Bois Savanes

Sunday lunch is not – heaven forbid – meant to be a symbolist experience, but we could have been forgiven for thinking otherwise. It was election day across Belgium, and we were in Sint-Genesius-Rode – one of the most notorious linguistic minefields of Brussels’ suburbia. Our only request for lunch was “somewhere neutral”. Oh, and can the – mostly lethargic – dog come too?

Thai restaurant Bois Savanes, within walking distance of Waterloo, was just what we needed, with its outer-Brussels spaciousness and, crucially, pet-friendliness. The dining room is on the first floor and thankfully avoids the decoration overload that often plagues Asian restaurants. Service is attentive and just the right side of friendly; local families and retired couples alike seem familiar with the place and its staff.

The €17 three-course lunchtime menu only being available on weekdays, we went à la carte – not that what we ordered required an extensive carte. My tod mun pla (fish and squid cakes) were exemplary: crisp on the outside, slightly chewy inside. My companion’s chicken satay skewers were surprisingly moist and flavoursome for breast pieces. One slight niggle was that, in both cases, there was too little sauce.

Mains were good, but a bit of a let-down after the starters. My crab fried rice lacked variety, despite a reasonable amount of fresh crab shards. Across the table, the chicken phad thai was equally unexceptional. Again, there was an element of dryness in the fried rice, while the noodles were simply too sweet and not spicy enough. We couldn’t fault the quantities, though – nor, for that matter, could his furriness, as he wolfed down the contents of his doggy bag in the car park a while later.

The meal, which comprised a half-bottle of very good Alsace pinot noir and a half-litre of sparkling water, came to €60.

All in all, a jolly nice spot of lunch, away from the electoral rigmarole.

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208 Waterlosesteenweg, 1640 Sint-Genesius-Rode,  02.358.37.78, www.boissavanes.be