Classics in Brussels: Belgian Chocolate and Waffles

Belgium is known for chocolate, mussels, and waffles. Naturally on my visit to Brussels I had to taste all of these Belgian classics. It was interesting to find out how the city had certain areas focused on one thing, especially the chocolatiers were centred around the Grand Sablon square. The square is next to Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon Church - a Gothic style church from the 15th century.

This beautiful square has houses from the 16th to the 19th century and it is rounded with antiques shops, restaurants and many many chocolatiers. For all chocolate lovers this is the place to go. Here you find Wittamer, Chocolaterier Pierre Marcolini, Patrick Roger, Godiva, Neuhaus and others all on the same square. The selection of pralines available on this square is like nowhere else!

My choice for coffee and cake was Wittamer - a bakery, chocolatier and a café dating back to 1910. Wittamer has been awarded the title of Certified Royal Warrant Holder of Belgium. Maybe it was my imagination but I also felt like Royalty when having a cappuccino and a delicious coffee flavour cake on their sunny terrace while enjoying the architecture of the square.

One great chocolatier you don’t find on the Grand Sablon square but is definite forth visiting is Chocolatier Frederic Blondeel located on the Brussels' Fish Market (metro Sainte Catherine). At the Fish Market area there are a variety of great restaurants offering fresh fish dishes and those famous mussels. Frederic Blondeel’s café and chocolate shop was a perfect place for dessert after having mussels. I ordered the Belgian waffles with whipped cream and a cappuccino. The waffles were made from the beginning after my order (unlike in many touristic places on the shopping street). I had to wait for my waffles for a while but it was definitely worth the wait – it was the best waffles I have ever had! The taste and texture of the waffle were amazing – so soft and crispy at the same time. They also have wonderful ice-creams and a large selection of chocolates available.Naturally I was not able resist their super delicious pralines – I bought a box or two :)

Wittamer

 Place du Grand Sablon, 

Brussels, Belgium

Frederic Blondeel

Quai aux Briques 24

Brussels, Belgium

Poetic Cake

This morning I got some take out coffee and pastry from Fazer bakery. Can you guess what is inside the bag?

Aamukahvi ja leivonnaiset haettu aamulla Fazerilta. Jokainen arvannee paketin sisällön? Nautitko sinäkin tänään tortuista kahvin kanssa?

Ca’n Molinas bakes the famous coca de patata in Valldemossa

Coca de patata is a delicious soft potato bun, a typical sweet of Mallorca. It is considered that the best coca de patata are produced in Valldemosa, a village on the west side of the island of Mallorca. These sweet buns are made of sweet potato and dusted with sugar powder. Mashed potatoes, eggs, sugar, oil or cooking fat are traditional ingredients for these round buns but there are also other variations. This dessert is usually accompanied with hot chocolate. I tasted a coca de patata with a cortado at the garden terrace of Ca’n Molinas bakery and café in Valldemossa. Ca’n Molinas is an old and traditional bakery, founded in 1920 by Miguel Cañellas Nadal and María Estrades. The bakery and café was very charming and the coca de patata was silky soft and tasted delicious.

Perfect coca de patata and coffee

Scenery around Valldemossa

In addition to those sweet buns, Valldemossa is famous for the Charterhouse of Valldemossa built at the beginning of the 14th century. The Valldemossa Charterhouse is a former Carthusian monastery. Two famous visitors of the monastry were composer Frédéric Chopin and French writer George Sand (who wrote a notable account of A Winter in Majorca, describing their visit and praising the island's natural beauty) who spent their winter in 1838 and 1839 in Valldemossa. Valldemossa and its surroundings is also loved by many today’s celebrities - Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Eva Longoria and Claudia Schiffer are told to spend their vacations in Valldemossa and its surroundings. Michael Douglas has even sponsored a cultural centre in Valldemossa.

Valldemossa is only about a half an hour by car from Palma, in the middle of the valley of Sierra de Tratamunta, 400 kilometres above sea level. Part of the village goes up into the mountain slope, creating steep streets and beautiful natural miradors.  For me the best in Valldemossa were those cocas de patata and the spectacular scenery in the area.

I took a local bus from the bus station of Palma and after stopping in Valdemossa continued to the villages of Deià and Sóller located on the same side of the island. The mountains of this area dive into the ocean and the road between the villages is like serpentine. Olive and almond trees grow along the route with breath taking views to the Mediterranean Sea.

Panaderia y pasteleria Ca'n Molinas

Valldemossa, Mallorca, Spain

Have a sweet day, Sugar!

Today I had my coffee break in Laurell bakery in Lahti. I had a cappuccino with a Budapest cake. The cake was very sweet and sugary. They also advertised a press pot of Paulig Mexico coffee but it was a set for two people and I did not take it. Afterwards I think it might have been a better option than the cappuccino they made. Anyway, I got my coffee and sugar dose with a sweet greeting.

Laurell Lahti

Aleksanterikatu 24

Lahti, Finland

Finland's Best Bakery

Photo: JIM TV

In a novel TV format Finland's Best Bakery starting on JIM channel on Spring 2014 the best bakery is being searched. 18 bakeries will be participating and the bakers are challenged in different tasks. At the end one of bakeries will win the title Finland’s Best bakery. The program is based on international TV format “Britain’s Best Bakery”.

I am very much looking forward to this program since in addition to coffee, I am always looking for delicious quality cakes as well.  Has anyone of you seen the original British version? Do you know what other countries have had this TV format?

Suomeksi JIM TV:n sivuilta:

Uudessa Jimillä keväällä 2014 nähtävässä sarjassa Suomen paras leipomo tutustutaan 18 leipomoon, niiden historiaan sekä ihmisiin leipien, leivonnaisten ja kakkujen takana.  Leipomot eri puolilta Suomea suorittavat myös tuomarien antamia tehtäviä, joissa leipurit pääsevät soveltamaan osaamistaan ja luovuuttaan. Lopuksi yksi leipomo voittaa Suomen paras leipomo -tittelin. Ohjelman tuomareina toimivat ravintoloitsija Hans Välimäki ja sokerileipuri Jenni Höijer.

Pomar – artisan bakery in Palma de Mallorca since 1902

This summer I travelled in Mallorca which belongs to the Balearic Islands, Spain.  In the heart of the capital Palma de Mallorca is located Pastisseries Pomar – an artisan bakery with long tradition beginning from 1902. I had read about the bakery beforehand and understood that it is especially popular among locals. This is the place people go to get bread, cakes and everything else sweet and delicious.

Pomar has three stores in Mallorca, two in the city of Palma and one in Campos. I visited the one on Calle Manacor in Palma after doing some shopping at the El Corte Inglés department store located nearby.  I guess most people go to the bakery to get what they want and take it with them. There is a coffee bar in the store also and I got a nice corner table and stayed for coffee and cake. All the cakes looked very nice and I had difficulties in choosing which one to have. Too often it happens that I go to a café and there is not a single piece of cake that looks good to me. In Pomar the situation was delightfully the opposite. I then ended up having two different types of cake and both of them tasted excellent. But this was not enough. When I was finishing my coffee the baker appeared from the kitchen carrying new warm from the oven croissants de chocolate and other mouth watering baked goods. There I was again at the desk ordering for more – of course I had to, there were new options to choose from!

There are many nice cafes and bakeries in Palma but I have to say for me there was something special in Pomar. I highly recommend it if you are in Palma and want to enjoy some coffee and cake.

Pastisseries Pomar

Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain

Campos, Mallorca, Spain