A place without a name, a facade without a clue, and an experience for twelve. In Brussels, Jayu is not a restaurant like any other: it’s a timeless gastronomic theater, where cuisine becomes the language of the stage. Bruxelles Secrète tells you all about chef San Degeimbre‘s new restaurant.
Act I: Behind the curtain
On a busy street near Place Sainte-Catherine, an address has disappeared, only to undergo a metamorphosis. No neon sign, no menu on display. Just a closed door, and a word whispered among insiders: Jayu. Inside, there’s no traditional dining room, just an arched counter and 12 seats. In front of you, precise gestures, meticulous choreography. We’re no longer talking about “service”, we’re talking about staging.
Here, the meal is timed: 120 minutes, 12 courses, two sessions per evening. Like a show. And with good reason: Jayu asserts its hybridity. Half-kitchen, half-performance, the venue transforms every detail into a narrative tool. Subdued lighting, a meticulous rhythm and a kitchen open to the public: everything contributes to a subtle dramaturgy. Chef San Degeimbre, star of Belgian gastronomy and pioneer of intercultural dialogue, takes a back seat to let the space speak for itself.
Act II: Taste as score
At Jayu, flavors tell stories. Korean memories filtered through the Belgian seasons with disarming precision. Each dish is conceived as a scene, some meditative, others explosive. The menu, without a menu, evolves according to inspiration and harvest. But always with the same intention: to make you forget you’re in a restaurant.
A case in point? A simple rice, kimchi and clear broth, as a reminder of what’s essential. Or 14 hours of candied bacon, topped with fermented soybean paste. A raw but masterful delicacy, reminiscent of Seoul street food yet flirting with haute gastronomy. Halfway between an ancestral rite and a high-flying act. The experience doesn’t stop at the plate. The drinks, often fermented in-house, add the finishing touch to the meal.
Finale: more than a restaurant, a manifesto
Jayu isn’t just a spectacular dinner. It’s a discreet manifesto for a different way of experiencing cuisine. It’s a living art, as close as possible to the gesture, to present time, to exchange: here, the chefs talk to you, explain, smile. They are as much stage directors as they are storytellers. The cost of the experience? 130 euros for the menu, 55 for the food and beverage pairing. Jayu offers an interlude, a kind of ceremony where everyday life evaporates, for the duration of a dinner.
📍Address: Rue de Flandre 19, 1000 Brussels
📆 OpenTuesday to Saturday evenings. Two performances/evening, at 5:30pm and 8:30pm.