Located in a not very noteworthy area of town, Volta is a destination in itself. A former warehouse, it has an enormous lofted ceiling, rugged metal light fixtures and exposed brick walls that could easily feel cold if it weren’t for the addition of thick curtains, wooden accents and chairs with a ’70s retro vibe.
This is Olly Ceulenaere’s brainchild three years in the making. Originally from a tiny town in West Flanders, this 31-year-old chef is making waves in local food circles. I had met him once before when talking with his friend Jason Blanckaert, chef at Ghent’s Michelinstarred c-jean. Back then and still now, Ceulenaere is understated to a fault.
He has a hard time, for instance, describing himself or his style of cooking. Despite the three-week wait for a lunch reservation and tables for dinner fully booked until October, Ceulenaere has never become overconfident. Rather, he’s constantly looking to improve and fine-tune his dream restaurant until it matches his vision.
For now, lunch is an up-tempo, more casual affair, with a daily set menu of starter and main for €24 illustrating a love for fresh, local produce. In the evening, things are different, with a sevencourse tasting menu offered to a smaller number of patrons, for the surprisingly reasonable €58 each. “We follow the seasons,” says Ceulenaere. “We talk with producers and use ingredients with lots of flavour.”
One thing that strikes me are the many student chefs in the kitchen. “It’s important for everyone to share knowledge – to let people learn,” Ceulenaere explains. “I was once there, too. And it helps the evolution of creative cooking.”
This also explains the open kitchen. A mesh curtain separates it from the diners so there is some access to the hustle and hum of work. “I want an open, honest kitchen,” confirms Ceulenaere. “Everything we do should be transparent. I want people to see us and what we’re doing – to get them involved in the process and the ambiance of good food.”
These basic tenets behind Ceulenaere’s cooking are also at work at Blanckaert’s c-jean, as well as at Kobe Desramaults’ award-winning restaurant In De Wulf in Dranouter, West Flanders. This should come as no surprise: It is these three chefs who make up the Flemish Foodies, which is set to revolutionise Flemish cuisine.
It all began three years ago when food photographer Piet De Kersgieter and writer Jasmine Verspeet approached their friend Blanckaert about the project, who then invited Ceulenaere and Desramaults. To increase De Kersgieter’s visibility as a professional photographer, he would take photos of dishes created by the chefs and post them online. He now considers himself a friend of all three. “In the formal, stiff world of gastronomy, we’re grateful to be part of this alternative movement,” he says.
Alternative is one word to describe the Flemish Foodies. Creative and groundbreaking also works. But, interestingly enough, relaxed might be the most accurate moniker of all. Friends for years, the chefs get together every Monday, when their restaurants are closed, to talk shop. Whether discussing how to work with a particular ingredient or lamenting restaurant woes like lazy dishwashers, the three of them are friends who inspire each other.
When asked to describe either friend’s cooking style, Ceulenaere stumbles for a bit, looking down at an imaginary plate and gesturing, “A dish from Jason is very recognisable.” He pauses. “I don’t know, it’s just him.”
His own style is different than the others, he says, “because I’m different. My cooking is me. We are three different people with different histories, different memories. We’ve had different work experiences and childhoods.”
And all that is expressed in their food. “Presented with the same ingredient, we would all do different things with it,” he continues. “Even with the same recipe, we would produce different dishes.”
The Flemish Foodies website has grown by leaps and bounds, featuring sharp, mouth-watering photos of beautifully prepared, original dishes. Some eventually make their way onto a restaurant’s plate. The post of 24 June by Ceulenaere featuring broccoli, cauliflower and radishes in a garlic dip with almonds was included in the starter of my Friday lunch menu.
The site has grown to include other well-known Flemish chefs who think the same way about food. “When we do Flemish Foodies, there are no rules, no constraints. There are no paying customers or expectations, and no limits. It is this way of thinking that allows us to go further.”
The people who share the same respect for ingenuity and creativity in the kitchen are equally respected in the Flemish food scene. Bruges-based chefs Gert De Mangeleer (of Hertog Jan), Dominique Persoone (of The Chocolate Line) and Filip Claeys (of De Jonkman) are just a few of the respected celebrity chefs included on their site, offering recipes and opinions. With the name-dropping comes an active fan base, with more than 300 hits a day on the site.
Despite the popularity and repeated solicitations, they have no interest in making it commercial. “It is about getting inspired,” Ceulenaere explains. “A couple of times a week, we get together, drink a beer and talk. We’ve been doing it for 10 years; only now it has a name. When it stops being fun, we’ll stop doing it.”
photo © Piet De Kersgieter
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