Va et Vient

There are so many comings and goings between the dining room and the kitchen at Va et Vient! On one side of this cozy industrial-chic spot with floor-to-ceiling windows, diners are treated to a view of the banks of the River Lys, while the other offers a glimpse into the kitchen, where chef Matthias Speybrouck (who trained under none other than Piet Huysentruyt, Sergio Herman and even Kobe Desramaults) sends his brigade into the dining room to serve a natural, yet refined menu. That night, it featured: a light and airy fish brandade with a zhuzh of leek oil; a bite-sized morsel of the chef’s pâté – a nod to Café Paté (an amusing annual competition he launched with his chef buddy Felix from Het Vliegend Tapijts); extremely tender haddock fillet snuggled under a sheet of nori, with parsnip mousseline, herring roe and a drizzle of fromage blanc sprinkled with fennel pollen; a beautiful slice of Menapian pork pampered for 14 hours sous-vide before getting a grilling, pimped out with sweet potato puree, tender bok choi, and a bold hoisin sauce; for dessert, a crunchy shortbread tartlet topped with pistachio cream, buried under a sorrel and lemongrass granita, followed by a chocolate mousse hidden under a crispy hazelnut feuilletine and a quenelle of sunchoke ice cream, with a fleur de sel and cocoa crumble border. //Alba Nebbioli

FEELING THIRTSY? Around 30 organic/natural bottles: an Austrian blaufränkisch from Markus Altenburger (€35), a pinot blanc and müller-thurgau blend from the Domaine Fio Wines in Germany (€54), a Catalan xarel·lo from Alvaro Gonzales Marcos (€54)… as well as some wines by the glass, like a chardonnay from Domaine des Gandines or a vacqueyras from the Domaine de la Monardière (€9 each).

PRICE: Menus €37-45 (lunch), €78-94 (dinner), food and wine pairing €26-35, chef’s carte blanche menu €55-68 (3-4 courses, except Saturday evening).