Café Theatre, Gent

Food Rating: 7/10

Service Rating: 6/10

I had a friend from a foreign country looking for a job. She did not speak Dutch and found it difficult to find a job in Flemish-speaking area of Gent. I had visited Café Theatre couple of times before and like all other men who have visited this place, found the waitresses very young and strikingly beautiful, though inexperienced in food service. I told my friend that she should look for a job there. I had a feeling that language skills were not the most important criteria of selection here. Believe it or not, she was immediately hired. By the way, did I mention that she was pretty ?

The fact that waitresses are beautiful and inexperienced made me sceptical about the food. But I should not have been. The food is fairly good though not exceptional, ambience is nice and it is well located; and definitely a nice place for a business lunch. The Daily lunch costs less than 15 € for a starter, main course; and coffee which is good for a restaurant like this. I always expect this place to be expensive, but actually it is fairly well-priced. This is also not a bad place for celebrity spotting.

I had the "Tartare de bouef' which the menu claims has been voted the best one of Flanders. It is pretty good, but like all things, which is 'best this' or 'best that', can never live up to the hype.

I always feel like writing something negative about a place like this which tries to be ultra-hip, but I cannot bring myself to write anything negative about it except the fact that the service is sometimes lacking; but funnily enough no one seems to mind, especially the men!

Address: Schouwburgstraat 5, 9000

Izaka-Ya, Brussels

Food Rating: 8/10

Service Rating: 7/10

One of the most popular Japanese restaurant in Brussels. For those uninitiated to the Japanese cuisine, this is a perfect starting point. There is a daily 'Bento', which is the plat du jour, and is usually a full warm meal (3 or 4 items) for a fixed price of 10 € which includes Tea and Soup. An unbeatable value, especially for a Japanese restaurant. Bear in mind that the Bento runs out before 1 pm, except on Thursdays, when they serve Sashimi. Then, it runs out before 12.30.

I always see regular faces there which is a good sign. If you are in a hurry, you can be in and out in 15 minutes. Beats eating an unhealthy sandwich any day.

The dinner time is also fairly busy and it is impossible to get in without a reservation. Dinner is slightly more expensive. Lot of cooking and grilling during dinner is done in front of the diners. So is cutting and skinning of the fish. For those who enjoy food and everything around it, this is nice to watch, and a sure sign of cleanliness; for those are squeamish about these things, do not sit near the counter.

The chef, working in the front, is usually friendly but can be grumpy sometimes and makes no apologies for it. He is usually in a good mood if there are some beautiful girls sitting at the counter.

This is a no-frills restaurant with a focus on good food and good ingredients and one of the best price/quality proposition among Japanese restaurants in Brussels. Service is fast and efficient.

Steendam 66, Gent

Food Rating: 5/10

Service Rating: 3/10

A waiter's job is not always easy. He or she (he, in this case), is the crucial link between the restaurant and the kitchen. He can make or ruin an evening. He has to stay in the background but still be available. He has to let the food do the talking. I do not believe it is a job for people who have failed in other professions. You need to have a lot of self-respect to be able to have the right amount of personality and the right amount of servility. The waiter is not a part of the table and not your co-diner. He does not have to get involved in your conversations. His job is to ensure that the customers have a positive dining experience. Period.

I had heard a lot of recommendations about this restaurant. The moment we stepped in, the waiter was overbearing. The restaurant is rather small with about 20 seats or so. We were the first visitors and we were told while making the reservation that we had a time slot between 7 and 9 pm. We were gently reminded of this again when we came in. However, in a span of 10 minutes or so he came about 3 to 4 times around our table to ask whether we have chosen. He was loud and intrusive. The restaurant was too small for his personality.

When the service is bad, there is always an added pressure on the food to be very good. This was not the case here. We had one course, 'Patatje uit Zeebrugge' (Potatoes from Zeebrugge). A simple dish of baked potatoes and prawns. The portion size was too big and tasted very average. It was like a big blob of mashed potatoes on the plate. I finished half of it. With a dish like this, if you do not like it, you are too filled up to order anything else. I saw our next table eating 'mergpijpjes met toast' (bone marrow with toast), which looked rather tasty. I regretted my decision not to order this. The diners (4 old women), seem to be enjoying this. I do not want to write off this restaurant based on just one experience and want to go back and try the 'mergpijpjes', but the prospect of having to face the waiter again makes me think twice.

Address: Steendam 66, 9000 Gent

Restaurant Patyntje, Gent

Food Rating: 6/10

Service Rating: 4/10

Few months back I visited Patyntje in Gent for the third time. The first time was an invitation from a regular and we took just the main course of 'Kabeljauw met gepocheerd ei, garnaaltjes en mousseline' (Cod with poached egg, shrimp and mousseline potatoes). This was pretty good. This is not a particularly difficult dish and as long as the ingredients are good, you cannot screw this up.

The second time I decided to go there it was winter but wonderfully sunny, and on such a day this is one of the best places to sit and have a nice lunch. I decided to stick with the same main course of Cod and as a starter decided to order the Sashimi. Now, this is another dish that is not complicated. It is the essence of simplicity itself. The Sashimi was cold, pre-cut, and the tuna tasteless. It was served with the that cheap generic Wasabi out of the tube you can get in any supermarket. I did not complain about it until the waitress asked me how the food was. I told her what I thought. She took it personally and said that she has first-hand information that this is fresh and obtained fresh daily. I have worked as a waiter too. I know when they are bluffing - most of them have no clue about how the food is procured or made. I also hate when someone asks for an opinion and doesn't like when you have a negative opinion. In any case, the main course was consistently good.

Though I had decided not to go there again, I was invited by another person who is a regular there (apparently they have a lot of regulars, which is good for them, I guess). This time I decided to skip the starter and have the main course of 'Niertjes met Dijonnaise' (Kidneys in Dijonnaise Sauce), which I thought was sub-par - The kidneys were tasteless, and the Dijonnaise sauce was terribly creamy and a bit too mustardy for my liking (the mustard aspect is of course a personal matter).

I recently noticed that their meat is now organic which is always a good sign. I have been there thrice already and I am not sure if I will go again. Though if it is a nice summer's day....

Address: Gordunkaai 91, 9000 Gent