February 7, 2024 • 12 mins
Combine city and countryside in Belgium starting with a gastronomic adventure at L'air du Temps, a Michelin-Starred restaurant, with Chef Sang Hoon Degeimbre. He crafts innovative dishes using ingredients from his gardens and shares his culinary philosophy blending Belgian and Korean influences. Next, Darley Newman takes you on a walking tour of the city of Mons with its rich history and architectural marvels alongside local guide Alice Abels. From rubbing the head of the iron monkey for good luck at City Hall to savoring a wide array of Belgian beers at a local beer hall, get immersed in the charm of this "European capital of culture" in this episode featuring Belgium's hidden gems.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Have you ever tasted a dish that almost took your breath away?
(00:05):
Still today, I'll share with you the best meal of my life was in Belgium.
And it wasn't in Brussels.
In this Travels with Darley Podcast, I'm taking you off the beaten path in Belgium
for a city and countryside experience that includes dining and meeting a chef
who has earned two Michelin stars and has created a restaurant oasis.
(00:30):
From the cuisine, it's simple. It's only three things.
Product, techniques and emotion.
Emotion that you give or emotion that you receive.
And to a city that's been named a Capital of European culture.
And so this Grand Place is quite strange in terms of architecture
because you have about six centuries of different architecture surrounding it.
(00:52):
To take a walking tour with a local who not only knows the best vantage points
but the best places to drink Belgian beer.
It's the Travels with Darley Podcast and we're in Belgium.
If you're a foodie like me, you'll want to listen to this podcast
(01:13):
because dining at L'air du temps in Belgium was truly one of the most exquisite culinary opportunities
I've had to date and I've been with a lot of great chefs.
Located about an hour's drive southeast of Brussels and just 20 minutes from the city of Namur.
This restaurant is worth the transit time.
L'air du temps is a two-star Michelin restaurant with Chef Sang Hoon Degeimbre at the helm.
(01:38):
I arrived with my film crew and walk up the stone driveway to the white modern farmhouse.
Excited but nervous.
I had heard that coming here was like taking a culinary pilgrimage.
This is one of the best restaurants in Belgium, especially if you like to eat local.
You can't get much more local than having a garden right on site.
(02:00):
Korean-born and Belgian braised Chef Degeimbre presents truly innovative food parings
using fresh ingredients from the gardens that surround his restaurant.
And a variety of technology.
I'm waiting for him to arrive and examining some of his cooking devices in his sleek open kitchen
where he and a variety of chefs are hard at work preparing for today's multi-course lunch.
(02:23):
One machine in particular looks like an ultrasound device.
I decide to call this space his cooking lab.
Chef Degeimbre is wearing a white chef's coat as he hand-wips a small amount of mashed potatoes and a ceramic bowl.
I have mashed potatoes and garlic.
This is young garlic from the garden too.
(02:46):
You know, I use a lot of garlic because I have some Korean roots and in Korea I think is the most famous vegetables.
So we have the Belgium influence here and a part of Korea as well.
Very international.
It's totally me.
It's the right season for asparagus, green and white.
(03:08):
The white comes from the famous part of Belgium.
Malin.
I just cook them slowly and after I roast it in a blender.
It's very soft.
I like this green taste and this sweet taste.
(03:30):
I have some radish.
Are you just trying food all the time to try to figure out what to pair with different things?
You must be eating all the time.
That's why I'm running everyday.
You can run around the garden.
He's carefully plating the mashed potatoes with a colorful assortment of vegetables, including radishes, sliced paper thin,
(03:55):
the head of a verdant green asparagus, and peas, accented with violet flowers.
It's like a work of art.
Yes and this is my canvas.
You know in Korea it's usual to say if it's well balanced for your eyes, it's well balanced for your body.
(04:16):
I like that.
After assembling the vegetables, Chef Degeimbre makes a broth of garlic and oils, mixed with juice made with fermented vegetables.
fermented juice is Korean and butter is Belgian.
Korean and Belgium.
It's usual for Belgium to say it's better in French.
(04:37):
Cuisine sans buerre. Cuisine sans Coeur. Without butter, no heart.
You're a man after my heart.
Because I love that butter.
This looks beautiful. I can't wait to try it.
It looks as good as it tastes.
As do the other dishes he cooks up for me.
Oysters with Kiwi and Dill.
Lobster tail steamed with Dill and Nice.
(05:01):
And in a cloud of yogurt, herbs and paprika.
The final dish, what he calls Sunday in Belgium, sounds so simple.
Chicken with apple sauce and chips.
But it's so subtle and perfectly prepared that I have visions of being around my grandmother's table growing up on a Sunday evening.
