Bai Lu Noodles

The east eats sour, the west eats spicy, the south eats sweet and the north eats salty - that's a brief summary of China's cuisine regions. As China is of a certain size, there are of course numerous other subdivisions - the soups and noodles you can eat in Bai Lu come from Sichuan cuisine - which is part of western Chinese cuisine - and comes, more precisely, from Chongqing. Incidentally, with 32 million people, this is now the largest city in the world.

However, while the Chinese buffet is better known in our country and ingredients such as tofu, soy sauce and green tea, which were originally imported to Japan from China, are available to buy in supermarkets, we generally tend to exercise restraint when it comes to spicy food. Not so at Bai Lu - here the food also advertises its authentic origins.

And - how much spiciness can you take?

Bai Lu here serves Sichuan pepper and chilies en masse - traditionally hot and very spicy. In soups, noodles, meat, fish and vegetables. To get straight to the point: There are also dishes for those who don't like spicy food or for children. And you will be asked beforehand how far your taste buds can take a trip to culinary authentic China. Either way, you will eat well: Bai Lu has been awarded a red Gault Millau toque.

Soups, noodles and more: the menu

According to the owner, Chongqing is "the spiciest city in China" - and with the exception of one dish adapted to the European palate, you should be prepared for this. Although you usually specify how much spiciness you can tolerate, the authenticity of the food here also includes plenty of Scoville. The fire pot, which is now eaten all over China, comes from here. In other words: from Chongqing, the owner's homeland.

There are only a few dishes on the menu at Bai Lu Noodles, always fresh and handmade. One of these is right at the top of the program: Noodle soup in a few different, spicy directions with vegetable, fish or meat garnishes - all based on the owner Xue Bai's parents' recipe. It is served with homemade noodles or rice noodles. Each soup creation tastes different due to the fact that the different soups are brewed in-house.

There are also snacks such as dumplings in chili oil, baked pork and rice cakes for dessert. There are also vegetarian dishes as well as meat, fish and vegetable skewers. And drinks, of course. And a lunch menu.

The charm of the cookshop: the interior

Instead of glutamate, long menus and Asian kitsch, you'll find a clear, stylish ambience with a cookshop feel. Bai Lu Noodles is a small, fine, owner-managed restaurant in the Belgian Quarter that doesn't have a lot of space. Instead, there are lovely details and little reminders of the owner's Chinese homeland, who founded Bai Lu because there was nowhere else she could eat like she did at home. Reservations are recommended.