Brussels - Lambic Beer, Razor Clams and Victor Horta

This was one of the most memorable days of our trip, a busy day of gastronomic and cultural discovery at one of Europe's great capitals. What other city in the world can boast fantastic shellfish, great Art Nouveau architecture along with the best beers in the world? 36 hours were clearly not enough, but that didn't stop us from trying!



We arrived late in the first evening after a stormy day-trip to picturesque Kinderdijk, and diligently spent the entire second day touring, eating and drinking as much as we could from early morning till evening. Tram lines #3 and #4 became our best friends, and the 48-hour ticket from STIB (11 Euros; NOT the overpriced 34 Euros Brussels Card!) was perfect for covering all our traveling needs on 3 calendar days.



Our day started in the early morning with the Manneken Pis and the nearby Grand-Place, striking Brussels' most recognizable landmarks off the list before the hordes of international tourists arrived. But here's the real reason for our morning visit -- this was just a short walk from our highly anticipated brunch spot ...



THIS was our REAL destination. In fact this little street side stand, and not the Grand-Place or any of Brussels' world-famous landmarks, turned out to be our favorite memory of the city. At least, that's was my tastebuds remembered.



Noordzee was certainly no fancy gourmet restaurant -- we're looking at an unpretentious stand-up bistro that grew naturally out of a neighborhood fishmonger, just steps from Chinatown and facing Place Ste. Catherine. Just look at the crystal clear eyes of the mackerels and trouts and you'll appreciate the absolute freshness of ingredients here. Prices were rumoured to be very reasonable, and kept that way partially due to the competition of an oyster stand right across the square. How reasonable? We're about to find out.



We knew we've found a real gem at the first sniff of their fish soup, even before the bistro opened for business (yes, we arrived early and waited for the 11:00 opening!). And it was worth the wait -- gigantic chunks of white fish, salmon and baby clams were combined in a Bouillabaisse-like stew that was fresh enough not to exhibit even the slightly hint of fishiness. Not only that, but the volume of fish meat and the accompanied bread and cheese were generous enough to make a small meal. And this was just the beginning.



We spotted these escargot-like morsels simmering away in a soup cauldron and couldn't quite resist the aroma. These sea snails came in a spicy clear broth with green onions and a generous seasoning of ground pepper. The highlight here wasn't the chewy snails, but the intense Umami flavor of fresh shellfish in the broth. The stage has been set for the grand entrance of the one dish we've waited for ...



THIS -- was one of the most memorable dishes of our 24-day trip. My previous experience with razor clams was in a clear-steamed dish at a very traditional eatery in faraway Hong Kong, and I didn't expect this chance encounter half a world away in Brussels. This time they're sauteed on a sizzling hot plate with a heavy dollop of fresh herbs and rock salt -- fresh, tender and extremely sweet and juicy. I couldn't tell whether it was the freshness of the razor clams or the mastery in the seasoning, but it was as close to perfection as it could get. To this day I'm still salivating over the thought of these razor clams. To me they're very simply ... perfect.



And what self-respecting food-lover could escape Brussels without having mussels in some form? Again these sauteed mussels were as fresh and juicy as the razor clams, and even though the seasoning was slightly salty, the price turned out to be absolutely unbeatable. I must still point out that ... we still had no idea what the prices were up to this point!



Even at the end of four shared courses our minds were still relishing over that delicious plate of razor clams. How expensive can a plate of seafood in a stand-up bistro be, we thought, 12 Euros? Without knowing the exact price we went back to the counter and ordered another plate of razor clams, re-indulging in that savory freshness from the sea. This was certainly one of the most satisfying seafood meals in recent memory.



The shop finally propped up this hand-written menu was we’re about to ask for the cheque. That mouthwatering Fish Soup that we smelled from half a block away turned out to be 4.5 Euros. The bowl of sea snails? Also 4.5 Euros. The big heap of mussels cost a measly 6 Euros. And our favorite razor clams, one of our favorite dishes of the trip, cost an unbelievably cheap 6 Euros per dish.

Now I’m absolutely convinced that this is among the best bargains in Brussels for an informal lunch, and I have no reservations about recommending it to anyone, especially seafood lovers. Arrive early if you can, as it can start to get busy around noon time.

Bill for Two Persons

Soupe de Poisson	4.5 Euros
Escargots	4.5 Euros
Razor Clams x 2	12 Euros
Mussels	6 Euros
TOTAL before tips	27 Euros (CAD$37.8)

We purposely avoided ordering any alcohol for brunch as we’ve got a better idea in mind. A short hop on Tram #4 took us to Brouwerij Cantillon, one of the last remaining Lambic breweries in Brussels, for a tasting and tour of a medieval brewing technique found nowhere else in the world.



