Resto: Farci

FARCI is an eatery devoted to stuffed vegetables. An excellent idea, brought to you by Tiffany Coune, a newcomer to Brussels.

Afew years ago, what are called "néo-cantines" made their first appearance in Brussels. The pitch? A quick, healthy, light lunch. The concept, which has often involved a plate on which a variety of vegetables coexisted, has been showing signs of wear after ten years. The good news is that it has been given a new lease of life in Ukkel/Uccle. In a cosy little wood-panelled former grocery – you might think you were at Harriet Oleson's place in The Little House on the Prairie – with shelves laden with interesting craft products, Tiffany Coune offers variations on stuffed vegetables.

You can buy the dishes of the day at an emerald green counter. Better yet, you can try out this new approach on the spot. Be warned: seating is limited – there is just about room for four – and you have to accept the rules of the game, that is to say, settle for the three stuffed dishes on the day's menu and also accept that the Coune has to divide her time between the counter and cooking.

If you can live with that, you can have yourself a delicious lunch – organic and gluten-free – for €9.50. As a bonus, there is a homemade sauce and a side dish of lentils or macaroni. The compositions show a lot of creativity. We had excellent cooked beetroot stuffed with feta, apple, and mint – a veritable explosion of freshness. There was also fennel, slightly crunchy, with a stuffing of chicken and lemon. Plus bok choi (Chinese cabbage) leaves wrapped around a pork meatball, anything but dry, and a julienne of vegetables. All washed down with a pleasant glass of Almdudler (€1.50), an elder-flavoured Austrian soda that has become quite a cult.

Farci, Sint-Jobsesteenweg 666 chaussée de Saint-Job, Ukkel/Uccle, 0477-57.81.00, Mo We > Su 11 > 20.00