Royal Club of Gastronomes of Belgium |
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Chef: Vincent Gardinal
Chef: Jean-Baptiste Thomaes
Chef: Peter Goossens
Chef: Filip Claeys
Chef: Éric Fernez
Chef: Tim Boury
Chef : Arabelle Meirlaen
Visited restaurants: St John, The Square, HKK, Marcus Wareing, Quilon
In April 2016, members of the Club had the privilege to (re)discover the great variety of cuisines available in the british capital city.
The first of the 5 restaurants visited proved that the English pub is an everlasting reality. Saint John stands as a « maison de bouche », with ultrafresh products and a generous cuisine. The highlight was a whole suckling pig (nearly 12 pounds). The cutting was an exercise in virtuosity and the result melted in the mouth. A 2012 Fronton « Réserve la Colombière » enhanced it. The traditional British dessert was a « treacle tart », made of pastry covered with brown sugar, bread crumbs and lemon.
The afternoon was dedicated to a visit of the Tate Modern. The Museum opened in 2000 to gather the collections of modern and contemporary art from the Tate Gallery.
The evening meal took place in the restaurant The Square, opened in 1991 by Philip Howard. Microbiologist by training, his cuisine seeks to give pleasure rather than to surprise.
On Saturday April 16, the morning was dedicated to the visit of Borough Market. Its existence goes back to the VIIIth century. It is a wholesale and retail market offering a multitude of food products. Colchester oysters were tasted by several members of the group.
Lunch was at HKK, a Chinese restaurant, Chef Tong Chee Hwee, Head of the Hakkasan Group. A Peking duck, roasted on cherry wood, was the occasion of a carving demonstration by an agile Chef.
An excellent dinner was prepared for the group at restaurant Marcus . Chef Marcus Wareing, winner of the 2010 « Prix de la Littérature Gastronomique » of the Internation Academy of Gastronomy, has a meticulous style and uses up-to-date techniques.
In the late morning of Sunday April 17, 2016, the group walked along The Mall and was able to watch the changing of the Guard with its infantry in red coat and bearskins hats along with a military band and horsemen.
The group’s appetite was ready for the visit of Quilon . The Chef, Sriram Aylur, performs a refined cuisine in a pretty and trendy setting, using recipes from southwest India where spices are used with mastery.
The trip ended with the visit of Fortnum & Mason, a true symbol of the British culture. Beautiful moments with a precise and respected timing, left a lasting memory to participants before embarking on their respective Eurostar trains to Paris or Brussels.
Chef: Lionel Rigolet
Chefs: Jacques and Dimitri Marit
Chef: Antonio De Martino