocky Road, lemon cheesecake and walnut cake – my favourite was the refreshing lemon cheesecake.

Daskalidès

Our next stop was for another sugar high at Daskalidès, a Belgian chocolate shop with a history. In 1931, the Daskalidès-Kestekides family established two brands of home-made pralines – Daskalidès and Leonidas. Formerly a family-run business, Daskalidès now has ever so stylish shops around Europe, but the story started in Ghent.

Pralines are the signature chocolate at Daskalidès – I loved the patterned Kenya Noir with Kenyan coffee and cocoa nibs. You can also try hand-made truffles, liqueur pralines and artisan ice cream. There is a huge selection of beautifully-packaged gifts to take back home such as orangettes, pâtes de fruits, marshmallows, nougat, Florentines and chocolate galettes.

Cafe Den Turk

We stopped for a half-way beer at Cafe Den Turk, Ghent’s oldest pub dating back to 1228. Cafe Den Turk first opened as a coffee house (hence the Turkish coffee name reference), and then became a traditional pub, serving a wide range of Belgian beers.

I tried a glass of Gruut blonde – a local beer brewed in the city of Ghent. It’s a light, slightly cloudy beer that’s very easy to drink, although it does have a high alcohol strength at 12%.

Petite Normandie

Our next foodie destination was a narrow cobbled street that used to be named rue de Paradis, due to the number of French first floor brothels. Nowadays the street’s primary vice is cheese, from a tiny traditional shop called Petite Normandie (Donkersteeg 21).

We tried four Belgian cheeses – the mild and nutty Narazareth cheese, a goat’s cheese with prune jelly, a garlic soft cheese with a white rind and a stronger Cheddar-like cheese.

Het Groot Vleeshuis

We finished our foodie adventures at Het Groot Vleeshuis, the 15th century great Butcher’s Hall of Ghent, which now acts as a showcase for East Flemish food.

A number of Ganda hams (Ganda is the Old Celtic name for Ghent) hang from the wooden beams overhead, telling of the building’s history, yet there is a modern bar and cafe where you can order dishes made using artisanal local produce.

We tried three types of ham – two thin dried hams and one cooked ham – served with strong local mustard boasting a closely-guarded secret recipe. All were delicious, but I preferred the cooked ham, as it was juicy, thick and full of flavour.

t’ Dreupelkot

Skipping forward to our last night in Ghent, we rounded off the trip with a night cap at t’ Dreupelkot, a tiny, popular bar overlooking the canal that serves over 100 varieties of jenever. Owner Pol is a quite a character and so legendary in Ghent that he has a mural above the alleyway that leads to his bar.

We ordered a selection of flavoured jenever shots – vanilla, raspberry, mango, hazelnut and cactus, but if you’re really adventurous, try the ultra-hot chilli flavour. This eye-watering shot was apparently created after a group of workers from the Volvo factory suggested that the jenever wasn’t strong enough – Pol’s revenge!

Ghent is a perfect city break destination for foodies and after the tour, you can continue the gastronomic discoveries at some of Ghent’s most stylish restaurants – Belga Queen, Brasserie Pakhuis, Korenhuis and Bord’Eau Brasserie.

Chérie City was a guest of Ghent Marriott.

All photos by Chérie City.