ECONOMYNEXT – Across the square from the European Parliament in Brussels is the Tourane Fresh & Pure, a fusion restaurant where the East meets West even as the hotels and restaurant sector is the nation is facing headwinds.
A two-minute walk from the European Parliament 62-64 Rue du Luxembourg takes one to the restaurant. Carefully crafted cuisine is offered in a fusion modern style which the founders call MediterrAsian.
Fusion Modern
“We have a fusion modern concept with Mediterranean and French cuisine and also Asian food,” explains Lan Dang, who is of Vietnamese origin.
Hobnobbing in the carefully crafted menu which has Greek Salad, Tuna steak, mixes of luxury Spanish cheese and ham is Pho or beef noodle soup from Vietnam.
“Some of the techniques to cook Vietnamese food come from French cuisine,” Lan Dang explains. “When the French came to Vietnam they did not have so much material from France.
“So, the chefs used Vietnamese material with French techniques.”
The etymology of the delicately spiced Vietnamese pho, has been linked to the French beef stew Pot-au-feu by some.
The French occupation of Vietnam led to a sudden increase in demand for beef, which left a log of bones that could be used for broth.
Beef bones are boiled for over 40 hours and are stirred with Asian herbs to come up with the light broth.
Another such food is bánh mì, which has its origins in a French baguette. Grilled meat, liver pate, mayonnaise, fresh and pickled vegetables and sandwiched inside it.
Armed with a degree in food technology and nutrition Dang is keen on serving healthy food with carefully picked fresh ingredients.
“We guarantee healthy food and the customers appreciate it. Now there is also a trend for vegetarian cuisine.”
Dang was working for a trading company in the import export trade and she decided to switch to the food service business.
She spotted the building when looking for a location with her friend. It is located in a heritage building. The building had originally housed a luxury hotel.
Where Tourane is now located had at one time been a restaurant, and the next owner had started a bar.
The bar had closed during Covid-19. Dang has set up the restaurant after Covid.
High Powered Meeting Place
About 95 percent of her Tourane Fresh and Pure are from international, she says. The European Union itself has 27 countries and there is a stream of visitors from America and Asia.
The bulk of her customers are linked to the European Parliament, and also European Commission offices, diplomats from embassies of the EU and other nations which have a strong presence in Brussels.
There are also company representatives.
“There is a big demand for meetings. So, in our restaurant, we have two private meeting rooms,” Dang says.
“We also have a wine bar and restaurant. So, it is a very good location for meetings.
“Maybe they’re from another country for the first time they’re meeting, but it’s good. They have an elegant private room for a meeting with nice food and drinks.”
The origin of the word, ‘parliament’ comes from the Old French word parlement, where paler means to speak or discuss and ‘ment’ is a location where the discussion takes place.
Tough Environment
Though she enjoys running a restaurant and meeting people, the operating environment is difficult with high taxes, recent high inflation which has eroded purchasing power .
Some EU tax and pay policies are backfiring on the Hotels Restaurants and Café sector, she says.
“I like the restaurant. I also like our customers a lot. I also like our concept a lot,” she says. “But doing business has become difficult after Covid. I have heard that in 2025 almost 60 percent of the HoReCa sector in Belgium is under threat and many are closing. They cannot survive.”
After Covid-19, money printed by the European Central Bank and Federal Reserve pushed up inflation to around 12 percent by 2022, the highest since the early 1980s.
“It’s a lot for a European,” Dang says. “Because they are afraid of the future they do not want to spend. And we cannot increase the price so fast.”
Under the current laws, students do not pay tax. As a result, the take-home salary of professional restaurant workers will be lower because they have to pay tax.
There are also other government policies where people are discouraged from working part time. If they stay at home, the government pays them 1,350 euro which is more than for working four hours. So, flexi=time workers have disappeared, she says.
They also have to pay taxes progressive direct taxes on the salary.
When money is printed for stimulus by macroeconomists who also mislead politicians, there are early benefits to the people who first get the money.
However stimulus mis-allocates credit and inflation comes later, in what is called the ‘Cantillon effect’ hitting consumers and causing permanent damage as many small businesses in particular fail.
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Stimulus also shatters government finances. And then people have to pay more taxes. Under so-called progressive taxes, salary increases may lead to lower take home pay after inflation in a phenomenon called ‘bracket creep’.
When salaries are increased to keep up with inflation, experienced staff have to pay sharply more taxes. If the chef’s salary is increased by 200 dollars, the tax bill goes up to 2,000 dollars Dang says.
“About 20 years ago, the salary costs of a restaurant were only 25 percent turnover per month,” she says.
“But now, the salary cost is 45 percent of turnover per month. So, that’s why a lot of restaurants cannot survive.” (Colombo/Feb08/2026)