For my most recent fondue indulgence, I headed to Aalst to visit the Fonduehuisje Le Bourguignon. Open for 12 years, Le Bourguignon specialises in these Swiss-style, cook-it-yourself meals.
Each table features an electric stove in the centre and an exhaust fan overhead. It sounds industrial, but they’ve disguised it in a sleek design. The restaurant is comfortable and modern, featuring chocolatey brown tables and walls, perhaps to tempt you towards dessert.
The fans are thankfully quiet, but they also don’t work as well as they should – you will smell the cooking oils from the moment you walk through the door.
On to the matter of what you will be cooking. Do you fancy grilling meats and vegetables? Go for “gourmet”: each diner gets their own personal tiny pan to mix-and-match the meats, fish and vegetables in small servings.
The raclette at Le Bourguignon is just a variation on the gourmet option. At other restaurants, a large wheel of cheese may be heated and scraped onto your plate, but here they follow the more modern raclette system. You’ll receive the same small pans as with gourmet, with slices of semi-soft cheese, and the traditional raclette accompaniments of potato, bread, tomato, gherkins and pickled onions.
Take those same ingredients, shuffle them around a bit and toss in a big pot and a long, thin fork, and you’re all set for fondue. Choose meats or fish, dipped in your choice of oil or bouillon, or opt for melted cheese.
At Le Bourguignon, the ingredients were fresh but basic, and the meal was filling. However, I was careful to leave room for dessert. Three dessert fondues are available: milk chocolate, white chocolate and Toblerone. We tried the milk, which was sweet and creamy, accompanied by delicious fresh fruit.
A fondue evening will always make for a social night out, but it can also break the ice indoors. All kinds of fondue and raclette sets are available in cooking and appliance shops. A bit of shopping, a bit of chopping, invite a few friends over and get started!
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