If Tina Turner was a dish, she would probably be the tempting dumplings made by Lisa De Brouwere (graphic designer) and Manor Grunewald (visual artist). In their canteen which mixes and matches columns and old tiles with colorful, stylish designer furniture, their light and chewy origami-esque creations come in various different guises, from Japanese gyoza, Korean mandu and Chi-nese bao and shumai, all stuffed with pork, chicken, shrimp or beef. Our bamboo steamer baskets enclosed: scandalous beef gyoza atop shacha sauce (a Chinese BBQ sauce); delicate flower buns with scallions rolled into the puffy layers, plus a creamy edamame dip; cute sesame ginger chicken dumplings served with shiso; vegan dumplings (!) stuffed with leeks and tofu; and for dessert, smoky bao buns with a salted custard center. All that, served to a busy lunchtime crowd… Steamy windows, coming from the body heat! // Casimir

FEELING THIRSTY? A bounty of wines and sakes served by the glass: Red Lou Y Are you? from Mathilde and Stephen Durieu in the Beaujolais (€6.60 a glass), La Fine Bulle, an Alsatian pet’ nat’ from the Goepp brothers (€7), and Kokoro sake made with Tamazakae rice by Ota Shuzo (€6.60).
PRICE: Dumplings €5-6, bao €3.50, sides €5-8, desserts €4