The Mussels and Fries in Belgium

The mussels were fresh and delicious.

Among the many other food that Belgium is famous for, is the combination of mussels and fries. It was winter when I arrived in Brussels—a really cold -10 deg Celsius—and K immediately took me to a very good restaurant in Herentals in the province of Antwerp.

The restaurant, Zuiderhuis, looked very classy in the outside. There were only a few customers when we arrived, but K said it was because it was still too early for dinner. He ordered mussels and fries for both of us, and it being my first time to eat out in Belgium, I was mortified at the sizes of the servings!

The fries were the best too.

I wanted to take some of the fries home. Unfortunately, K said (and this was to be repeated several times in the weeks that I was there) that I was no longer in the Philippines. We (or I) could not ask for a doggie bag, as it wasn’t the practice there. Either I finish everything (which was out of the question) or leave them on my plate (which made me feel guilty thinking of those poor children in Africa).

Given that I really couldn’t finish everything, I had no choice but to leave some of the food on my plate. When I asked for water though, thinking (and expecting) that I would be given a free glass, they gave me this.

Fancy (and expensive) water.

This small bottle cost almost 2 euros! I certainly learned my lesson when eating out in Belgium: always bring your own water, and perhaps, bring a small plastic container where you can surreptitiously put your excess food to take home.