This is a unique gathering of some of Belgium's finest restaurateurs. Culinaria offers visitors the chance to sample their mouthwatering creations within the confines of Tour & Taxi's large exhibit hall.
Most of us will find it hard to try more than a few of the country's best tables every year, so this may well be the right place to help you decide where you want to enjoy your next dining experience.
Entry tickets are not cheap, count around 75 euros depending on which package you go for, but generally speaking the price is correct if you consider you'd be paying 10 to 20 euros per dish if you were to book a table at any of these establishments. This year saw some handy improvement to the organizational side of things which definitely made proceedings easier. The choice of two menu's determined ahead of time while booking was a smart move allowing for chef's to come up with more audacious dishes than preceding years - it helps to know how many you are catering for, compared to the random pick of visitors years prior.
So unless you are a lone diner, you could take one of each of the two menus on offer and get to try everything. This included a welcome beer and some nibbles, a 'mise en bouche', five dishes, two desserts and an accompanying glass of wine per dish. For a little extra you could enjoy an intermediary cheese platter, even if I find you have enough food without. For an all-out VIP experience you can add the champagne bar and VIP lounge area, but if you expect to be able to walk straight this may again be an unnecessary extra.
In a world where Michelin Chefs become superstars, it is a feature of Culinaria to find most of these 'celebrities' manning the stands and putting the final touches on dishes. Usually friendly and chatty, it is great to be able to interact with these modern food heroes.
There is more than just Michelin star food, get the most from Culinaria by taking a cooking masterclass (these are spread out over the day with different chefs and presentations). You'll also be able to shop from the food market which is full of high-end food products, from truffles to saffron infused concuctions, you'll probably find one or two intricacies to take home.
Full marks for Cuilnaria and its star chefs. This has become a very well-organized event that allows foodies to sample dishes from the lands best restaurants. Well worth treating yourself. read more