Begian Restaurant tasting ideas??

"French" fries were supposedly invented in Belgium. And moules frites -- steamed mussels served with a side of fries -- is about as Belgian as you can get. Also waterzooi, a kind of stew, which can be made with chicken. (Here's a Rachael Ray recipe for it.) And beef stew made with beer. ANYTHING made with beer, for that matter. :p Here's a link to About.com with more links to sources on Belgian food. (Ignore the fact that it is listed under French food :mad: ; they are NOT the same!

Fine dinning/casual is an oxymoron isn't it? Why are you even applying at a restaurant you know nothing about the cuisine of? do you not think this will be exposed very soon? As far as ideas go the internet is a huge place, go to google or any other serch engine and type in belgian cusine, foods, or whatever else might work.

POTJEVLEISCH or Potjevleesch
http://www.chefsimon.com/potjev2.htm

It's for a jellied rabbit (or veal or pork or some combination) terrine. I ate it served cold when I visited friends in northern France (historically Flemish area). I Googled it. It has the advantage of being a make-ahead dish, ready when ordered.

(I'm not a chef but have a well-traveled palate that includes Belgian/Flemish food.)
Mezzaluna

You might want to check out the website of The Ponsonby Belgium Beer Cafe. I don't know their website, but it should be easy to find. Ponsonby is an inner city suburb in Auckland NZ. Plenty of menus there. Jolly good too.

Endive, Gratinee, potato leek soup,

Cheese and onion pie (thick like cheesecake)

Steamed mussels, certain types of stew...

Just google...

April :lips:

sniffing around, i found this: http://www.belgian-beer-cafe.com.au/default.asp?id=30.

Go have a look there, you will find chicken stews, cheese croquettes, moules frites, carbonnades (an obvious choice in a beer environment) and others.

Good luck - i dont think the cuisine should cut you up too much, stick with the theme without too much complexity, and it should see you home.

I'm thinkin' waffles.

No Affence but homeade rootbeer sauce? puke..

Don't even take the job. or go to the tasting an cook the way you cook!. don't try to manipulate your skills around some style of cuiesen you'v never done.

Go to a resturant that suites your style.

doohhh! sorry ChefBK. You and Friz have the same Marvin Martian:blush:
When I was in Atlanta I was given the task of writing a menu for a Belgian Brew Pub. The brew pub fell thru and I lost my files in our Great Crash (computer) of 2003. But here are a couple links to look at:

http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Cooking%...ry/Belgium.htm

http://frenchfood.about.com/od/belgiancuisine/

The cuisine of Belgium is outstanding. As someone already said Mussels is a main staple. Even though I am no a fan of mussels when they are cooked to their liking they are tremendous.

Good Luck.



PS. Just remember that Belgians are fanatical about fried potatoes so... If it's a potato and it's fried it doesn't get Ketchup or even vinegar. Mayo! and lots of it. I made that mistake once and only once!:D

I have to second the thought, don't cook a cuisine you're unfamiliar with. I would never cook Italian food because I don't understand it, but if you're talking French or East European (Ukrainian) food I'm all over it. Stick with what you know, what you can make with your eyes closed and an arm stuck behind your back.

And rootbeer sauce, no.... I enjoy the stuff occasionally (with a cheap hamburger), but it does have a very artificial taste, and no way in **** would I order anything in a real restaurant containing it.

On the other hand, when making sauces, you can easily sub in beer (the real stuff - Belgian of course) where you normally would put wine in french cooking. Roast chicken with a beer-based pan jus is actually quite good.

Hey ChefBK,
I think it's great to break out an expand. Good solid question. I don't have the foggiest but you go for it man. Get the basics and tweek. I hope you suceed here.
Heck, I'll google around in case you overlooked something.
I have had the terrine Mezz speaks of. Not my favorite but can be tweeked.
As long as this place is not in Belgium, fire off.
pan
had a Belgium Chef roommate many moons ago, he was certified in seafood.
Made many terrines and garnished cold fish.

Oh yeah, when in doubt, create something nouveau french cuisine, and tweak it to local tastes... :D French cuisine from it's inception has been about fusion, as long as you 'integrate' it properly theres no limits...

Holy Brain hemmorage guys. In no way do I wish to be rude but
What the (censored) is up with that thought process. How on this green earth do you ever expect to broaden your horizonsand develope an outstanding portfolio. If I had stayed cooking the stuff I "only felt comfortable with" I wouldn't have learned 90% of what I did. Now I have admitted trhat I know absolutly zilch about Pacific Rim Cuisine but that doesn't stop me from trying. Sure I fall flat on my face and some of the stuff I have cooked wasn't even close to being edible. But there are 5-6 dishes that I have been able to perfect.

BK The point is... Go for it!. Just do some research and you'll nail it.

Again sorry for the mixup on names. Medications really screw with me some days.:roll:

Mikeb,
I'm not understanding the problem here. How would you ever learn to cook Italian style? And the crack about French, Trust me, there have been very few meals invented in the last 100 yrs. Try anything and I'll bet it has been done before. It's a about combining flavors.
I'm not knocking you in anyway, but if you rut yourself in only what you know, I fear burnout.
I'm classically trained, shoot, if I remained with what I know, I would have been long gone.
Mikeb,
This is not a menu for Belgium people. The owner has stated that. Think about it.

Starters and Soups

Cold green asparagus cream served with an avocado sliver and crab meat
€24
*
Beef carpaccio in truffle oil and sprinkled with coarsely grated lightly smoked goose liver
€30
*
Goose liver terrine and artichokes served with a small preserved tomato strudel
€28
*
Marinated and à la niçoise halfway cooked red tuna fillet
€32
*
White asparaguses in mousseline or Flemish sauce
€26
*
Duck foie gras terrine served with a white coco bean salad
€26
*

* * * * *


Fish and Shelfish

Turbot soufflé with Noilly flavoured lobster dices and served on a crown of crispy potatoes
€40
*
Roasted see bass with Tarbais coco fricassee and marrow, mushroom sauce
€42
*
Red mullet fillet with spaghettis in cuttlefish ink, spiced "à l'américaine"
€38
*
Fried John Dory and Crécy side dish
€42
*
Brittany sole, grilled or meunière
€50
*
Poached or grilled Brittany turbot with mousseline sauce
€54
*

* * * * *


Meat and Poultry

Roasted calf's sweetbread on a darphin potato with truffles and young braised carrots
€36
*
Pan-fried veal cutlet and small toasted ham and cheese sandwich with salsifies and caramel coated apples, garlic and parsley sauce
€40
*
Roasted young pigeon farmer's style stew with beet flavour and foie gras
€36
*
Roasted lamb dauphiné served with small courgette tagliatelli carbonara style
€38
*
Pan-fried piece of beef, aubergines and vegetables lasagna, choron sauce
€42
*
Escabeche of Basque style spareribs and potatoes tortilla
€30
*

* * * * *


Desserts

Chocolate mousse, served at will, with lightly whipped cream
€10
*
Selection of homemade sherbets and ice creams served with fresh fruits
€16
*
Mango cannellonis filled with fromage frais cream, chocolate clafoutis
€14
*
Iced raspberry soufflé and chocolate macaroons
€12
*
Strawberrysalade and fritters, Flemish style ice
€10
*
Iced porto cream with bits of melon
€14
*

* * * * *