Mist Restaurant, located in the old station building in Gillitts, has finally opened after several months of delays caused by issues such as alcohol licenses. This new establishment aims to celebrate the spirit of African cuisine, focusing on ancient grains, local ingredients, and traditions.
The restaurant owners, Nipo and Liyana Tembe, invited the article's author, her brother Pierre, and 'Glass Guy' to one of the preliminary tasting sessions. The space has been restored, retaining the old brickwork, and the verandas have been glazed from floor to ceiling. The interior features dramatic lighting in high ceilings and Cubist-style artwork. The venue includes a bar, a piano, and a private room for intimate dining.
Guests are offered a choice of five different gastronomic routes across the continent: South African, Senegalese, as well as routes from Cameroon, Tanzania, and Morocco. In addition to tasting menus, à la carte is also available. The author visited Cameroon, while Ingrid and Pierre traveled north to Morocco.
During dinner, the author tried various dishes. Among the starters were 'seafood' triple cheese bruschettas, stuffed with Parmesan, Gouda, and spicy grated cheddar, served on pea puree, as well as hummus with pomegranate molasses. 'Glass Guy' enjoyed cod confit with hollandaise sauce and cod roe, accompanied by a lamb shotlo.
The author also sampled shrimp tempura with fried corn mousse, which he particularly liked. This was followed by a taro root soup with Parmesan 'snow' and beetroot jelly. Then 'Glass Guy' appreciated the 'bunny symphony'—lamb in brioche with potato foam. The 'seafood' guests admired smoked duck with red wine sauce. The author chose fiery Norwegian salmon with leek and bearberry sauce.
The next course was filet mignon with red wine and pepper sauce. The 'seafood' guests tried pigeon tagine with couscous. However, the dish that stood out the most for 'Glass Guy' was 'Homestead Reverie'—omelette, chicken cooked in creamy broth with vegetables, indicating long, slow cooking.
Next came sea bass tagine. Although the Cameroon menu was shorter, the author joined the 'seafood' guests. They concluded the meal with antelope roast in red wine and citrus sauce. Dessert was couscous, which proved to be an outstanding dish, as well as bhakhrir—a fluffy pancake filled with nut paste and granola.
Of all the dishes, the author noted that banana puff-puff with salted caramel was disappointing due to the heaviness and excessive sweetness of the caramel. Overall, the food rating was 4, service 3.5, and atmosphere 4.