Brussels Sprouts

Mussels from Brussels on Mohamed Sultan Road

Emmanuel Stroobant’s latest restaurant, Brussels Sprouts, authentically emulates an everyday Belgian bar-restaurant. But, despite a casual approach and a rustic menu of buckets of mussels and beef cheek braised in dark beer, it is a sleek, golden-hued hub for the stylish.

Situated with views of the river on the corner of the burgeoning Pier@ Robertson, the half-indoor, half-outdoor dining area is set around an elongated oval bar. The low tables outside provide an intimate setting, in comparison to the tall seating nearer the bar that fits the restaurant’s see-and-be-seen credentials. (Stroobant is something of celebrity himself, with his TV show ‘Chef in Black’ and the successful Saint Pierre and San Marco restaurants already under his belt.)

The drinks menu is dominated by more than 25 Belgian beers, so work your way through some obscure ales, such as Orval, Triple Karmelite and Chimay Bleue. Hands up, girls, if you knew beer could taste like cherry champagne? Sparkling Belle-Vue Kriek is a faux-chic way to start, although one syrupy bottle is more than enough.

Unfortunately, the food doesn’t live up to the standards set by the alcohol. Belgian Stroobant has made his name injecting Asian flavours into European food to create innovative, exciting combinations. Brussel Sprouts should be a chance for him to get back to basics. Mussels are the main event, taking up one page of the three-page menu, but the Special Brussels Sprouts Mussels (main $38, starter $18) served in the pan were a touch overcooked; the mussels themselves undernourished rather than fatly succulent; and the sauce was dominated by celery and hard to scoop up. Flat serving bowls would be better,but perhaps it was thought that this would formalise the experience. This is not fine dining: all-you-can-eat peppery fries are served in coloured plastic cartons. They were a highlight: crisp and fluffy, with thick, garlic-honey  homemade mayonnaise.

Poached Chicken Waterzooi, a classic Belgian dish, was tender and delicately fragranced with parsley and lemon, but ‘The drinks menu is dominated by more than 25 Belgian beers’ a little bland and whitely uninspiring to look at – vegetables and the chicken leg (skin on) smothered in a pool of sauce.
When dessert came, the Dame Blanche ice cream exceeded my now somewhat modified expectations. The chocolate sauce, usually heavy and poured over the top, was blended into dense, velvety vanilla ice cream and layered from top to bottom. There was an unusual hint of biscuity crunch.

In the end, Brussels Sprouts is a place for snacking rather than serious eating. Enjoy the atmosphere and let one of the beers work its magic. A few Caporal Pilsner and Leffes later, as the night drew to a close, the staff’s various European accents seemed to become more pronounced, while the bicycle perched against the riverside railings added a very Belgian air. European style is always in vogue in Asia. But while this Belgian berth is pulling the crowds, there’s still work to be done on the food.