Diplomatic World_69

THE BISTRONOMY
GASTRONOMIC DELIGHT
AT LIVING TOMORROW
ARE YOU SPENDING SOME TIME IN BRUSSELS
SOON? THEN BE SURE TO VISIT LIVING
TOMORROW. AND WHILE YOU ARE THERE,
BE SURE TO WALK BY THE BISTRONOMY.
WHETHER YOU MAY BE LOOKING FOR A
FIRST-RATE BUSINESS LUNCH, FINE DINING
IN THE EVENING OR A MEETING WITH PRIVATE
SHOW COOKING: TOP CHEF MARC CLEMENT
WILL TURN YOUR VISIT INTO A UNIQUE
JOURNEY OF TASTE
finding the right balance in portions. For lunch or dinner, for a 3,
4 or 5 course menu. We don’t want you to leave here hungry, nor
with a heavy stomach.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE MANY TRENDS IN
THE CULINARY LANDSCAPE?
I try to stay true to my principle of ‘quality first’ and not to go
along with hypes. We fully embrace concepts such as ‘sustainability’
and ‘local’, but in my opinion they are sometimes taken too
The Bistronomy is quietly nestled in the shadow of Living
far and misused for purely commercial gain. We obviously strive
Tomorrow’s new Innovation Campus in Vilvoorde, near Brussels.
to waste as little possible and to use local products whenev-
A trendy but unassuming interior, lots of space and light, yet
er possible. By the way, what is local? Should I no longer put
warm and cosy. The atmosphere is relaxed and inviting. And that
scallops from France on the menu? That is absurd. That said,
totally fits with the jovial top chef Marc Clement, born in Boom,
I do support local producers I believe in. To name one, I serve
Antwerp. Marc is a member of Mastercooks Belgium, a select
beer from a small artisanal brewery in the vicinity, next to the big
group of the finest Belgian chefs. The Bistronomy is, for now,
names like Stella and Duvel.
his last stop in a richly filled career, and has been so for the past
eight years.
We work with a local herb grower who also grows many organic
vegetables, and we have our own herb garden and a neigh-
A bistronomy, meaning a ‘gastronomic bistro’? “Yes, although we
bourhood herb garden. And for every menu, we provide, next to
have somewhat progressed since we started,” says Marc. “Just
adapted wines, a vegetarian, vegan, gluten- or lactose-free diet
like the Living Tomorrow environment around us, we are also
formula.
evolving. We now offer more gastronomy than before, with a new
lunch menu every week. The evening menu changes monthly and
offers a selection of refined signature dishes. Always true to my
philosophy: simplicity, quality first, and simply very tasty!” The
chef insists on telling each customer personally what is on their
HOW ARE THINGS GOING AFTER THE TOUGH
CORONA YEARS?
plate.
We are doing great, thank you. Although the steep recovery right
after the lockdowns has subsided somewhat. The first months
our formulas, we can serve a very varied public. But nobody
Nonetheless I quickly got the hang of it. At 16, I had my diploma,
TELL US MARC, WHAT DO WE FIND THERE?
after the reopening, people came storming and spending! But
yes, those were two very challenging years for anyone in the
industry. If one good thing came from it, it was that our reputa-
knows what the future holds. People are keeping a closer eye on
their budget, and I can understand that. In times of crisis, restaurant
visits are often the first thing to cut back on.
and then I mastered the basic skills. I used to practise them at
home in the weekends, together with my mother. Using up a
whole stock of eggs to learn how to poach them, for instance.
Well, we may find ourselves in an innovative environment, but
tion got a boost. During the lockdowns, we were able to keep the
So actually it was the other way around, my mother learned to
we are not into hip food trends or the food of the future. Which
doesn’t mean that we are standing still. We work with valuable
culinary heritage, and give it our own gastronomic twist. Products
such as veal entrecote, dairy calf, hake, sea bass, North Sea
business running as a catering service, and we now see those
customers coming to the restaurant. That is very gratifying. And
then there was the support action we did for the personnel in the
nearby hospital: a thousand meals!
DID YOU INHERIT THE PASSION FOR COOKING
AT HOME?
cook better through me (laughs). But the real work still had to
begin. At school, we ‘played’ restaurant, but we had no idea
about the real world. In the famed ‘Boudewijn’ brasserie in
Kontich, I was thrown into the deep end: a tough but all in all
crab, scallops, langoustines,... and seasonal vegetables. We are
Not so much. My parents had a small business in beverages and
pleasant school of learning of which I have fond memories.
a gastronomic restaurant focusing on affordable enjoyment of
That also helped our ‘brand awareness’. So we have evolved
my mother was a fairly good cook, but for me it started at the ho-
Those guys took me under their wings and that was the start of
simple, yet high-quality recipes and products. Nowadays people
from a predominance of business customers to a more balanced
tel school in Antwerp at 11 years old. That was rather by chance,
an intense period: working hard, at that time, was still combined
want to eat healthy and lighter, especially at lunch. It’s about
mix with private customers as well. Thanks to our concept and
because I didn’t really know what I wanted to do at that age.
with playing hard.
150 151