The story begins on the eve of the First World War. De Panne, Koksijde, Tournai, Brussels… Julia, the courageous founder of the Wittevrongel empire, runs seven fishmongers while brother Louis Vyaene is the first travelling fishmonger along the coast. A century later, passed down from mother to son, Mare Nostrum has held its course through the storms. In the small store in the town of Koksijde, Angus, heir to this fish aristocracy, has turned into an uncompromising sourcer. Raw or cooked, everything from the North Sea – and its neighboring waters – gatecrashes the counter, like ultra-local prawns, gobbled up by the handful on the beach and washed down with a bottle of white. We’ve also got our eye on the skate terrine, Zeeland oysters, scallops and homemade smoked salmon. There’s no doubt about it, cabin boy, this boat is right on course. // Kiko Zushi
THE HIDDEN GEM: The cooked gray shrimp, direct from the Nieuport fish market (€19 per kg).
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