Exploring the world one bite at a time

Month: September 2013

Hotel Bero: “Nice hotel on a great location”

Location was key for me during my stay, since I was attending a conference in the Kursaal Oostende. I had a pleasant stay, though the (very large) classic room was a bit outdated. It was weird that the room had two bathrooms: one with a toilet and a shower and one with a bath and a sink. So when you wanted to wash your hands after using the toilet, you had to go to the other bathroom. The room was very clean, which is always nice.

The bed wasn’t as comfortable as should be expected from such an expensive hotel and the pillow wasn’t that great either. I slept fairly well, though. I was sorry I hadn’t the opportunity to dive into the lovely pool or use the wellness. Next time perhaps? The selection of drinks from the bar are also excellent.

Breakfast was nice. Expecting a little bit more perhaps (I don’t like my juice to come out of a machine), but enjoyed the scrambled eggs and fresh fruit salad.

Staff was professional and welcoming.

I would stay here again, but not in the classic room. I do think the rooms are a bit overpriced if you don’t use the pool or wellness facilities, but I guess the good location close to the beach makes up for that.

Hotel Bero, Hofstraat 1A, Ostend 8400, Belgium

Stayed September 2013. You can find my review about Hotel Bero also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, location 5/5, sleep quality 3/5, rooms 4/5, cleanliness 4/5, service 3/5.

De Mosselbeurs: “Nice restaurant with lovely interior”

Based on the Tripadvisor reviews I ended up having diner in De Mosselbeurs. I didn’t go for the obvious choice: the mussels, but decided to go for one of the suggestions: turbot fillet with arugula and lemon puree. The fish was fresh and the combination with the arugula and lemon puree was absolutely fabulous. Loved the dried tomatoes and capers. Service was very friendly. And I loved the atmosphere of the place with beautiful black and white tiles and a spiraling stair case in the middle of the room. For desert I enjoyed me some crème brûlée with orange and lemon zest which was delicious. In total my meal costed 42 euro, which is a little bit on the pricey side, I guess.

Information
De Mosselbeurs (reopening as Mommys Bastards)
Dwarsstraat 10
8400 Ostend
Belgium
http://www.demosselbeurs.be/
https://www.facebook.com/DeMosselbeurs/
https://www.mommysbastards.be/

Visited September 2013. You can find my review about De Mosselbeurs also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 3/5, atmosphere 4/5, service 4/5, food 4/5.

Zuki Sushi: “Horrible sushi restaurant”

We ended up in this restaurant because of a Groupon deal. The Groupon deal claimed that for only 30 euro you would get a Japanese meal for two persons worth 73 euro. That’s one hell of a deal. To good to be true? Of course it was!

The interior of the restaurant isn’t much to speak of. They try to create an oriental feeling in which they more of less succeed, but the room is very dark.

We started of well enough with basic miso soup which was fine. The sushi boat, supposedly worth 73 euro, looked ok, but the sushi was really terrible. The rice was super dry and the little fish served, chewy and not that fresh. There were only four pieces of nigiri sushi on the boat and the sashimi was nowhere to be found. This boat was at best worth 30 euro. Nowhere near the 73 euro we were promised (which I didn’t expected, it’s Groupon afterall). The sushi rolls were very clumsy made and not at all refined. I had to drink lots of water to swallow the sushi, because it was so dry.

As an avid sushi lover, I was appalled. Possibly people using the groupon deal will have their first sushi experience in this restaurant and will think this is the real deal. One advice: skip this restaurant all together.

A plus: the girl who served us was very friendly.

Zuki Sushi, Sint-Paulusplaats 21, Antwerp 2000, Belgium
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zuki-Sushi/342865172480183?rf=529483663757531
+32 489 33 43 55

Visited September 2013. You can find my review about Zuki Sushi also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 2/5, atmosphere 3/5, service 4/5, food 1/5.

Nanaban: “Authentic ramen in Zaventem”

Nanaban serves excellent and authentic ramen. The service isn’t much to speak of. We had dinner outdoor and had to go and take our own ramen bowls inside. But we didn’t mind, actually, because the food is cheap. Choice is certainly limited, but the ramen is very tasty. The interior reminded us of the typical places we visited when in Japan. Ramen is Japanese fast food: quick but delicious.

Don’t go eat here when you want a romantic evening. Ideal for a quick lunch or dinner, when you don’t have too much time. The restaurant is nearby the train station of Zaventem and located on a square surrounded by other restaurants. Which is nice if you want to have a drink or desert afterwards.

Nanaban, Heldenplein, Zaventem, Belgium
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nanaban/245260476729?sk=info#!/pages/Nanaban/245260476729?sk=info
+32 475 43 57 30

Visited September 2013. You can find my review about Nanaban also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 5/5, atmosphere 3/5, service 3/5, food 5/5.