Café: MOK, a caffeine hit

MOK, a craft coffee-roaster based in Leuven for the last four years, has arrived in Brussels, offering exceptional decor, expertly-made coffee, and, best of all, light meals that are both healthy and creative.
michel verlinden photo: saskia vanderstichele

From now on, it is no longer possible to bemoan the quality of coffee in Brussels. In every neighbourhood in the city, there is at least one coffee bar worthy of the name. Espresso, slow coffee, Aeropress, Chemex…we have lost count of the ways you can enjoy your "petit serré".

Within the past few weeks, a new place has opened which completes the list: MOK. It is brought to us by a pair from Leuven, who, having been hugely successful at home, decided to export the formula to Brussels. Straight away, the impeccable setting, visible through a large window, invites you to stop in.

Everything here is light wood, smoothed concrete, and old tiles, all brought to life with well-designed architectural touches: green plants and lights suspended from the ceiling, a grocery section installed in a metal shelving unit, and a little countertop kitchen at the back. We like the fact that the space is not crammed full for the sake of cost-effectiveness. In other words, you can breathe.

We chose an espresso (€2.20) of the "house blend" variety. Prepared with a La Marzocco, the coffee arrived at the ideal temperature and contained seductively fruity undertones.

MOK's originality lies in the fact that it also has a small food menu. It was created by Josefien…and it blew us away! The authenticity of their approach shines through in a few dishes of vegan inspiration. As a starter, the cauliflower soup (€6) was marvellous, with its creamy texture and rosemary croutons. We were glad to find out that they use bread from Hopla Geiss, some of the best in the capital. By way of a main course, we treated ourselves to a salad (€12) full of vitamins. The composition was not only pleasing to the eye, but bursting with good ingredients: kale, chick peas with just enough crunch, mandarin, beetroot, kohlrabi, chives, and a sauce made with tahini, the famous Eastern sesame paste. A "feta" made using almonds gave an overall creaminess to the dish. Wow, even though it is perfect, it would be a pity to come here for the coffee alone…

open: Mo > Fr: 8.00 > 18.00 + w-e: 10.00 > 18.00