The chocolates are beautifully packaged and sold in boutiques decorated with gold, crystal, and mirrors. Street food in Belgium means frites or French fries. Stands serve them in a paper cone accompanied by mayonnaise, bearnaise or curry sauce. Another popular fast food is the Belgian waffle. Stands in outdoor markets bake them with crunchy bits of pearl sugar in the batter.
Roasted chestnuts are an aromatic item heating in outdoor stalls in the winter months.
Dining in Belgium Dining in Belgium ranges from modest bistros to elegant Michelin three-star restaurants. Located in an 18th century house in this medieval canal city, the chef serves dazzling plates, as delicious as they are decorative. In the glass-ceilinged entrance area, we were served mussels in aspic, salmon tartare, and rabbit pate with fresh grapefruit and champagne cocktails. In the high-ceilinged dining room, a codfish carpaccio was rimmed with fried leek shavings, and a supreme of pheasant was accompanied by endive, wild mushrooms, and a mashed potato round encased in a sliver of celery root. Dessert featured poached pears and prunes in a red wine sauce paired with ice cream made with Armagnac brandy.