Cook and Drink

June 19th, 1926. Georges Cuvelier opens Chez Georges, a small neighbourhood restaurant in Brussels. One of the regulars told the chef: “Georges, chez vous, on mange comme chez soi” (meaning “Georges, in your restaurant one eats like at home”) which was meant as a compliment. The comment triggered a name change.

Georges Cuveliers daughter Simone married Louis Wijnants. Together they owned and managed the restaurant, now called Comme chez Soi. They focused on Belgian cuisine, local ingredients and quality. In 1966 their son Pierre Wijnants took over. He would become one of the finest and most celebrated chefs of Belgium. In 1979 the restaurant was awarded three Michelin stars.

Today the restaurant is owned by Laurence Wynants and Lionel Rigolet. It has one Michelin star.

A five course menu at Comme chez Soi will cost you 195 euro (225 US dollar) and with wine selection 270 euro (315 US dollar) per person. This summer the restaurant serves courses like cod fillet, candied ginger, parsley coulis, kohlrabi, Ndongo Bella Congo pepper and peach, nectarine, apricot, shortbread and a light lemon thyme mousse with verbena espuma.

Dining at Comme chez Soi is a bit above our budget, so we very happy to buy Fijnproeven in België, a book that celebrates the cuisine of Belgium. It’s written by Pierre Wijnants and Lionel Rigolet with beautiful photo’s by Tony Le Duc. It features wonderful dishes such as jelly of salmon, tea, lemon and tarragon and soup with cream, eel and hop shoots plus traditional Belgium dishes such as mashed potatoes with onions.

We decided to prepare frog legs with morels, fava beans, green asparagus, chervil, cream and lemon. We replaced the frog legs with organic chicken thighs because the frog population is in decline and frog farms are the worst ever.

The combination was very tasty and surprisingly light, with various textures and a rich sauce. 

The suggestion is to pair the dish with a glass of bourgogne, more specifically a glass of Clos du Cellier aux Moines, Givry Premier Cru, a red wine made with 100% pinot noir grapes from the Côte Chalonnaise in France. We served the dish with a pinot noir made by La Cour Des Dames. In general you’re looking for a red, medium bodied wine with aromas of berries and floral notes. The tannins should be soft or well-integrated. 

PS

The book includes quotes from guests including one that reads “Pourqoi est-ce meilleur que chez moi?” meaning “Why is it better than at my place?”