Nonbe Daigaku

The most authentic sushi experience in the capital happens to be in the Buyl district, with its procession of trams and hordes of students. Sorry, you’re just going to have to suck it up! Blame it on the venerable Suetsugu Yosuke, the man behind Tagawa for the past 28 years, sensei to Tomoyasu Kamo and, at almost 75 years old, still faithful to his post – in this case, a ground floor spot in a typical Brussels terraced building, decked out in Japanese fashion with a counter-top showcasing its sea-faring wares. Deviating from the (perfect) lunch set menu, we treated ourselves – after an appetizer of raw mackerel with sesame sauce – to a delicious chawanmushi (steamed egg flan), which was super kawaii with its grilled leeks and perfectly cut mushrooms, hiding grilled eel, fresh peas and scampi; before the “sushi special” (€35) featuring huge shrimp and asparagus tempura maki, an exceptional fatty tuna sushi, gunkan maki topped with salmon roe, another with king crab meat, and yet another with raw scallops. All that, in addition to the extremely warm service, which actually makes you want to stay a little longer before taking the tram home. // Rosa Poulsard

The decor is understated and unaffected, but this restaurant remains one of the favorite spots for lovers of authentic Japanese cuisine. At 75 years old, sushi chef Yosuke Suetsugu continues to impress us with his disciplined hands...