Grabbing a bite - Brussels

Bia Mara (meaning "Seafood" in Irish) is a sustainable fish & chips shops, with locations in Brussels and Antwerp. They also have locations in London under their re-brand name "Hook". The idea behind the restaurant is to evolve fish and chips and make it into something exciting. Plus, they really care about the environment and are using a variety of fish for their dishes, depending on the season and market availability. The daily fish options are always on display above the bar.

One of their restaurants is located just a couple of minutes walk from the Grand-Place in central Brussels, with a small terrace up front for summer months. Inside, they mostly offer tables with stools (no chairs) for groups of two or four and one large table next to the window. Should there be a line outside, waiting times are usually not very long and the food makes it to your table in a very reasonable amount of time.

Their fish and chips come in a variety of coatings, based on panko or tempura style breading, mixed with different spices and flavors, to create new and exciting fish dishes, paired with their famous seaweed salted chips. All meals come with a large side of these deliciously salty chips, which are served skin on and are nice and crispy, and highly addictive.

Fish flavors range from your classic fish, paired with tartar sauce, to spicy Mexican style panko, served with jalapeno and lime sauce or a lemon and basil tempura with a side of garlic truffle sauce. The different flavors of fish are always paired with a corresponding sauce, but you can of course always get an extra one for just 1 Euro, and the portion size is quite generous.

My current favorite is the spicy Mexican panko, made with coal fish during my last visit. I also love the jalapeno lime sauce but I always get an extra chipotle sauce, as I love the smoky flavor so much. I can also really recommend their Lunch special, two fish tacos with red tomato salsa and chips for just 10 Euros. However, fish and chips are a quite heavy dish, so I wish they would offer the option of getting a side salad instead of chips.

They serve a range of local craft beer, wines as well as environmentally friendly water and homemade lemonades; there is something for everybody. They also serve a chicken and e veggie option, no vegan option I am afraid but last time I had a side of their Vietnamese salad with fresh carrots, coriander and nuts, which seemed to be vegan.

Prices range between 12 and 13 Euros for a portion of fish and chips and a sauce, 4 Euros for an extra side and 8 Euros for an extra seafood side. Usually my bill comes up to around 16 Euros, a steal for the quality of fish you are getting. This is one of my favorites in Brussels!

Nona, a restaurant near the Place St. Catherine, serves proper Neapolitan style pizza, a pizza with a thick, fluffy crust and a wet, saucy center. Due to the wet center, the slice does not hold its form, so the pizza is best eaten by folding the tip towards the crust, creating a doughy pocket with sauce and cheese.

When you enter the restaurant you are greeted by the kitchen team, who are working in an open kitchen with the huge, wood-fired pizza oven. They are really enthusiastic and you can tell that they love what they are doing: making amazing pizza with quality ingredients. The service staff is young, but they work hard and try to be as efficient as possible. However, when the restaurant is full at peak times, it can be a bit noisy and feel a bit crowded, but waiting times are alright, whether you are waiting in line or waiting for your food.

The restaurant works in close cooperation with their trusted suppliers from Belgium, where they purchase their organic ingredients. Nona does actually not mean Italian grandmother (nonna) but "nona" actually stands for "no name", as they do not want to give more importance to the restaurant itself than their suppliers. Their website is actually quite informative and also introduces the suppliers: Dries, Patrick and Nino.

The menu regularly changes, though some favorites are there to stay and it is actually very exciting to discover the new creations they come up with. This time around they had a creamy leak pizza on the menu as well as the one with spicy nduja sausage. They serve a variety of drinks, from local beer to wine and soft drinks, my only critique would be that, also considering the price, the beer could be a size up, 0.33 ml instead of 0.25 ml.

Neapolitan style pizzas are often kept simple topping wise, with the sauce being the star of the show. At Nona, they have found a good balance between traditional and creative, and they have actually been a member of the "True Neapolitan Pizza Association" (Associazione Verace Pizza napoletana,AVPN), a non-profit organization with the mission to promote and protect the true Neapolitan pizza. That's how you know, that at Nona's you will get an authentic Neapolitan style pizza.

Forget Pizza Hut and Domino's, once you had one of these amazingly delicious pizzas, you will not want to go back!

Baogo is an Asian-fusion burger joint in central Brussels, serving creative meat, seafood and vegetarian fillings on fluffy bao buns. Bao buns, compared to your regular burger buns, are steamed instead of baked and have a pale colour. They have recently become very popular all over the world, though most of the time you will find them in Asian restaurants. Their texture is very squishy but not too soft and very well holds its shape, making it the perfect vessel to fill up with sauce meats, vegetables and slaws.

One of my favorites at Baogo is their burger with crispy salmon, topped with avocado, a cucumber slaw and basil mayo. The fish has a nice crunch to it and the cucumber slaw and avocado make it quite a refreshing burger. All Bao Burger are 12 Euros each and come with a generous side of fries, you got the choice between classic, spicy or sweet potato fries. I for my part, love the spiced fries. The also serve rice bowls and have vegetarian and vegan options available. One item on my to-try-list their pulled pork bao.

They also serve an array of local craft beers and this is a good place to try a beer from the Brussels Beer Project, which regularly crafts new, modern Belgian beer in Brussels. Service is usually all right at Baogo but the atmosphere can be a bit lacking compared to other places. Still, this is a great place to get a good burger and fries at a great price.