Commotie

Got a kink for food and a fetish for highway stops? Then, listen up: come get a lashing’s full at Commotie! Located along the N70, chef Thomas Gellynck and sommelier Lara De Vlieger’s plush villa is a Magritian dream for fire-loving aesthetes, with its captivating kitchen show staged around the roaring flames. The unforgettable surprise menu featured: a fresh and punchy Zeeland flat oyster shaken up with sour cream and soy sauce pearls; a trompe-l’oeil of smoky cabbage stuffed with pas-de-rouge cheese – enough to render Cédric Grolet, the star pastry chef at Le Meurice, speechless; a joyful orgy of pâté, ragout and beet juice, with a lustful cured egg yolk also getting in on the action; sublime monkfish cured in charcoal butter and a huge bunch of dill, moistened with a creamy fish bone broth, met grilled asparagus and a fermented jus; scrumptious herby mashed potatoes with lardo di Colonnata, pushing the vice even further with a buttermilk foam and Imperial Heritage Belgian caviar, chased by a shot of Dada Chapel vodka and nutmeg; zero-waste lamb kebab with pickled cime di rapa and shallots on a mini yogurt flatbread – and a hearty dusting of grated dried lamb’s heart as an added bonus; lamb chop dry-aged for two weeks, adorned with wild garlic béarnaise, salsify and olive powder; before a Conference pear tartare served with a comforting oatmeal ice cream. Sounds a bit pretentious, right? Wrong! The disco-house playlist and sincerely attentive staff quickly loosen you up – the important thing is that you get your kicks! // Rosa Poulsard

FEELING THIRSTY? Lara’s menu mixes Californian, Slovenian, Austrian, Spanish and French wines, like the Austrian Pinot noir from Claus Preisinger (€90 a bottle) or the white Beaujolais from Descombes (€65).

PRICE: Tasting menu €95 + signature dish with caviar €25, food and wine pairings €65, BOB €35, non-alcoholic pairings €55.