For 6 Euros the visitor gets a self-guided tour of the brewing facilities as well as two sampling glasses of unblended Lambic, Kriek or Gueuze. While the concept of spontaneous fermentation may sound dauntingly old-fashioned in the 21st Century, this century-old family brewery does offer a rare window into the impressive brewing traditions of the Belgians. The tasting room is also an excellent place to spend a leisurely afternoon -- one of the (local?) visitors even brought along a book to slowly savor a 750mL bottle of Gueuze.



Like most Canadians I’ve never had Lambic beer before -- it’s just not widely available outside of Belgium -- and had no idea how different it can taste compared with our "normal" ale or lager. My wife cringed at her first sip, and frankly I had to completely wipe clean the definition of beer in my own mind. That moment of cultural ephiphany alone was worth the visit, and taste was almost secondary. Honestly, my tastebuds prefer Chimay better.



Part of the late afternoon was spent at one of Brussels’ truly underrated sights, an immaculately preserved architectural treasure from La Belle Epoque. I’ve got a soft spot for all things Art Nouveau -- Hokusai (if he can be considered the original inspiration of the style), Alfonse Mucha and of course in Belgium, Victor Horta. While some Horta’s best known pieces (eg. Hotel Tassel, now occupied by a government agency) remain private and are rarely open to the public, his old house and studio has been enshrined as a museum.



The century-old house itself, along with several of Horta's masterpieces in the same neighborhood, have been designated a UNESCO Heritage Site. Leaning against the sensuous curves of the staircase one is immediately immersed into a world of ornate organic shapes formed out of meticulously handcrafted stone and metal. Anything from door handles to coat racks to stained glass skylights bore Horta's signature ornamentations. This was my favorite sight in Brussels.



No pictures are allowed inside though, which is a shame. Also note that the museum is only open for a short time between 14:00 and 17:30. Arrive early if you’re an Art Nouveau fan, as there are enough fine details from that bygone era that demands to be taken in and explored slowly.



After a short nap we returned to the Bourse for dinner. We tried our luck at the wildly popular Fin de Siecle, arriving barely in time for the last available table among a mostly French-speaking crowd. No credit cards accepted, but prices were reasonable enough that you should have enough cash. Where else could you find Stoemp Saucisse for 13.32 Euros for dinner, within walking distance of the Grand-Place?



I asked our knowledgeable waiter for his own favorite beer, and he introduced me to this strong and malty Tripel Karmeliet. This probably turned out to be my second favorite beer in Belgium after the Tripel de Garre, and now that I've found a store in Canada that carries this beer, this is gonna become a frequent fixture in my fridge!



My wife kicked off the meal with the Soupe du Jour, which turned out to be an extremely rich puree of spinach. Just one spoonful and we knew ... that the chef wasn't going to skimp on ingredients, no matter how low the prices were.



We simply couldn't resist ordering the 13-Euros Stoemp Saucisse, arguably one of Brussels' most recognizable local dishes. Despite the unbelievably low price, the portion was large enough that my wife barely tucked into the Stoemp after finishing the sausages. The farmhouse sausages were quite decent, but the real highlight was the richness and flavor of the mixed vegetables inside the Stoemp. For the first time ever I actually felt bad about not finishing a plate of mashed potatoes ... this was probably the best mashed potatoes we've ever had.



Even more ginormous was my Jambonneau Moutarde, a whole braised knuckle of ham smothered in a grainy, sharp mustard. To my wife's surprise I actually managed to finish the entire knuckle plus some of her Stoemp, but I certainly had no room for the baked potato or for desserts. Now we really needed a good after-dinner walk!

Bill for Two Persons

Chimay Bleue	3.97 Euros
Tripel Karmeliet	3.97 Euros
Potage du Jour	4.72 Euros
Stoemp Saucisse	13.32 Euros
Jambonneau Moutarde à l'Ancienne	17.92 Euros
TOTAL before tips	43.9 Euros (CAD$61.5)

We ended our day exactly where we started, paying our last visit to the Grand-Place and stopping at Chocolatier Elisabeth for some truffles and pralines for snacking on the train. The next day we would leave Brussels on a morning train, stopping by Ghent en route to our next destination of Bruges.

Kinderdijk in Heavy Downpour

Our top priority in the Netherlands wasn't Amsterdam, but a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. Many tourists to the Netherlands have seen its photo on brochures without knowing it. Few know its name, and sadly even fewer come to visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site known as Kinderdijk. We arrived here on Day 3 of our journey, on a moving day from Amsterdam towards Brussels.



Finding our way there proved slightly confusing -- the official website suggests either taking Bus 90 from Rotterdam Zuidplein, or the Waterbus from Rotterdam Erasmusbrug ending with a 30-minute walk at the end of the boat trip. We chose the Waterbus, partly for the bonus of a scenic cruise alongside Rotterdam’s renowned waterfront architecture, and partly because a Day Ticket (12.5 Euros at time of writing) already includes admission into Kinderdijk (regularly 6 Euros).



