Artisanal pastries at Ninove

#GetDiscountWithoutLuck Jan Andries – The shop with the same name as the Pastry Chef who owns this shop may not be a big name shop that is widely known. One reason may be because the shop is located in a small town with no major tourist attractions. Most of the customers are locals. It is a small local shop that the owner takes care of himself. And you can be sure that every piece of pastry is made by the chef himself. For dessert lovers who love to explore and find hidden gem shops, this shop is an interesting choice. ****- Profile -**** Although it is said to be a small shop and is hidden in a small, quiet town, the skill is not small at all. Jan Andries studied pastry making directly from the COOVI Institute in Anderlecht, Brussels. After that, he worked with many leading pâtissier until he opened his own shop in 1992. Although the shop does not have any branches yet, the shop sends chocolates to Japan every Valentine's Day. Recently, the shop was chosen by Gaultmillau as one of the 25 best chocolate shops in Belgium. Similar to famous brands like Pierre Marcolini, Darcis, Godiva…etc., this shop is considered “A secret paradise for chocolate lovers and fine pastry afficianados”. ****- Location / Atmosphere -**** The shop is located in Meerbeke village, Ninove, about 200 meters from Meerbeke Kerk bus stop (which is Meerbeke’s Church). It is not difficult to walk there. There is a bus from Anderlecht on the outskirts of Brussels that goes directly there. It takes less than an hour to get there. There are no seats in the shop. It is only for take-away. In addition to chocolate, there are also breads, cakes, desserts, ice cream, and various types of bakery. The kitchen is located on the side next to the shop. If you look inside, you can see Chef Jan Andries busy making pastries. It shows that the pastries here are really freshly made. It seems that this shop is a favorite of the locals. Even though it is a small town with few tourists, the streets are empty, but inside the shop is always packed with customers coming and going. The chef's wife, Karolien, has been welcoming customers nonstop. It is a real local's favorite. I noticed that she was not surprised to see a dark-haired Asian tourist like me walk into the shop. This shows that even though it is a local shop, there must be many foodies like us who have arranged a trip to visit and try the chef's special desserts. Even though the shop is small, it is not ordinary at all. ****- Menu that I tried -**** [Chocolates] Of course, the chocolates here are all handmade chocolates made by Jan Andries himself, using premium cocoa beans from the Valrhona brand. ● Raspberry Hart – is a heart-shaped dark chocolate coated in bright red. Get a rich chocolate flavor that is a bit bitter. The filling is Raspberry Ganache, sour and fragrant. I like it at a medium level, about 3/5 points. ● Jan Andries – This flavor is made into 2 types: Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate. The filling is Praline, smooth, Almond flavor mixed with Hazelnut...both types are incredibly delicious. ● Praliné – Similar to the previous one, but the texture of the praline filling is changed to have a crunchy texture of small crushed nuts. This is another piece that is extremely delicious...I like it. ● Earl Grey – This is Milk Chocolate with Ganache filling, Earl Grey Tea flavor...This one is considered good but not outstanding. ● Caramel + Passion Fruit – This is Dark Chocolate with Caramel filling mixed with passion fruit and mango. ...a bit strange, the taste is not bad, but I don't really like it. ● Carapom – This piece is a heart-shaped White Chocolate with caramel filling and apple flavor. It's strange again, but it's okay. It smells good. ● Caramel – This is Milk Chocolate with more milk than cocoa flavor, making it not very rich, but not too sweet. The filling is Liquid Caramel...about 3.5/5 points. [Cakes & Desserts] ● Apple Vanilla – This piece is excellent, absolutely delicious. The base is crispy and fragrant Almond Biscuit. The white cream is White Chocolate Ganache with vanilla flavor and whipped until fluffy and light. The filling is mashed apple with a natural flavor, not too sour or sweet. Spread with fragrant ginger jam on top. It goes well together and penetrates every component. I'm so delighted. ● Framboise – This shiny red dome-shaped cake is the most eye-catching. Cut it open to see the inside, soft and light vanilla cake alternating with fresh cream layers. In the middle is Raspberry jelly, which I think is a bit too sweet. If it were changed to freshly mashed Raspberries with visible fruit pulp and not too sweet, it would be better. ● Advocaat + Vanilla – The base is Almond Biscuit with soft vanilla cream in the middle mixed with Advocaat, which is eggnog mixed with liquor, topped with crispy Crispy pearls. This is another piece that really suits our taste. ● Mixed Fruit Cake – The pie crust is good, the inside is Crème Anglaise with a soft custard and vanilla flavor, not too sweet. The fruit on top is fresh and looks delicious. It is a delicious and refreshing piece. ● Strawberry Cake – This one is like the top piece. But change from mixed fruits to pure strawberries, arranged in a pile of pieces, with a few fresh blueberries, really good. ● Lemon + Hazelnuts – This piece, the pie cup is shortcrust, fragrant with butter, filled with Lemon Cream mixed with Soft Meringe, sprinkled with thinly sliced, crispy Hazelnuts...so delicious. Address: Gemeentehuisstraat 7, 9402 Ninove Belgium