2 Best Restaurants in Belgium

Umā's "bistronomic" approach is geared around food without borders. In reality, this often boils down to chef Aurélie Kluyskens's own spin on Nikkei, the Peruvian-Japanese fusion cuisine. The open kitchen lets you see her working out its angles in a sublime space amid the high-end boutiques of Boulevard de Waterloo. The €100 tasting menu is a symphony of subtle flavors, though the a la carte is every bit as enticing, seducing diners through hamachi ceviche or red tuna udon taki finished with black truffle. 

The kind of authentic southern Japanese cooking little-seen in the capital. While it can be tricky to get a table at this tiny eatery, it's worth putting in the legwork, even this deep in Schaerbeek. An open-plan kitchen, set behind a long bar, puts chef Tomoyuki Ohara skills on full display as you grab a stool and tuck into a menu unafraid to stick grilled chicken hearts and gizzards alongside crowd-pleasing curries, tempuras, and crispy karaage (fried chicken), or introduce you to something you've never tried before. You don't often find Ohara's specialty, chawanmushi (a savory custard), on menus in the capital, and that's something to be cherished.