It's always exciting to witness the first steps of a place, especially when it looks like it's off to a great start. A lovely evening at Bain de Dames, Ydris had teased us with his project and to say the least, it sounded really tempting.

Vegetables and fish sourced locally, wood-fired cooking, natural wines… And a duo that already has some impressive credentials under their belt…

In de Wulf, Chambre Séparée,… With curiosity piqued, we rushed to book a table for opening night.

Generally speaking, it's smarter to give places time to find their footing, but honestly, we had zero patience for waiting. And frankly, I have no regrets whatsoever…

Aster positions itself right from the start as one of the must-visit tables in Brussels. The plates (their number will vary from one evening to the next depending on the catch and what the market offers) follow at a perfectly controlled pace.

They're minimalist yet spot-on, creative and personal. The cooking is flawless, the smoke is present but not overwhelming, and almost every dish sparks emotion or curiosity.

The wine list is insanely impressive for a first night and, even though it's packed with references that make you want everything, we preferred to let our host take the reins for a pairing that turned out to be more than worthy of the menu: surprising, controlled and creative. The duo running this gem clearly has no shortage of talent.

Aster exhausts all the positive adjectives. Book it urgently before everyone else rushes in.