Just a few weeks after De Bistro at Kerkstraat 3 closed, a new catering company is opening its doors at the same address with La Plancha. “We specialize in dishes with a South American touch that are baked at the table on a stone grill,” says manager Justin van den Appel.
Until a few weeks ago Kerkstraat 3 still had De Bistro, a café with some simple regional dishes on the menu. However, the landlord who has become close to the pension no longer enters into a new lease, and therefore the company becomes vacant. This vacancy did not last long, as La Plancha opened its doors at the beginning of this week.
Covid test on film sets
La Plancha is a concept by independent nurse Joeri Van den Abeele from Lissewege. The man also runs the All 4 Set company, with which he provides medical assistance, coronavirus management, transportation, and general support for film and television equipment. His son Justin also works for the company. “I did a lot of COVID-19 tests with my parents on filming locations; including the United States,” Justin says.
“The company is doing really well and when we saw that this building here in Damme was vacant, it seemed like a great investment opportunity. My father also loves to cook and cook well. His wife, my stepmother Angie Bucci, comes from Venezuela and thus brings a touch of South America to the concept. I do the day-to-day operation myself, but my dad will also be involved in the initial period.”
Stone grill on the table
Therefore, the concept is mainly based on a stone grill on the table. Justin continues, “These bricks have been sitting in an oven at 350 degrees for six hours.” “The stones fit into a cavity in a wooden board on which vegetables, meat, fish and all other possible ingredients are placed, which the customer can then bake on the table. Spices and sauces have a Latin American flavor. This is my stepmother’s contribution. We also have a number of typical desserts, such as Venezuelan pancake and bananas. Flambe Arepas is also a specialty of it: cornbread, a bit like pita bread, stuffed with marinated chicken and avocado As for the plancha, that is, the stone grill, the customer can choose between fish or meat The portions are always generous with a choice between 300 or 400 Or 500 grams. And for coffee lovers: We have premium coffee from freshly ground beans.”
