BRUSSELS – What can be better during lunchtime than to take a walk in the park opposite of Brussels’ Royal Palace and have aromatic Ukrainian borshch with the best chicken Kyiv and potato pancakes, or deruny?
It’s possible starting from Sept. 6 to Sept. 9. That’s when Belgium holds the most delicious festival “Eat! Brussels.” featuring 45 restaurants from nine countries. Ukraine is represented by the restaurant Kupidon and serves four menus, a different one for each day. On the first day, it is the traditional Ukrainian cuisine; on Sept. 7 it will be Crimean Tatar food, on Sept. 8 Jewish culinary and on Sept. 9 western Ukrainian food.
Fedir Balandin, the owner of Kupidon and team leader, told the Kyiv Post that it is the second time a team from Kyiv was invited by the organizers, an unusual honor.
“Brussels gathers together the best cooks, so we brought a team of the best cooks in Kyiv. It is important to show our kitchen because it is good for the Ukrainian image. It appears that many things are unknown. For example, we had a huge discussion with the organizers because of the famous chicken Kyiv. They told us that this is not a Ukrainian dish but international. We have been fighting over a year to recognize chicken Kyiv as a Ukrainian meal. Also, they were convinced that borshch is a Russian soup and to prove it is Ukrainian was really very tough. It is a fact that Russian stole from us our national food. But organizers have been listening to our explanation and finally agreed with us. So, even on the social level and not political one we work to correct mistakes. The same was with Crimea – they were asking why do we have Crimean-Tatars day? We had to explain that Crimea is Ukraine and Crimean Tatars are Ukrainian citizens. It seems like an event for gourmands also became an educational one for Belgium. So, we are also working here on the image of Ukraine here.”
Balandin also said that there is a plan to open next year in Brussels a Ukrainian café. “Today Kyiv is experiencing a coffee boom and we are making our own coffee. It is a very special coffee. That is why we believe that it will be a success.”
One of the first visitors of Ukrainian stand, Guzel Sassen told that she came only for borshch and Ukrainian salo (lard). “Everything is really tasty, big portions. They even have samogon (homemade vodka) also very good! I definitely will come again in the following years”.
“Eat! Brussels” is an annual event organized by the capital of Belgium. This it is the seventh edition. Countries presents are Bulgaria, Poland, China, South Korea, Slovenia, Canada, Ukraine, Belgium and Morocco.
