2026 is the Chinese Year of the Horse, officially beginning on February 17.
In the Chinese zodiac, the horse symbolizes speed, vitality, independence, and hard work.
The Year starts the 15-day Spring Festival that concludes with the Lantern Festival.
It is a big deal in the Asian community and will be celebrated widely, including at Cite du Dragon, one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Belgium.
The resto, in Uccle, first opened as long ago as 1991 and is still run by the same lady, Liem, who is from Vietnam originally.
Liem has carefully drafted a special menu to mark the Year of the Horse and diners can enjoy this on 21 February.
That’s not all – she has also organised a special menu to mark Valentine’s Day on 14 February (more on that later).
The Chinese New Year buffet menu is priced a very reasonable €58pp and is half price for kids aged 4 to 11.
It comprises a selection of starters, plus foie gras, shrimps and lobster as well as the house speciality (piglet and Peking duck).
Plus, a selection of drinks, including house wine, Maes beer and softs, will be available for €20pp, on the night.
The excellent food is only part of the enjoyment because also planned is an evening of entertainment with Kung Fu, a lion dance and even fireworks. Guests will also get the chance to leave a “wish” on a tree.
Beware that booking for this is compulsory (be quick as it is already proving very popular) and a deposit of €20 pp is required to secure the booking.
If you get a chance you must not miss another great feature (apart from the food) at this terrific resto – the magnificent garden which is huge, spreading over no less than 3,000 square metres and full of resplendent plants, flowers, trees and fountains. It is a real sight to behold, at whatever time of the year and surely utterly unique in the whole of Belgium.
Liem takes as much pride in her garden as she does in the food here and both are a real treat.
This also extends to the aforementioned Valentine Day special menu which is also excellent value for money, priced at just €40 pp and, again, is buffet based with a large choice of starters, mains and desserts. This is available on the, very large, downstairs space while, upstairs, you can choose from the regular menu.
For another €20pp there is a good selection of drinks to accompany what is sure to be a very satisfying meal and night out at this lovely resto, located on a busy road from Brussels to Waterloo.
Liem says, “We always do something special for these events, the New Year and Valentine’s Day, and they are very popular and in great demand now as in the past. People are assure of a great evening.”
The restaurant, in fact, takes its name from a previous Chinese New Year (of the dragon on that occasion) so has a special connection with this major annual date in the Chinese calendar.
Liem, who hails from south Vietnam, has a younger sister who runs a similar restaurant in Liege.
The Uccle resto has seen many changes in the area over the years and has managed to not just survive but thrive despite the immense competition that has emerged since it first opened.
The quality of Liem’s know how can be seen in the number of people she has employed in her kitchen in the past who have gone on to open their own successful restaurants.
Of course, it is well worth a visit at any time of the year, not just for this month’s two events. The card is, like the resto itself (seating over 150, in fact) huge with a great choice of classic dishes,including that house speciality, the duck.
They range from meat, pork, beef and poultry and are, considering the quality, very reasonably priced, as are the wines and drinks, including a good range of Belgian beers.
There is no better way to start or end a meal here than by taking a stroll (yes, it is that big) in the outside garden, which also extends to the front of the resto.
Back in 1991 when the very friendly Liem first took it over, she personally planted some of the smaller trees in the garden and now loves nothing more than admiring them.
Like the resto itself you could say the whole experience is, to coin a British phrase, “blooming marvellous.”
Cite Du Dragon
Chaussée de Waterloo 1024,Brussels
02 375 8080
NB: Photo credit: Cite Du Dragon
