The elegance of Belgian hospitality - “Be Our Guest - The Ambasadors of Belgian Hospitality” by Kathleen Billen, Kristin Van de Voorde-Heidbüchel (2018)
Dear readers, some of you might notice that I haven’t been writing that much in the past month, the reason is that I was working on my summer and birthday trip to France, which I decided to put my blog on hold in order to organize and arrange this significant trip of mine after almost 7 years without stepping onto the French soil. Fast forward to now that I eventually returned to my work desk, and I decided to start writing again as I felt a bit guilty already by neglecting my commitment to this blog for quite some time. Before jumping into the details of my trip, I am going to talk about something else first, and that is, my first birthday present that I bought for myself after I got back, it’s a beautiful copy of coffee table book titled “Be Our Guest - The Ambasadors of Belgian Hospitality” written by Ms. Kathleen Billen and Dr. Kristin Van de Voorde-Heidbüchel.
Published by Lannoo Publishers back in August 2018, this sumptuous book gives an overview about the best of Belgium has to offer in terms of gastronomy, high end hospitality and etiquette, a book about the Belgian sophisticated l’art de vivre. I came across this book by accident actually when I was strolling down the quiet corner inside a bookstore where I don’t usually go, and then I spotted this copy that I couldn’t even resist its beauty to put it back to the bookshelves! You might ask what makes this book so special and appealing? Firstly, as much as it sounds a bit cliché, but I adore the cover of this book! The high-quality black paper with a very tiny decorative crystal sits before the main title of the book in imperial gold color, also the subtitle bookmark string in the tri-color of the Belgium national flag, it’s so delicate, thoughtful and sophisticated.
Now diving into the core of this book, the content, which intrigues me even more that really echoes to the high-quality cover, the book featured the most stunning residence of 27 embassies and consulates-general of the Kingdom of Belgium from all over the world, taking the reader to seat at their sumptuously decorated tables, along with more than 55 Belgian top dishes by Michelin starred chefs, including Chef Gert De Mangeleer (Michelin 3-stars awarded chef), Michelin 2-star-awarded chef and restaurant owner, Chef Bart De Poorter, and, Michelin 2-star-awarded chef and restaurant owner of ‘La Villa Lorraine’, Chef Yves Mattagne, sharing their culinary passion with recipes of more than 50 appealing and delicious dishes, also some of Belgium’s national specialties and elegant cocktails with their recipes too! Besides, this book also covered some topics which I adore including dinner etiquette and l’art de la table, in a way it opens my eyes to see the high end gastronomy culture not only exist in France or Italy, but also in Belgium that its sophistication and quality is no less than any renowned European haute cuisine capitals.
Despite I have no idea when would I be able to make a trip to Belgium any time soon, yet, by having this book at hand, it helps to fuel my motivation and think about having a try of those remarkable Belgian high end gastronomy one day, at the same time, a great experience to dive deep into their sophisticated hospitality culture that shapes me to apply these beautiful savoir-vivre into my own life. As my own birthday gift this year, this book is undoubtedly one of the most memorable gift I’ve ever had.
