It rained yesterday! A huge downpour. For the first time in about three months, the heavens smiled upon our dying gardens. But heavy rain is usually accompanied by traffic chaos. Driving back into the CBD on a Friday night in absolute gridlock was a frustrating exercise and I cursed our decision to reserve a table for the 6pm sitting at The Belgian Beer Café.
My patience was rewarded with a parking spot right outside the entrance. The Belgian Beer Café is located in a heritage listed building on the corner of Edward and Mary Street, constructed in 1887. During that time, this end of town became a warehouse district, conveniently close to the wharves on the Brisbane River, and this beautiful building was then filled from floor to ceiling with handmade boots. Today, this magnificently restored storage facility is filled with the smell of beer and the sound of laughter. The bar section was buzzing with suited businessmen discussing the US debt debacle and the Google share price whilst savouring their favourite beer on tap. The beer menu is extensive: from Artisan and Trappiste, to Blonde and Brune....something for every taste. The beer is served in chilled traditional beer glasses, quite different to the German shapes, as most of them have stems.
However, The Belgian Beer Cafe is not just about the theatre of beer. The Belgian national dish is Moules-frites (the fried potato chip is actually a 17th century Belgian invention, and they eat it with mayonnaise not ketchup). The mussels are served in traditional steaming pots, and there are four options : Provencale (with olives, tomato, chilli and basil), Mariniere (white wine, bay leaves and persillade), Roquefort ( with blue cheese, chardonnay, cream and baby spinach) and Norwegian (creamy veloute, smoked salmon, white wine and mushrooms). Keith, Lani and Boetie tried a variation each. It is difficult to describe the taste of mussels: sweet, fluffy, sea-salty but never fishy is the best I can offer. If you are not a fan of this delectable bivalve (often referred to as the poor man's shellfish) there are many other dishes on the menu. I had the duck, Nielen ordered risotto with spring peas, cavola nero, mint and shaved parmesan, Vanessa had a fillet of perfectly grilled snapper with mashed potatoes, a Mediterranean salsa (similar to pesto, but without the pine nuts) and apple cider beurre blanc, and Sophie chose the organic beef eye fillet with frites, béarnaise and red wine jus. I have to admit, the food far exceeded our expectations. It was well presented and deliciously prepared.
After beer, the second most important food group in Belgium must be chocolates. The history of chocolate begins in the South American Jungle, and huge gratitude should be bestowed on the Spanish explorers for introducing the cacao bean to Belgium during their rule in the 17th century. When the Belgians colonised the Congo in 1885, they stumbled across an unlimited supply of stronger, more assertive cacao beans, which led to an annual production of over 220,000 tons of Belgian chocolate today. So, needless to say, we ended the meal with traditional Belgian waffles and dark chocolate sauce with hazelnut, pistachio and caramel ice cream.
Dark chocolate has many health benefits. It lowers blood pressure, lowers LDL cholesterol, improves memory and acts as a natural anti-depressant as it stimulates the release of endorphins to produce a feeling of happiness and pleasure. I can testify that this is true, as the stress of driving to the city centre in mangled traffic on a Friday night was replaced with a feeling of happiness and pleasure, after indulging in a jug of silky smooth dark chocolate sauce.
Discussing all things Belgian, it would be remiss of me not to mention Tintin (the heroic reporter who together with his four-legged companion Snowy, get involved in dangerous situations and eventually save the day) or the Smurfs ( the tiny blue-skinned humanoids, who live in mushrooms, eat sarsaparilla leaves and wear Phrygian caps, which represent freedom), both created by Belgian comic book artists. My childhood would have been so much poorer without these characters to escape with.
Listening to Gotye (our very own Grammy winning Belgian-born Australian.....one of 5,762 living here) on the way home completed a most enjoyable Belgian experience.
Next week, we travel to Lebanon.
The heritage listed building, home to the Belgian Beer Café, Mary Street Brisbane
Mussels
Grilled Snapper
Confit Duck
Steak and frites
Risotto
Best frites ever!
Belgian Waffles and chocolate sauce.
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