2023-09-19 15:51:10
Jaco has settled in the heart of the chic and peaceful district of Uccle on the Chaussée de Waterloo. Don’t be fooled by its unoriginal name, because behind this seemingly simple restaurant lies a still almost secret address where you can go for an ultra-confidential dinner in a warm and cozy atmosphere. And it is first of all this intimate atmosphere that is obvious when you enter here. It’s a change from trendy addresses that focus on conviviality and where large tables take over the place to highlight sharing.
In video, here is how you should eat pasta:
Cozy atmosphere
There are plenty of Italian restaurants in Brussels, but what sets this address apart is above all its more exclusive approach and the refinement of its dishes compared to other Italian restaurants in the capital that we know well. At Jaco, we rather take the opposite approach of offering customers a privatized, almost exclusive experience. One detail in particular quickly confirms this: the presence of a room mistress.
We quickly understand that this is not where we will go to pick from our neighbor’s plate while licking our fingers. No, what matters here is that the customer has a timeless moment. We are seated in ultra-soft terracotta-colored curled benches which contrast perfectly with the immaculate white tablecloths. Powder pink and saffron yellow predominate in the room. The cane seats accentuate the vintage spirit, while the organic shapes found here and there in the restaurant and the large open kitchen give a warmer side to the restaurant. The somewhat too formal atmosphere of the place quickly dissipates upon contact with the waiters with lilting accents, in particular the sommelier, a friendly Italian from Puglia who passed through several large Parisian houses before ending up here.
Refined Italian cuisine
On the plate, we discover highly refined Italian cuisine, which inevitably goes hand in hand with rather high prices. The menu revolves around antipasti, primi, and secondi piatti. The dishes offered vary with the seasons and the inspiration of the chefs. That evening, we were invited to discover the 3-course menu priced at 85 euros. This includes a antipastoand first course and one secondly. The tasting begins with three small appetizers, including one that left a deep impression on us: a sort of sponge cake made from tomato water. A bite that will be remembered for a long time. There followed a Apulian-style aubergines deliciously melting and delicate. The latter presents itself as an eggplant texture with a bread crumble, pecorino, tomato powder and basil.
We also taste a beef strip steak in tartare accompanied by truffled potato mousse and a black olive tapenade. When we told you that Italian cuisine here rises to a gastro level: the capers are not simply thrown in the middle of our tartare, they are reduced to powder delicately placed on top. As a starter, we receive a risotto with parmesan mousse and veal marrow, rosemary and summer truffle, as well as Fusilloni with Apulian rocket, onion, ginger, pine nuts and Caciocavallo podolico fondue. For now, we would perhaps have preferred a more traditional and comforting pasta. The bitterness of the arugula probably has nothing to do with it. On the other hand, we then enjoyed the turbot with Piedmont hazelnuts, zucchini and grapefruit misticanza, as well as the suckling pig porchetta stuffed with figs and olives.
We finish this meal with a gourmet coffee, but we regret not having more room to taste the Pistachio and gianduja, or tiramisù. Although the prices are high, the plates are plentiful and really tasty. Finally, we choose to come and eat at Jaco for a special occasion, to celebrate a promotion, to impress our other half or to treat ourselves to a romantic moment with our loved one. And if you like a more convivial Italian cuisine, we open the door of Jaco on the grocery side where we find a lot of Italian products available directly for sale. Olive oil, sauces, pastas, cured meats of all kinds, and even, for those in a hurry, lasagna or cannelloni that just needs to be reheated.
Infos :
Or ? Chaussée de Waterloo 1372, 1180 uccle
When ? Tuesday to Saturday, from noon to 3:30 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.
1695161246
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