We last visited Bon Bon, a 2 star Michelin restaurant, 2 years ago. The interior decorations of the old mansion haven’t changed much but now the whimsical sheep are also by the front door to greet you. The white painted tree branch still extends into the room and the lovely old wood floors have nice rugs that provide sound absorption. Tables are well spaced and with the ceiling sound panels, noise level is really not a problem, even with soft music playing in the background. The large open kitchen is still humming and there are some counter seats for those who want an even closer view. Windows around the perimeter look over the lush gardens outside. They now offer a 6 course surprise tasting as well as a 5 course vegetarian one, in addition to an a la carte menu. After a heavy lunch we chose the vegetarian option and ordered our own wine. Pacing of the meal was good as was portion control. Chef Christophe Hardiquest was in the kitchen and cam out to speak with each of the tables.
We started with a Negroni that was served in a fun slanted glass while we munched on an amuse of crunchy corn dotted with cream of corn. A great crisp with intense flavors of corn made a nice snack.
A combination of white cheese, Lambic beer, radish and thin crispy bread had a beautiful color but only mild flavors and would rate an okay.
Bread was in the form of really thin sheets dotted with lemongrass and served with a carrot and cumin purée. The crisp was a something different and the fun spread was very mild in flavor.
The tasting started with a mushrooms de Paris with mushroom juice and avocado mousse. A work of art dish. The avocado was more gelatenized and smooth than a guacamole, but it was tasty as were the mushrooms. The standing pieces were ultra fresh and nicely earthy and they went great with the subtle avocado. A good, cool plate.
Vichyssoise of peas was served with peas, pea shoots, horseradish ice cream and a bit of olive oil. The tiny raw peas and shoots were really sweet and the ones cooked into the purée were mixed with more pea shoots to yield a magnificent strong pea flavor. The excellent ingredients and perfect preparation made this dish sing.
Green asparagus from the Brussels area were plated with spinach purée and lemon. They were absolutely wonderful. You could smell the enchanting aroma of the perfectly cooked asparagus went it was set down on the table. The lemon was an ideal accent for another lovely dish.
Morels with Vin jaune mousseline were covered with a small round of pasta. Some thick brown jus on the bottom of the plate was richly flavored with the mushroom to a meat like intensity that really accentuated the taste of the morels. This dish was wonderfully filled with excellent strong flavors. They also brought more of the mousseline sauce which was too hard to resist.
White cheese from Beersel was plated with meringue with herbs and a sorrel-pepper sorbet. The juice of cucumber and celery along with strips of raw green asparagus and dill meringue crackers finished the plate. It was light and left a great flavor in your mouth. Lots of texture also made this plate interesting.
Dessert was a combination of things. Powdered sugar coated beignets were hot, great and messy. White chocolate was filled with a tart creamy filling. A delicate thin crisp roll was filled with delicious gooey caramel and was excellent. A speculoos macaron tasted of gingerbread and was a good taste of a typical Belgium flavor. Beetroot and blueberries were in a thin coronet and were fruity but rated only okay.
