Surf along the urban vibe of culinary Brabant
Brabant is all about culinary enjoyment and an experience for all your senses. Unique buildings and impressive surroundings set the tone. You’ll sample something delicious, with well-balanced dishes and just a hint of history. Become acquainted with Brabant’s industrial heritage the minute you slide your feet under the table. Culinary talent establishes itself here in unusual buildings which have a soul combined with history.
Curious to know what Brabant has in store for you? Carefully mapped-out cycling and walking routes will take you past tasty tales in unusual locations. You’ll not easily find a better way to discover the province in all its aspects. We’ll start with a sneak peek at 3 top addresses.
Location: Werkwarenhuis 's-Hertogenbosch
Houtloods in Tilburg
Where wood for railway tracks was once dried, new culinary dishes are nowadays emerging. De Houtloods (Wood Store) in Tilburg cooks to your own taste. The tradition format – starter, main course, desert – does not determine the menu here. You can choose from fresh, spicy, rich or sweet. The kitchen is the beating heart of the restaurant; if you eat at the bar you can observe the chefs in their full regalia. The wood storage depot was one of the first buildings in the Spoorzone (Railway Zone) to be given a new lease of life. Since then the whole area has been redeveloped. The building dates from 1867, so it carries with it some priceless history. The owner was looking for a building with a trendy feel to it and which matched his passion for the railways. Houtloods has managed to combine all these wishes, with a dining room in the form of a railway carriage as the icing on the cake.
Sillyfox in Veghel
Sillyfox is housed at a height of 32 metres in a former granary in Veghel, which dates from the beginning of the twentieth century. From the roof terrace you have views of the industrial town on one side, and the natural surroundings on the other. It is an instantly striking example of the interplay between opposites that you can see everywhere, from its unusual name to the dishes, in which contrasting flavours complement each other. Sweet, sour, salty and bitter; they are given form in the kitchen using local ingredients in a worldly perspective. Chef Joppe Sprinkhuizen loves contrasts. He also likes small courses “Here you will get 7 amuses and 2 deserts, and we serve up to 15 courses. It sounds like a lot, but they are all small dishes. This way you can sample the most diverse flavours, and enjoy your culinary adventure for hours.” Another unusual feature; at Sillyfox the dishes are not served from the right, but in mirror image. So one person receives his plate from the right, the other from the left. The tables are also arranged around the central kitchen, with your back to the wall. A practical idea and a way of making things different immediately. “In 2017 when I became the owner of the business and launched Sillyfox, I wanted to do things differently. After a career in top-class restaurants, the pressure of work and the strict etiquette had to go. Running a restaurant should be enjoyable, and should remain so, both for the staff and the guests.”
Phood Kitchen in Eindhoven
Pure, unprocessed fresh food as standard. That was Timothy Elfring’s and his girlfriend Sabine Feron’s ambition when they started Phood Kitchen. They grow their own vegetables, use them in plant-based dishes for their own restaurant (supplemented with local bio-products), and supply 20 other restaurants and a number of phood farms. “I used to eat completely differently. Due to ongoing health problems, I made the switch to unprocessed food and that had a positive effect on my body. Moreover we believe strongly in the link between people and nature. Urban farming plays an important role in this.” Phood Kitchen is growing systematically - from limited cultivation in a cellar with purple lights, which is still the distinguishing colour of the entire house style. They are currently producing 80 to 100 kilogrammes of vegetables/ leaf vegetables each week, with respect for the natural growth process and with a social awareness, by involving employees who have difficulty in finding a place in regular employment. “Together we aim to encourage a fundamental switch in the catering world. Instead of filling people, we need to feed them, also in the restaurant.”