Le Belgo-Thai (rue Haute)

Living in Brussels doesn't, of course, mean that chips, mussels and other less stereotypical but still Belgian items constitute my diet - meals still include a fair amount of scrambled egg, stir fry and questionable canteen food, just like in Oxford. I'd be lying, however, if I said that I didn't get the occasional craving for something different entirely, and so a visit from the Photographer (never adverse to the odd chilli flake), and a trip to Brussels' flea market in the Marolles (highly recommended for encounters with men with splendid moustaches or metre-long saws held casually at the hip) led to Belgo-Thai in the nearby rue Haute. I was intrigued to see what form this east-meets-west fusion would take.

Le Dillens (place Julien Dillens) & Pastelaria Garcia (avenue de la Couronne)

When I started this blog I thought I'd carry on the way I left off in Oxford, with (almost) every review a neat account of a whole meal, preferably one at which everyone chose differently. But a lot has changed in my life lately...so why not this as well? I'll still post about 'proper' dinners and lunches, but I'm going to be a bit more flexible.

Maison Antoine & Gare du Midi market (street food special)

One of the things that distinguishes Brussels is the ready availability of foodstuffs for immediate consumption, and the fact that people aren't afraid to eat them in the street (there's a good take on this here). I like this attribute of the city very much. So it seems time to take a look at a couple of outlets where metal cutlery and china crockery are replaced by plastic forks, fingers, and copious amounts of paper napkins.

(the market at the Gare du Midi in a rare break between showers)

Pizzeria Istanbul (rue Malibran)

I never said this blog was going to be about Belgian cuisine only, or even about Brussels' most celebrated establishments. Sometimes you have to take good food where you can find it, especially when part of a large group exploring the nightlife (well, Café Belga) round the place Flagey on a rainy evening, and not having much luck finding dinner. Luckily, one timely recollection and a short walk down a side street later, we were sitting in the utilitarian surroundings of the Pizzeria Istanbul.

Les Brassins (rue Keyenveld)

It turns out that moving across the Channel hasn't stopped me blogging about restaurants. If you've followed me from my Oxford blog, thank you for your loyalty, and if you're new (and Belgium-based), bonjour/goedendag! I'm looking forward to discovering what Brussels' varied restaurant scene has to offer, but it seems appropriate to start this new venture with a review of a meal that was as about as Belgian as possible.

(not actually from Les Brassins, but it seemed as well to start the evening as we meant to go on)