In Mouscron, a building that is more than discreet and humble, nestled in a street lined with houses, takes you into a world of 'scenes from provincial life.' But beware! This is not the sleepy, self-satisfied province often caricatured by urban intelligentsia—those critic-thinkers stuck between agitation and haste, between cardboard kitchen starlets and fleeting illusions that rise to the pinnacle only to fall flat like a soufflé.

Here, in the hands of a young chef, the Table can once again become that dreamlike space where an epicurean no longer needs to close their eyes to savor each moment. In line with this hedonistic credo, Jérôme Axters’ Vugo masterfully reconciles simplicity and generosity, talent and mastery.

The dining room offers several atmospheres. Long and narrow, it opens with a rounded bar and a few aligned tables, then leads to another bright room that hints at a charming garden. Decorative touches discreetly step back, leaving only a soft and soothing impression. This royal path, stripped of excess, vanishes entirely to focus attention on the plate.

Jérôme Axters is a talent. His experience, refined and perfected at Château du Mylord and Hof van Cleve*** under Peter Goossens, delivers a brilliant cuisine: colors, spices, techniques, ingredients, and plating—it’s all there. The proof of this abundant precision and visible craftsmanship is on the plates. Today, we see scallops with kohlrabi, lace tuile, ponzu, coriander, and dashi sorbet; pike-perch with puffed rice, nori, leek, and oyster jus; cep mushrooms in a tartlet with watercress, butternut squash, smoked eel, and cep hollandaise; wild duck with chanterelles, potato, red cabbage, chervil root, and duck broth; apple confit with fromage blanc, vanilla, ginger, and quince sorbet; and 66% Caribbean chocolate with coffee, tonka bean, sesame opaline, and dulce ice cream.**

Jérôme Axters’ approach is clear, accessible, and remarkable. Let’s head there, with an open mind and joy, wasting no time.

LD