I asked my bf's mom what she regarded as a very famous Flemish dish, she recommended "Paling in 't Groen" - Freshwater eel in green herb sauce. She wanted to take us to Siphon which was famous for the dish but it was such an impossible place to get in without prior reservation. So for her birthday we decided to take her there as a surprise. The restaurant became such an institution that the well-to-do Flemish people would roll in well-dressed in their flashy cars, such as the Aston Martin in the parking lot.
Siphon was located in Damme's village of Oostkerke, a very scenic drive through the rows of trees and near two canals that went to Holland, 15 minutes drive from Brugge. Siphon was a traditional Flemish restaurant but very fast paced to cater to the number of people that dined that every night. On the nice night people were dining on the outside patios but we had a table inside. As I was walking through the charming restaurant I was greeted by men in Naval white jackets looking like there were many captains on the ship. There was a full size built-in pit where the chef grilled the steaks on hot coals. Most tables were having the fried paling but I had to try the paling in green herb sauce. My bf's mom and me had the eel and my bf had the dover sole. The paling was simply served with fries. I never saw more people eating fries than in Belgium. The eel was fresh didn't taste too muddy, the herb sauce was interesting definitely an acquired taste I loved herbs so it was great! We had some cava to celebrate the birthday and the server was kind enough to fulfilled my request with a surprised birthday ice cream with a sparkler. I really enjoyed the dinner even though I was probably the only non-European there it was a pleasant experience. Note: it's a cash only establishment they don't except credit cards. Smakelijk!! read more