Frites/Waffles /other food, Brugge

You just HAVE to try frites when in Belgium, there are a couple of theories as to how they got popularized as French fries but we should have renamed them Belgian fries a long time ago as the Belgians make them the best. When all the lunacy about Freedom Fries was going in the US, the Belgians should have snuck in and campaigned to rename them Belgian fries.

Belgian frites are made with Belgian Bintje potatoes, cooked twice and served in a paper cone or paper tray. The stands all have a vast selection of sauces you can use for dipping, I know it sounds radical to some of you "ketchup on French fry" purists but you have to try mayonnaise at least once. And if you do, you'll probably never go back to ketchup! Well, at least not until you step on the scale!

Favorite Dish: The place to get them in Brugge is at one of the two green vans parked in the Markt Square and I tried mine with a side of garlic ali oli (mayonnaise) sauce. They were also serving up "special frites" which appeared to be covered in gravy with a choice of a dipping sauce.

Belgian frites bear very little resemblance to their less tasty counterparts in other countries.
Piping hot, crispy and tasty,served with a dollop of mayo and a dollop of ketchup, they look almost too good to eat.

For desert, carry on up the street to the next choclatier that sells waffles. Order one topped with cream and chocolate sauce and drool.

Favorite Dish: Frites and Waffles -so good so Belgian. Enjoy!

When I first got into Bruges, the first useful piece of advice that the nice hotel owner told me was,"Don't ever eat at the restaurants at the MARKT! They're too expensive."

Good advice, especially for someone who is travelling without their husband's credit card. I went to take a look and confirmed what he said. Nothing looked appealing over there and the price less so!

Well, back to what I was saying, avoid eating at the MARKT like the plague . Do so only when it is MARKET DAY on WEDNESDAY.Everything sold there was fresh and it cost only a fraction of what was offered in the restaurants.

Favorite Dish: I bought my lunchat the Markt for only a couple of euros. Amazing but true, a huge piece of rotiserrie chicken cost only 1.50 euros and the pomme frites even less than that. Top that with a cheap beer and lunch is complete.
Apart from the chicken, there were stalls selling Viet food (!) , olives, cheese, chocolates, bread, etc.

Take note that Market Day happens only on Wed Mornings

When you're in Belgium, Moules and Frites are an absolute must-try!
What are they? Well, Mussels and Fries are traditional Flemish fare and over here, the fries are served with mayo, not ketchup! To eat the moules, tear off half a shell and scoop the succulent flesh into your mouth. The moules from this place is served buffet style so the moment you finish, ask your waiter to refill your pot and your beer glass!

Cost of moules ( buffet style ) - 17 euros

Favorite Dish: Go to the back lanes of Bruges to try this since it's a rip-off to eat at the Markt. Try the moules / frites at MOULES POULES. It's absolutely delicious and I had such nice memories of this dish, so much so that when I returned to Singapore, I had to eat it !!! Imagine my delight when I found a S'porean/ Belgium restaurant called Oosters that served Moules and Frites exactly like how I remembered...in a big pot, by the kilogram, with good ol' belgium beer.

If you're ever in the Markt on a hot Summer's day, look out for a red, antiquated car. It is usually parked right in front of the Belfry tower and surprise, surprise, it sells ice cream!

Favorite Dish: Chocolate Ice Cream, of course!

Jupiler is the beer that is found commonly in all the restaurants that I popped into. It's golden yellow in colour with a nice aroma and slightly bitter. This beer is also a cheaper alternative to the Bruges home brew, Straffe Hendrike.

While this is nice to drink, take note of the alcohol content. 5.2% was still OK by my standards. Any higher, I would get loopy, sing and fall into a canal.

This Middle Eastern eatery is just a block away from the Bauhaus Youth Hostel and it'll provide a convenient lunch option for those who are staying at the Hostel.
It's great if you're craving for spicy stuff or a big meal. This will satisfy your cravings

Favorite Dish: They sell kebabs, falafels and pitas. For about 5 euros, you can have a filling, meaty and yummy meal..

When you are visiting Brugge, and you do not have much time or you do not want to lose much time while visiting a restaurant, then buy some Frites at one of the two green Frites stalls just in front of the Belfry Tower at the Market place (you can not miss them).

Here you can buy delicious Frites (with or without salt) and with different sauces (mayonnaise, ketchup, cocktail, tartare, pickles, . . . ) and different sausages, meat balls and sates

Favorite Dish: Belgium Frites with tartare and a Viandel (kind of meat sausage)

What food do you think of when you think of Belgium, besides waffles and chocolates? Exactly... fries. Fries are THE snack in Belgium if you want a quick meal, or just if you want something nice to eat. You can buy them in snackbars or restaurants, but also outside from foodstalls. They call these stall a Fritkot. The one o the market square is a really good one. You get a huge amount of fries for very little money. Served with all kinds of sauces or meats.

Although they are called french fries, the Belgians invented them. The locals will have them with mayonnaise. Being from the U.S., my preference is to have them with ketchup but I had to try it the local way. It was quite good! They also offer many other kinds of sauces that I would love to try.