The confusing part -- and the fun part -- was that we didn't need to walk 30 minutes as there's a more efficient connection on weekdays. Long story short, we got off the boat at Ridderkerk at the advice of the Waterbus staff, took a quick connection ferry known as the Driehoeksveer (free with the Waterbus Day Ticket) and ended up a mere 7-minute walk from the windmills. Given such convenient public transport it's a wonder why this place isn't more popular with independent travelers. On this day we were the only non-locals on the connecting ferry.



No brochure or photo album was enough to prepare me for that stunning first sight -- we're suddenly ambushed on all sides by the largest ensemble of 18th Century windmills in the world. I still vividly remember the sheep manure in the air, the dilapidated medieval canals, the waving of long grasses in the gust, and giants windmills virtually everywhere we turned. One would be hard pressed to find a more representatively Dutch landscape than this.



Frankly I didn’t fully appreciate how ginormous these historic windmills stood until arriving at their feet -- close to 20m in height with the tips of the sails spanning about 30m. Visitors were few on this chilly Monday in early September and we shared the Museum Windmill with only a few independent travelers. This was a good thing as the multi-national groups of organized tours would start to show up a little later in the afternoon.



Even after 300 years of storms, floods and human-caused fires the windmill remains in working condition, though the chore of draining the polders has been delegated to the nearby pumping station. The living quarters are exactly how the last inhabitant left it, barely 60 years in the past. Breathtaking views (after climbing 4 levels to the top!) of the neighboring windmills amid lush green fields and grazing sheep awaits the visitor at the top floor.



Up to this point the miller, in his dirty overalls and bright yellow clogs, had been quietly sitting on his little bench outside his mill. Suddenly he got up and climbed on top of this gigantic wooden frame at the side of the mill and started tightening the wheel with his feet. It wasn’t apparent at first what he was doing until we looked up and realized ... the windmill had stopped.



At first I thought it was some sort of scheduled demonstration, but the miller proceeded to chain the wooden frame onto the ground anchors and strip off all the sailcloth. It was then clear that windmill would be immobilized for the rest of the day.



Within 5 minutes came the heavy rain, with increasing intensity and raging gusty winds at times for the rest of the afternoon. While we stood by and admired the miller's wisdom, the lady at the neighboring ticket booth smile at us and said, "He knows," pointing at the head.



The rained came down hard as the miller had anticipated. We took the half-hour boat cruise down the middle canal just to hide from the downpour, popping up to the deck at times to snap a quick picture before going back down to wipe the camera lens. It certainly wasn't the weather we expected.



Note that the windmills are scattered along a long dyke with the farthest windmill being 2km away from the entrance, and you won't find any food aside from a little souvenir stand/cafe at the entrance. The closest restaurants in the adjacent village (Buena Vista and De Klok) are about 10 minutes walk outside of the entrance. As we didn't want to waste time walking back and forth, our lunch on this day were the typical Dutch fast food -- Kroket Broodje and some organic cherry tomatoes we picked up at the Albert Heijn at Rotterdam Centraal.



Our trusty Waterbus returned us to Rotterdam Erasmusbrug, and back to the 21st Century, by 16:00. With nearly 3 hours left before our reserved Thalys train to Brussels, there was still time to visit another one of Rotterdam's most recognizable landmarks.



It's impossible to miss the forest of yellow cubist houses stepping out of the Blaak metro station. The Kubuswoning is one of those rare pieces of architecture that still looks absolutely cutting edge even after three decades of use. Most of the cubes are still occupied by families and small shops, and one section has even been converted into a youth hostel.



We made it to the show room before the closing time of 17:00. The hexagonal trunks and tilted cube may look cute, but one can understand why it never reached the level of popular adoption that Piet Blom intended ... what buyer would give up 25% of usable living space and spend extra money and effort on custom-made furniture for every room?

Quintessential Amsterdam in 7 Hours

How much sightseeing can a traveler do in 7 hours?

"Not Much" would be my usual answer. But this time we're faced with a dilemma with our first 2 nights of the trip: either stay in Amsterdam and take a day trip to Haarlem, or stay in Haarlem and take a day trip to Amsterdam. We chose the latter, mainly due to our preference for smaller cities and towns. So on Day 2 of our journey we made the best of a leisurely Sunday -- a concise tour of one of Europe's great cities.

10:25. Arrival at Amsterdam Centraal station on a local train. 7.5 Euros was a relatively cheap price for a whole day's (actually 24 hours') ride in the GVB network.

