But that’s not to say that on principle I avoid Michelin restaurants; on occasion, I even turn to them when seeking out a special meal. Which was how I ended up at Potiron in the unassuming village of Kasterlee in Antwerp province.
Potiron has what I find the most exciting distinction in the Michelin guide: the Bib Gourmand. These restaurants offer “good quality cuisine for under 35 Euro” (not including drinks). A Michelinrecommended restaurant I can afford? No further convincing required.
Potiron’s décor is sleek and modern, with beautiful place settings and a mix of neutral colours. The lighting is soft, but the tables are well lit; you have a clear view of what you’re eating, and it’s a view worth having.
The menu features half a dozen fish dishes and the same number of meats. A good-size vegetarian menu is available on request. In some finer restaurants, the menu reads more like a shopping list – each dish itemising the full breadth of the ingredients, and each ingredient bearing its own adjective. Here the menu is descriptive but direct, and even the relatively short summaries are enough to make your decision a difficult one.
Despite the name, pumpkin did not feature prominently in the menu, although we couldn’t resist the pumpkin soup starter. An herb salad and homemade loempia completed our first courses, accompanied by a bottle of Pinot Blanc from their largely French-and-Italian-dominated wine list, and everyone was delighted with all of it.
It is worth noting that, although the service was friendly, dishes came out slowly (our main courses in particular), and the waiting staff was not as attentive as I would expect – to the point that we had to chase them down several times with our requests.
But the arrival of our main dishes was cause for celebration. We were feeling fishy, trying the plaice, dorade and cod. The accompaniments were hearty, including stoemp and delicately- roasted vegetables. The plates were finished off with tasteful and tasty flourishes – a drizzle of fruit-based sauce or a single crisp made of beetroot. The portions were generous, and we were all struck by how well the disparate flavours in each dish came together so nicely.
The desserts followed suit; I was particularly impressed by a pineapple carpaccio with crumbled speculoos and a scoop of ice cream that was purportedly pear but tasted more of lemon – whatever it was, it worked. Along with a fine herbal tea, it was a fresh and inventive ending to a delicious meal, which rang up at a very reasonable (for Michelin) €182, including a bottle of wine and other drinks. Just be sure you have time to enjoy it: our evening was three-and-ahalf hours long.
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