Big Trouble in Chinatown

Big Trouble in Chinatown just opened on Chaussée de Charleroi, taking over the former Tero space, and everyone in Brussels is already talking about it. All it took was two days of friends-and-family previews. Some places just feel like a sure thing before you’ve even walked through the door, especially when the team behind Nénu joins forces with the crew from Old Boy, then brings architect Zazie Maquet on board to bring their vision to life.

The vision? A big Chinese restaurant straight out of Hong Kong. Round tables with lazy Susans, stacks of steaming bamboo dim sum baskets, leather-bound menus with laminated pages packed with photos and hundreds of numbered dishes, thick carpeting upstairs, and a giant golden dragon emerging from the wall. They’ve nailed all the details.  And the food? For just their second night of opening, I was seriously impressed.

We ordered the Three Treasures Platter (€25), a selection of the house’s best roast meats: Peking duck, pork belly, and Iberico char siu, each served with its own sauce, plus a few pieces of bok choy on the side. Simply excellent. We also loved the razor clams with vermicelli (€23) and the house-made pork and ginger xiao long bao (€7.50). And we’re still thinking about the crispy orange chicken (€18), with its crunchy exterior, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and seriously juicy meat. Naturally, we saved room for dessert: a scoop of almond ice cream served in a black sesame soup (€9). So, so good.

We’ll definitely be back soon to try the spicy black bean clams, beef chow mein, and kung pao chicken. We’ll also check out one of the other two dining rooms upstairs. Preferably the one with the dragon.