Chef Geert Van Hecke – The Only Three Michelin Starred Chef in Belgium

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It is not usual for us to hear about restaurants in other parts of Europe. After all, Spain, Germany and France are all competing for the gold when it comes to culinary accolades. These countries are vying for the Michelin stars and all other European countries are left behind. Sometimes, there are restaurants that will sneak in and take the price, and the world will suddenly take notice. This year De Karmeliet of Belgium sneaked in and grabbed the 95^th spot in El Pellegrino World’s 100 Best Restaurants list. If you truly want to experience Belgian gastronomy, you should definitely visit this 3-star restaurant and get a taste of what Chef Geert Van Hecke has to offer.

De Karmeliet is one of the best restaurants in Haarlem. Some people would even argue that this is the best restaurant in the whole of Belgium. Many would likely grunt their agreement. This restaurant is largely known for its huge selection of burp-inspiring dishes. There are a lot of choices for lunch, and there are scrumptious selections for a wonderful Mediterranean dinner. If you love eating tapas, you will love De Karmeliet menus. You can always choose to get your meals ala carte, or you can always choose the restaurant’s special menus. Have you heard of The Flat Country? Do you know the Brugge die Scone? These are just some of what Chef Geert Van Hecke has to offer.

Chef Hecke is the first Flemish chef to have won three Michelin stars. Now, that’s definitely something else! Of course, he deserves the credit. He offers international cuisine using locally-found produces or ingredients. Needless to say, regardless of what he creates, he always ends up giving his dish the unique Flemish quality. Often the results are outstandingly good.

His restaurant is the perfect place to serve his culinary masterpieces. This is where he showcases his unique talents. He spends hours happily whipping up something special. You would find him chopping a pig’s trotter one minute and then creating a deceptively delicious potato bouillon the next. Now, do not shrug off this potato dish. It’s not as simple as you might think it is. Actually, that’s exactly what sets this chef apart from all the rest. This is the reason why he has managed to earn three Michelin stars. He never fails to surprise people with his deceptively “plain” dishes.

Chef Geert Van Hecke’s Asparagus, Morel and Potato Ragout with Poultry Jus and Parsley Recipe

Recipe via The World Wide Gourmet

Total time: 30 to 60 minutes

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

Ingredients for 4 servings

20 small new Potatoes

20 spears of Asparagus

100 g (3 1/2 oz.) Morels

Butter

200 ml (3/4 cup) chicken stock