Le Grillange

The subtlety of the name Grillange can be discerned in the contraction of the French words grillade (grill) and ang (angle), the name of the talented owner of the establishment. Ever since he opened his restaurant in 1984, 聲gel has been refining his cuisine, without ever forgetting his origins: Spanish cuisine. His restaurant is located very close to La Chasse, the large shopping quarter in Etterbeek. In his case we can reverse the proverb: "while out to hunt, 聲gel found his place." Never better said, since after a long and fruitless search to find the ideal location in which to fulfill his dream, he was ready to give up his project. One day, walking along Avenue E. Pirmez, a "For Sale" sign drew his attention: it was love at first sight.

The old burgher's house was entirely renovated, in an especially cozy style. Although at first it was mainly a grill, the business evolved over time to become a real restaurant, albeit with a Spanish accent. 聲gel's gastronomic experience had begun, however, much earlier. The first years of his life were perfumed with the aromas and flavors of the typical Asturian dishes prepared by his grandmother. Those were the first steps in his culinary education. Today, when he speaks of those days, his eyes take on a special shine. With a grandson's emotion, from time to time he adds these tasty dishes to the menu. This greatly pleases his Spanish customers, who can find once again authentic reminiscences of their homeland. At the age of ten, he joined his parents in Belgium, where they settled in Brussels after roaming around Europe for some time. In the kitchen of his mother's tavern he began to learn culinary techniques, which he decided to improve by attending a hotel school in Brussels. Disappointed when he found out that the school's curriculum did not include a single course on Spanish cuisine, he interrupted his studies after just two years. Like a real homing pigeon, he worked in various establishments, until he met Eddie Van Maele in the kitchens of Ten Wijngaert, at that time a great deluxe restaurant. Eddie taught him how to properly approach the difficult career of chef. This was 聲gel's real start as a culinary artisan. Unfortunately, he was than drafted into the army, not in Belgium, but in Spain, and for a period of two years. This could have meant the end of his apprenticeship, had he not been ordered to organize dinners for high-ranking officers in various different military regions. This allowed him to discover the multiple facets of his native cuisine. This experience proved to be the basis for his highly personal vision of Iberian gastronomy. For him, the cuisine of Galicia is totally different than that of Catalonia. The former is based on Atlantic seafood and fish, the latter has mainly Mediterranean nuances. Asturias is largely influenced by the Cantabrian mountains where game is so plentiful that Ob鋩ix would have loved to be born in this region. Navarre, on the other hand, is paradise for vegetarians due to its numerous vegetables. In Castile and Le鏮 lamb and local cheeses are dished out in huge amounts. And for 聲gel, Extremadura means "Iberian ham," whereas Andalusia reminds him of olive oil and sherry or Montilla wine-based cuisine. But for our maestro virtuoso, Basque cuisine is the most inventive and tastiest of all. Every month the menu highlights a specific region, which allows regular customers to sample the abundant gastronomy offered by the Iberian Peninsula. All at a moderate price. At first, 聲gel gave his culinary creations French names, afraid that otherwise they would be misunderstood or not properly appreciated. In those days Belgium swore by French cuisine. This has now changed. The current menu and daily specials are written in his native language, with names that sound like castanets.

But 聲gel had another lucky encounter in his life, finding the woman of his dreams, Rosi. She shares with him today the good fortune of being able to satisfy their customers. Trained in public relations, Rosi adapted very quickly to the requirements of this profession. Like all Spanish women, she got her grounding in cooking as part of her education, but she was obviously a very talented student. Rosi and 聲gel form a real dream team of Spanish cuisine in Belgium. He is exuberant and always ready to fulfill his customers' slightest wishes, while she prepares the dishes with the regularity and precision of a Swiss watch.

Today, anyone who loves Spanish cuisine will feel delighted at the Grillange, whereas the culinary neophyte can discover the Iberian culinary arts here step by step (or dish by dish). 聲gel will be very pleased to guide him. At the Grillange, the welcome is very ebullient and the tone is set immediately. It is not unusual to see 聲gel embracing his customers, who very soon become his friends. Apart from the fact that 聲gel's smile is superbly underlined by his fabulous mustache, his way with words also helps to put customers immediately at ease. The menu sings the names of the delicious dishes that 聲gel and Rosi offer: pijarra jaenera- a typically Andalusian salad from Ja幯. Cebolla rellena- a large onion stuffed with tuna and fresh salmon that come straight from Asturias. Pintada en pepitoria- a specialty from Castile Le鏮 that includes olives and almonds. Fabada asturiana- a dish based on beans, chorizo sausage and blood sausage, and bacon, an homage to his native land. In the autumn, 聲gel and Rosi serve cochinillo (roast piglet) every Friday. At dessert time, the inevitable crema catalana pleases all those who love sweets. The wine list includes wines from most of Spain's grape-growing areas. It is a real compendium of Spanish wines. One can find, among others, the very rare Vega Sicilia 猋ico, but also a Colegiata from Toro area, and excellent Riojas, wines from Pened廥, Priorato, and even from Yecla. Albari隳s, Ruedas, and Somontanos, whose great reputations honor the wine list, not to mention two French white wines (it is inevitable, this is Belgium). The excessive wine list permits wine lovers to make plenty of discoveries.

The new challenge currently occupies 聲gel's thoughts, namely, to protect the names of certain Spanish culinary preparations. Too many names, such as for example, paella, chorizo, and tapas, are used and abused to define dishes that are industrially manufactured and then sold in large supermarkets. It is true that such dishes can be tasty, but often their ingredients have nothing to do with the original recipe. A real artisan, 聲gel would like to see a denomination of origin system similar to the one that already exists for wine and also for cheeses. Another crusade for this tireless Don Quijote, whom he inevitably resembles.

Harry De Schepper is a freelance journalist specializing in gastronomy and wine. He teaches both subjects at COOVI in Brussels.