Except her chicken wasn't this good.
(05:22):
We take a walk in the garden to chat more about his inspiration.
Well, everything that I had today was so good and so inventive.
I have to say it truly was the best meal that I've ever had.
Well, thank you.
And we're traveling a lot, so that says something.
Yes, I imagine you.
Thank you.
That must be a nice part of being a chef is that you make people so happy.
(05:46):
Yes, I hope so.
What are some of the things that you're growing out here that you really pay a lot of attention to?
Some of your favorite herbs or plants?
You know, here we have more than 400 varieties of vegetables.
I have to create something more with this.
And it's a big challenge and I really like that.
(06:07):
But how do you decide?
That's something I find so interesting.
Some of the different pairings.
How do you decide to pair Kiwi with oyster or something like that?
Yeah, yeah.
Because I'm really curious.
When I was a child, I just wanted to be a pharmacist.
And during my work as a chef, I met some scientists.
(06:32):
They proposed me to combine food depending of common aroma, common flavor.
And that's why I create Kiwi and oyster.
I can mix carrots and violets, white chocolate and caviar.
For me, cuisine is simple.
It's only three things.
Product, techniques and emotion.
(06:54):
Emotion that you give or emotion that you receive.
You know, we are not too far from Brussels.
And people can't imagine that so close to the town, we have this kind of nice view, nice nature.
I just want to, for them, to forget the clock.
(07:18):
Which is hard to do nowadays.
But during few hours, few minutes, it's nice for them to be the kind of peaceful mode.
And after a relaxing and truly satisfying meal, travelers who don't want to drive can stay on site
(07:40):
in one of 11 rooms to complete their countryside culinary adventure.
From the countryside to the city, if you love arts, culture and good beer,
another city worth visiting in Belgium is Mons.
Local guide Alice Abels knows just about everyone in town.
And she's taking me on a walking tour of this pedestrian-friendly Belgian city.
(08:03):
So Mons is, it's a middle-sized city, but it has the atmosphere of village
because people usually know each other.
They like to eat outside, so it's a very nice atmosphere.
So right now we're walking on the Grand Place, which is the very center of the city.
So things always happen here.
For example, every Friday you have the flower markets.
(08:25):
And so this Grand Place is quite strange in terms of architecture,
because you have about six centuries of different architectures surrounding it.
Even though everything is from different periods, there's a harmony between the buildings.
Before you enter City Hall, there's a town ritual to which you must adhere.
(08:46):
Rubbing the head of the iron monkey, which has guarded this building for centuries,
and is said to bring good luck.
Climb the stairs and you'll reach the balcony that many estatesmen and celebrity have graced.
We've had important people coming here as Kate and William, for example.
And you have a wonderful view of the Grand Place, and all these centuries of architecture.
(09:09):
Such a beautiful city, my goodness.
You're lucky to live here.
It is, it is.
And it's very nice to live in, because there are lots of things happening all the time.
And while it's great to take in history and architecture on the square,
one of the favorite pastimes for locals is grabbing a beer and chilling in the sun.
And there's one local beer hall that can't be beat.
(09:30):
And there's lots of beer choices here in Belgium and lots on the displays.
Oh yeah, this is, what's funny is that this is one of the smallest plays you will find on the Grand Place,
but it has the biggest choices, beers, to have more than 130 beers to offer you in the card.
How do you even choose?
Well, you get a lot of them, I guess.
You get to try a lot of beer.
(09:52):
How do you say, cheers?
We say something.
Something.
Following some Grand Place relaxation,
Alice takes me to the city's best vantage point.
Another destination packed with interesting architecture and history.
So as you can see, we're walking up the hill to the highest point where they're used to be a castle in the 11th century.
(10:13):
Up top, travelers and residents are treated to one of the city's many green spaces.
Complete with the only Belfry in Belgium in the Baroque style
and views that have served as an inspiration throughout history.
Just below us, a lease points out the Collegiate church of St. Waudru,
as we walk to get a closer look.
(10:35):
This church is like the ancestor of a museum,
and so it's surrounded by 29 chapels and each of them contains their own pieces of art.
You can spend hours here admiring the different works.
No, because actually the Germans bombed the station,
which is just a few meters from here,
(10:56):
and so it hit a part of the roof, but very lightly,
and so the church completely survived, which is great luck for us.
It must have been blessed.
It is.
Sometimes going off the beaten path
just a little
can yield quite a lot;
(11:23):
While I visited Brussels and other mainstays in Belgium,
I found my time in smaller cities and in the countryside extra fulfilling,
perhaps it's the open nature of the locals in these locations,
or maybe I'm still feeling the effects of an awesome locally sourced meal.
