Culinaria premiered last year in Jubelpark, attracting 14,000 visitors. At the request of the chefs, sponsors, participants, and the Brussels Region, it repeats this year, which suggests it may be destined for the annual calendar.
The bargain – and star attraction – of Culinaria² are the menus. Four four-course meals are available, each featuring six stars per menu – which is to say that each course is prepared by a different Michelin-starred chef. When purchasing your ticket (€40 in advance, €45 at the door), you choose your menu and receive vouchers for your courses.
Then you begin the walking dinner, travelling to each chef’s tent for the subsequent serving. Two starters, a main course and a dessert are all served with a matching wine, and water and coffee are also included. You might try, for instance, Mechelen asparagus with Iberian ham and creamy parmesan by Christophe Hardiquest of Brussels’ Bon-Bon, followed by a mixture of tomato, watermelon, tuna and feta from Vike Geunes of ’t Zilte in Mol.
Probably the most popular main course of the event will belong to the only three-star chef on site – the famous Peter Goossens of Hof Van Cleve in Kruishoutem. His braised veal cheeks with celery root, tarragon and parmesan cheese will be irresistible to most menu seekers.
If you have a hard time choosing, you should spring for the fijnproever, or gourmet, set of vouchers, which entitles you to two full menus for €70/€75. That works out to less than €10 per course, less than anything you would find in these chefs’ usual establishments.
Workshops at Culinaria² , meanwhile, offer the chance to watch these chefs in action. Working with the tools or products of one of the festival’s many sponsors, including Leffe, Häagen-Dazs and Italian appliance manufacturer Smeg, they will create new dishes or show off particular skills.
The sponsorship makes it sound a little hokey but how can you pass up the chance to see these chefs at work? You can’t reserve a place in any of the 11 workshops, and last year’s were packed to capacity, so plan ahead and arrive early.
Finally, there’s the marketplace, with 50 stalls featuring products the chefs use in their menus. Taking part in Culinaria² can be a challenge for a chef, who has to make time for the event in the preceding months and who sometimes must close his restaurant during the festival. But 14 of the 16 chefs are joining Culinaria² for the second year running. Obviously they see something special here – and you will, too.
Tour & Taxis, Havenlaan 86C, Brussels
June 3-6, times vary
The only place a Michelin-starred chef will serve you a dish for less than €10
Contact Bite at flandersbite@gmail.com
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