They say you can't come to Belgium and not eat fries... Honestly I don't understand the hype. I've been here a week already and have not found anything extraordinary about their fries. I've smelt more oil than ever and tasted burning fat on a daily basis...
But, my visit wouldn't have been complete without trying at least one of the capital's famous fries shops and Fritland is surely one of them, with a line outside all day long.
Stand in line and wait while the strong smells of frying fill your nostrils and clothes all at once. Some are sitting outside in the cold enjoying their fries; others have found a place inside while the busy staff fries and cooks at the speed of light.
On the menu is the huge meat and fries sandwich, hotdog, the fries cone and some other options.
It was my turn, so I ordered a cone of fries with cocktail sauce. A huge cone, a loaded portion of fries, well cooked and slightly red in color, accompanied by a mountain of cocktail sauce. All of that for only €3,2, along with a Coke, I paid €5 in total. I think what makes these fries special is that they’re fried twice, exactly like they’re done at home here in Lebanon.
Back to the table I started the tasting. A bite, another, a third... Ok... What should I feel? Normal fries smelling fried oil, well cooked with a lightly crunchy envelope and tender heart alongside a cocktail sauce that's not sweet and has balanced flavors. The fries have a homey feel to them. I'm not saying the fries are not good, but there's nothing exceptional about them, nothing that would make me want to wait in line again to have more. A trend that's not worth the result.
I don't want to seem pretentious but I didn't understand the fuss about Belgium and their fries, honestly. Don't judge me on this too quickly, but the fries I enjoyed the most in the past week are the ones I had at McDonalds.
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Rue Henri Maus 49, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