10:45. Tram #4 took us conveniently to the Dam Square. The locals must be in bed still as everyone on the square seemed to speak either Mandarin Chinese or Korean.


11:05. Just a short walk from Dam Square was my favorite spot in Amsterdam, an oasis of peace nestled in the heart of a bustling metropolis. While the main draw is the huddle of medieval architecture around a 14th Century courtyard, even more amazing was its ability to shield away all signs of urban life, being less than 50m away from the busy tram route of Spuistraat.



11:30. Wandered over to the famous floating flower market off Singel. Bulbs and seeds were off-limits for us as Canada Customs prohibits the import of live plants back to Canada. Of more interest to us was the historic district of Canal Rings, a UNESCO World Heritage in itself.



11:45. Gotta love Amsterdam for its abundance of great cheeses, especially when it costs nothing. There are enough free samples at place like Cheese & More to make a full lunch if you want. We came away with some handmade rosemary nougat for snacks, in addition to a stomach full of cheeses I'd never find in Canada.



12:00. Arriving on time for our lunch reservation at Gartine for one of the more sought after tables in town. This little eatery is getting quite famous for its simple, handcrafted slow food at reasonable prices, a rare find in expensive Amsterdam. How slow? All the vegetables and herbs directly come from the owners' organic garden and greenhouse in the outskirts of the city.



The interior was cozily claustrophobic and held only 8 tiny tables. Our original plan was to come for a late breakfast, but when we called a week ahead all that's left was one undersized table for lunch at 12:00.



Reducing the tempting seasonal lunch menu down to 2 items proved to be a challenge. I ended up ordering this organic green salad topped with a generous serving of Camembert, marinated green beans and, in an Indonesian-Dutch twist, delicious shredded coconut in sweet mild Sambal.



My wife ordered a fancy modern version of a timeless Dutch favorite: smoked mackerel on bread. Any experienced fishmonger knows how tricky mackerel preparation can be -- the Japanese even has the saying of "Saba no Ikigusare," that the mackerel start to spoil while it's still alive. The mackerel has to be fresh enough, and the smoking process thorough enough, to rid the meat of that strong repulsive smell. And this mackerel fillet was excellent -- smokey enough for the additional flavor and lightly done enough to retain that characteristic oiliness in the meat. We really enjoyed this sandwich.



The drinks were pretty creative too, especially the Lemon Iced Tea with Fresh Vanilla. We would have ordered the White Chocolate Cheesecake if we had just a bit more stomach room. Next time.

Bill for Two Persons

Salad with Camembert and Sambal Coconut Shreds	7.95 Euros
Smoked Mackerel Sandwich	8.5 Euros
Lemon Iced Tea with Fresh Vanilla	2.95 Euros
Raspberry Tea with Frozen Raspberries	2.95 Euros
TOTAL before tips	22.35 Euros (CAD$31.3)

13:30. A few quick stops on Tram #2 took us to the Museum Quarter and Coster Diamond's flagship store. An earful of sales pitch for a free 20-minutes guided tour wasn't a bad trade off, if you're bringing a girl to see her best friend like I was.



14:00. Obligatory visit to the Rijksmuseum and its collection of Dutch masters, especially the Night Watch and the Milkmaid. Even after the 10-year-long renovations the museum remained large, rambling and notoriously difficult to navigate. Don't forget to bring your ING Direct bank card to get 50% off admissions.



16:00. We've finally arrived. I could skip the Rijksmuseum. I could skip Dam Square. But the beer enthusiast in me would never skip this true Amsterdam institution. We're talking 370 odd years of beer stains, vomit and cigar smoke that went into this legendary brown cafe. To this date Cafe Hoppe's floors are still covered in sawdust. Don't ask.


Not sure if the dark wooden barrels still hold Oranjebitter and Brandewijn, but you cannot ask for a more atmospheric place for a pint and maybe a jenever.



Food offerings consist mainly of typical Dutch pub grub like cheese platters, Bitterballen and Ossenworst. Not enough for a full meal (we had to grab some takeouts from our neighborhood Albert Heijn when we got back to Haarlem), but great snacks to round out a full day's sightseeing.

Bill for Two Persons

Ossenworst	6 Euros
Bitterballen	5.5 Euros
Jenever	3.2 Euros
Palm	3.7 Euros
TOTAL before tips	18.4 Euros (CAD$25.8)

16:45. Still got time to stop by Bijenkorf at Dam Square for some shopping, or at least window shopping. Few Dutch people know that this Amsterdam institution is currently owned by Canadians. Hah!

17:27. Back at Amsterdam Centraal station in time for the next Intercity train back to Haarlem. I would have preferred about 3 days to fully appreciate such a great city, but all we had was 7 hours this time around. Heineken, Anne Frank and Van Gogh Museum will have to be left for a future visit.