Gastrobar Sam

Chef Sam Vancoppenolle was born and bred right here in Ostend. He grew up at the Opex, watching the fishermen’s wives sitting outside on their chairs, peeling shrimp. ‘It is my plat préféré. Whenever I visit a restaurant, I always order shrimp croquettes. Everyone makes them differently. There is always something new to discover. Like rock & roll.’ It took Sam quite a bit of effort to get the shrimp croquette recognised as an official regional speciality, and it’s hardly surprising that people come here from near and far to sample his croquettes. ‘Ours are genuinely retro. Made just like our grandmothers did, from a recipe that has been handed down through generations. We even use light whole-grain flour, because when this recipe was created there was no such things as white flour. Important advice for all hobby chefs: pay attention to your seasoning, even that of your breadcrumbs and the parsley you use as a garnish.’