I'm Darley Newman, and if you like this podcast,
(11:44):
stay tuned for others from around the world.
And check out my PBS and Streaming series,
also called Travels with Darley,
to see images from these locations.
With over 70 half-hour episodes,
I've been on the road capturing some cool content in great locations,
and I love sharing them and travel tips with you.
(12:05):
(upbeat music)
Have you ever tasted a dish that almost took your breath away?
(00:05):
Still today, I'll share with you the best meal of my life was in Belgium.
And it wasn't in Brussels.
In this Travels with Darley Podcast, I'm taking you off the beaten path in Belgium
for a city and countryside experience that includes dining and meeting a chef
who has earned two Michelin stars and has created a restaurant oasis.
(00:30):
From the cuisine, it's simple. It's only three things.
Product, techniques and emotion.
Emotion that you give or emotion that you receive.
And to a city that's been named a Capital of European culture.
And so this Grand Place is quite strange in terms of architecture
because you have about six centuries of different architecture surrounding it.
(00:52):
To take a walking tour with a local who not only knows the best vantage points
but the best places to drink Belgian beer.
It's the Travels with Darley Podcast and we're in Belgium.
If you're a foodie like me, you'll want to listen to this podcast
(01:13):
because dining at L'air du temps in Belgium was truly one of the most exquisite culinary opportunities
I've had to date and I've been with a lot of great chefs.
Located about an hour's drive southeast of Brussels and just 20 minutes from the city of Namur.
This restaurant is worth the transit time.
L'air du temps is a two-star Michelin restaurant with Chef Sang Hoon Degeimbre at the helm.
(01:38):
I arrived with my film crew and walk up the stone driveway to the white modern farmhouse.
Excited but nervous.
I had heard that coming here was like taking a culinary pilgrimage.
This is one of the best restaurants in Belgium, especially if you like to eat local.
You can't get much more local than having a garden right on site.
(02:00):
Korean-born and Belgian braised Chef Degeimbre presents truly innovative food parings
using fresh ingredients from the gardens that surround his restaurant.
And a variety of technology.
I'm waiting for him to arrive and examining some of his cooking devices in his sleek open kitchen
where he and a variety of chefs are hard at work preparing for today's multi-course lunch.
(02:23):
One machine in particular looks like an ultrasound device.
I decide to call this space his cooking lab.
Chef Degeimbre is wearing a white chef's coat as he hand-wips a small amount of mashed potatoes and a ceramic bowl.
I have mashed potatoes and garlic.
This is young garlic from the garden too.
(02:46):
You know, I use a lot of garlic because I have some Korean roots and in Korea I think is the most famous vegetables.
So we have the Belgium influence here and a part of Korea as well.
Very international.
It's totally me.
It's the right season for asparagus, green and white.
(03:08):
The white comes from the famous part of Belgium.
Malin.
I just cook them slowly and after I roast it in a blender.
It's very soft.
I like this green taste and this sweet taste.
(03:30):
I have some radish.
Are you just trying food all the time to try to figure out what to pair with different things?
You must be eating all the time.
That's why I'm running everyday.
You can run around the garden.
He's carefully plating the mashed potatoes with a colorful assortment of vegetables, including radishes, sliced paper thin,
(03:55):
the head of a verdant green asparagus, and peas, accented with violet flowers.
It's like a work of art.
Yes and this is my canvas.
You know in Korea it's usual to say if it's well balanced for your eyes, it's well balanced for your body.
(04:16):
I like that.
After assembling the vegetables, Chef Degeimbre makes a broth of garlic and oils, mixed with juice made with fermented vegetables.
fermented juice is Korean and butter is Belgian.
Korean and Belgium.
It's usual for Belgium to say it's better in French.
(04:37):
Cuisine sans buerre. Cuisine sans Coeur. Without butter, no heart.
You're a man after my heart.
Because I love that butter.
This looks beautiful. I can't wait to try it.
It looks as good as it tastes.
As do the other dishes he cooks up for me.
Oysters with Kiwi and Dill.
Lobster tail steamed with Dill and Nice.
(05:01):
And in a cloud of yogurt, herbs and paprika.
The final dish, what he calls Sunday in Belgium, sounds so simple.
Chicken with apple sauce and chips.
But it's so subtle and perfectly prepared that I have visions of being around my grandmother's table growing up on a Sunday evening.
Except her chicken wasn't this good.
(05:22):
We take a walk in the garden to chat more about his inspiration.
Well, everything that I had today was so good and so inventive.
I have to say it truly was the best meal that I've ever had.
Well, thank you.
And we're traveling a lot, so that says something.
Yes, I imagine you.
Thank you.
That must be a nice part of being a chef is that you make people so happy.
