This restaurant has been on our (never dwindling) bucket list of culi hotspots for some time. The restaurant, run by chef Dennis Broeckx and his partner Ellen De Stuyver, has been rising above the gastronomic level for some time now. Time to experience this at first hand in Anvers, dans cette fameuse épicerie.
On arrival in Antwerp, we can immediately leave the somewhat drizzly day behind us. As soon as we enter the restaurant, we are immersed in its idiosyncratic, as exotic as it is eclectic. The néon with ‘Under the palm trees‘ goes wonderfully non conformist with the ‘urban jungle deco‘. For a moment, we imagine ourselves in a South American bar in Miami. Hup: away with the rain and worries! Because of the corona perils the kitchen moved from the ground floor to the upper floor but that has the advantage that the chef is in the middle of his business.
les saveurs du cirque
From his new cooking spot, chef Dennis Broeckx runs his business like a true master. And that is clearly reflected in the dishes. We opted for the “Saveurs du cirque”, a nice 4-course meal excluding appetisers according to the market offer at 65 euros per person.
We start with a delicious bisque, sea mussel, avocado and Chinese chives. The fond of the bisque is drawn well according to craftsmanship and so this is a delicious taste bomb to start with.
Chef Dennis continues with a delicious piece of mackerel, kale and buttermilk. In the meantime, partner Ellen accompanies the dishes with the appropriate wines with great knowledge and zeal. Here the card is drawn of mostly organic or at least wines with little intervention. That does not always turn out to be a full house, but of course tastes differ. The white multiblend from the Spanish (Toledo) Torre Barreda 2020 is certainly worthy of mention.
The signature dish worthy of its name
We brace ourselves a little before the entremets that the Chef serves. It is announced with much fanfare as a signature dish e and we have to say that we can only underline this. We get a super crispy pork belly full of Asian flavours together with delicious sours of beetroot, dashi and hemp. For this dish, we would gladly make a détour of Antwerp next time! How delicious the dish was, the more disappointing was the choice of wine. How charming we find the Portuguese twentysomething, her Menima D’Uva lacks balance and longevity. But well can happen.
(H) honest pork
This ‘disappointment’ will not stay with us for long, because Dennis already arrives with his pièce de résistance. A beautiful piece of pork – Noir de Piétrain (Wallonia) – that is superbly cooked and releases all its flavours. Chefs who dare to choose pork but do it well: hats off. And to the good piece of meat came a delicious sauce with the necessary acidity, celeriac and lovage. Wonderful. This time, we found the wine pairing to be ‘booming’ with the Spanish winery Jiménez-Landi – Bajondillo 2018.
To finish, we get a delicious creamy rice pudding with cremeux and chocolate. Super tasty in all its simplicity!
Conclusion: L’Epicerie du cirque is a delicious place that lets you forget the hustle and bustle of Antwerp city centre for a while. Chef Dennis Broeckx creates a very tasteful honest product cuisine, accompanied by the beautiful (and sometimes daring) wine suggestions of hostess Ellen. Must Eat in Antwerp!
Practical:
Adres: Volkstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp
Website: https://www.underthepalmtrees.be/
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