Favourite restaurants and foodie titbits from Brussels Airlines’ short-haul network
Zenart SPAIN
4 Calle Mundo Neuvo, Malaga, tel. +34 952 060079, www.zenart.es
Stepping through the door of Zenart is like entering a hushed, minimal temple, where even the chopsticks on the table look like works of art. Accordingly, service here is attentive but discreet, while the cuisine is authentic Japanese with a hint of fusion.
The seafood tempura is always popular – unsurprising given how light and succulent it is – and the sushi so fresh it’s almost swimming. The teriyaki dorada (sea bass) and beef Kobe are also highly recommended. The tasting menu is a total feast for the senses, from the salmon and tuna tartare appetiser though to the green tea sponge with chocolate mousse. There’s a small, selective wine list, and a choice of beers, cava and, of course, sake.
Be warned, booking for dinner is essential. Expect to pay around €45 for the tasting menu and around €18 for the lunchtime obento. TO’S
Park Restaurant BELGIUM
1 Minderbroedersstraat, Bruges, tel. +32 (0)496 317393, www.parkrestaurant.be
It’s often said Belgium is a nation of gourmands rather than gourmets – roughly translated, it appreciates robust, unmucked-about-with food and has a healthy regard for portion size. But Belgian cuisine also has a lot in common with French food, as shown by the menu at Park Restaurant, which includes Gallic-inflected bistro classics dished up with Belgian heft.
Our meal here was a (greedy) Francophile’s dream, kicking off with huge Brittany scallops cooked in Chablis cream, then moving on to roast veal sweetbreads in a Burgundy sauce served alongside generously heaped dauphinoise potatoes. It was only fitting, really, that we should finish with France’s most famous pancake, crêpe suzette (crêpes with orange peel and Grand Marnier), cooked theatrically at our table. Expect to pay around €45 for three courses without wine. TL
Foodie corner
Fans of Skye Gyngell’s gorgeous tome A Year in my Kitchen should brace themselves – this month sees the release of its sequel, My Favourite Ingredients.
While Gyngell’s first book was an everyman’s guide to seasonal eating, this is a deeply personal look at her favourite foods. Expect lots of shellfish, nuts, cheese and grains, augmented by perennial stars of her dishes, such as cherries, game and tomatoes.
If you ever wondered what chefs keep in their own kitchen cupboards, here is your chance to find out.
My Favourite Ingredients by Skye Gyngell, £25 (€31), www.quadrille.co.uk
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