(05:46):
Yes, I hope so.
What are some of the things that you're growing out here that you really pay a lot of attention to?
Some of your favorite herbs or plants?
You know, here we have more than 400 varieties of vegetables.
I have to create something more with this.
And it's a big challenge and I really like that.
(06:07):
But how do you decide?
That's something I find so interesting.
Some of the different pairings.
How do you decide to pair Kiwi with oyster or something like that?
Yeah, yeah.
Because I'm really curious.
When I was a child, I just wanted to be a pharmacist.
And during my work as a chef, I met some scientists.
(06:32):
They proposed me to combine food depending of common aroma, common flavor.
And that's why I create Kiwi and oyster.
I can mix carrots and violets, white chocolate and caviar.
For me, cuisine is simple.
It's only three things.
Product, techniques and emotion.
(06:54):
Emotion that you give or emotion that you receive.
You know, we are not too far from Brussels.
And people can't imagine that so close to the town, we have this kind of nice view, nice nature.
I just want to, for them, to forget the clock.
(07:18):
Which is hard to do nowadays.
But during few hours, few minutes, it's nice for them to be the kind of peaceful mode.
And after a relaxing and truly satisfying meal, travelers who don't want to drive can stay on site
(07:40):
in one of 11 rooms to complete their countryside culinary adventure.
From the countryside to the city, if you love arts, culture and good beer,
another city worth visiting in Belgium is Mons.
Local guide Alice Abels knows just about everyone in town.
And she's taking me on a walking tour of this pedestrian-friendly Belgian city.
(08:03):
So Mons is, it's a middle-sized city, but it has the atmosphere of village
because people usually know each other.
They like to eat outside, so it's a very nice atmosphere.
So right now we're walking on the Grand Place, which is the very center of the city.
So things always happen here.
For example, every Friday you have the flower markets.
(08:25):
And so this Grand Place is quite strange in terms of architecture,
because you have about six centuries of different architectures surrounding it.
Even though everything is from different periods, there's a harmony between the buildings.
Before you enter City Hall, there's a town ritual to which you must adhere.
(08:46):
Rubbing the head of the iron monkey, which has guarded this building for centuries,
and is said to bring good luck.
Climb the stairs and you'll reach the balcony that many estatesmen and celebrity have graced.
We've had important people coming here as Kate and William, for example.
And you have a wonderful view of the Grand Place, and all these centuries of architecture.
(09:09):
Such a beautiful city, my goodness.
You're lucky to live here.
It is, it is.
And it's very nice to live in, because there are lots of things happening all the time.
And while it's great to take in history and architecture on the square,
one of the favorite pastimes for locals is grabbing a beer and chilling in the sun.
And there's one local beer hall that can't be beat.
(09:30):
And there's lots of beer choices here in Belgium and lots on the displays.
Oh yeah, this is, what's funny is that this is one of the smallest plays you will find on the Grand Place,
but it has the biggest choices, beers, to have more than 130 beers to offer you in the card.
How do you even choose?
Well, you get a lot of them, I guess.
You get to try a lot of beer.
(09:52):
How do you say, cheers?
We say something.
Something.
Following some Grand Place relaxation,
Alice takes me to the city's best vantage point.
Another destination packed with interesting architecture and history.
So as you can see, we're walking up the hill to the highest point where they're used to be a castle in the 11th century.
(10:13):
Up top, travelers and residents are treated to one of the city's many green spaces.
Complete with the only Belfry in Belgium in the Baroque style
and views that have served as an inspiration throughout history.
Just below us, a lease points out the Collegiate church of St. Waudru,
as we walk to get a closer look.
(10:35):
This church is like the ancestor of a museum,
and so it's surrounded by 29 chapels and each of them contains their own pieces of art.
You can spend hours here admiring the different works.
No, because actually the Germans bombed the station,
which is just a few meters from here,
(10:56):
and so it hit a part of the roof, but very lightly,
and so the church completely survived, which is great luck for us.
It must have been blessed.
It is.
Sometimes going off the beaten path
just a little
can yield quite a lot;
(11:23):
While I visited Brussels and other mainstays in Belgium,
I found my time in smaller cities and in the countryside extra fulfilling,
perhaps it's the open nature of the locals in these locations,
or maybe I'm still feeling the effects of an awesome locally sourced meal.
I'm Darley Newman, and if you like this podcast,
(11:44):
stay tuned for others from around the world.
And check out my PBS and Streaming series,
also called Travels with Darley,
to see images from these locations.
With over 70 half-hour episodes,
I've been on the road capturing some cool content in great locations,
and I love sharing them and travel tips with you.
(12:05):
(upbeat music)
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