Màloma

Having exiled himself from Schaerbeek to Walloon Brabant, should Georges Athanassopoulos be considered a gastronomic defector? After cooking up a storm in the capital for five years, the chef has scaled up from a pint-sized fine dining spot in the city to an 18th-century farmhouse, bringing together Wallifornian artisans and entrepreneurs under one roof at Foster Farm. Fortunately, this fermentation virtuoso has stayed true to his locavore credo at his new venture, Màloma, the on-site restaurant full of character with its original timber frame, floor-to-ceiling windows and globe lighting overhanging Mortex-topped tables. The three-course lunch menu was all the proof we needed: the complementary kefir, homemade bread, sumac butter and the churro covered with feta were followed by the first white asparagus of the season and tender leeks deglazed with cider, served with an œuf parfait heralding spring; grilled pollack prepared using the ikejimi method, enlivened by a sour yeast dashi broth with sorrel, chervil and ground ivy; and a Dame Blanche ice cream sundae pimped out with salted cinnamon granola packed with ground cocoa beans. What better way to make friends in the area… even if Georges still lives in Schaerbeek and carpools to work each day – naturally! // Frans Simoens

FEELING THIRSTY? Rather than the somewhat rigidly conventional wine list (count on spending €60 for the cheapest red, a Crozes-Hermitage from the Domaine Pochon), we preferred the fermented options: Lemasson extra-brut hard cider from Normandy (€25 a bottle), buckwheat kefir co-created with Victor Deramay, Georges’s former business partner (€7 a glass), or fermented Chinese white tea from Scob (same price).
PRICE: Menus €55 (lunch, drink pairings €20-25 with or without alcohol), €75 (drink pairings €25-35), or €95 (€39-49).