Bistro Baobab, on Philipstockstraat, is just a stone’s throw from the Grote Markt. Inspired by South African friends, Belgians Ann and Arne Biltris-de Spiegeleer began turning out some delectable and unusual flavours nearly five years ago. Arne is the waiter, navigating their narrow and cosy seating area while chatting up the customers. I would nominate him immediately for the “Friendliest Waiter in Belgium” award, if only such an honour existed.

Ann runs the open kitchen. The menu is rich with exotic and fresh flavours. Some feature familiar ingredients (albeit in combinations you may not have tried before), and a few are particular to South Africa.

For one, Baobab reminded me of how much I love amarula. A friend in the Peace Corps introduced me to this South African creamy fruit liqueur several years ago, but I had all but forgotten about it. It’s made from the marula fruit, indigenous to South and West Africa; the liqueur is sweet, rich and easy-todrink with an alcohol content of 17%. Over dinner, it featured beautifully in a tilapia dish, finished off with dried coconut; later it appeared in a fried banana dessert, and made its farewell as a digestif, a perfect ending to a great meal.

But Baobab also did its fair share of introductions. Several dishes feature a sweet and very slightly spicy pickled red pepper called peppadew; we enjoyed it in our amuse bouche, where it was matched with a creamy, mild goat cheese.

The owners also import kingclip, a firm white fish found in South African (and other Southern hemisphere) waters. The flavour is subtle and took well to a peppery, cider-based preparation. Among the meat dishes, you’ll find ostrich and springbok, an antelope native to southern Africa.

While you’ll recognise the other ingredients, it’s wonderful to see a menu full of fresh fruit flavours, including mango, papaya and avocado. And naturally a visit to Baobab is an opportunity to enjoy South African wines, often overshadowed in Belgian restaurants by European offerings.

It may hardly be part of the classic Bruges experience, but a visit to Bistro Baobab is worth its own trip.

www.bistrobaobab.be

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