Wow, what a great find! This little gem of a restaurant along the Leie River, overlooking Kortrijk's iconic Broel Toren, has more than a great location going for it. The food + service is fantastic as well!
My partner + I made a reservation, which I recommend everywhere in Kortrijk because owners tend to save their best tables for those with reservations. They have a large outdoor space along the Leie, but it was a cool spring evening, so we opted to sit inside against the floor-to-ceiling window. We had a great view, so it was basically the next best thing to dining al fresco.
We ordered a couple non-alcoholic beverages - which they were kind enough to customize for me a bit, since I don't do carbonation/tonics - and enjoyed sipping while diving into the menu.
The menu offerings are what you'd expect at a modern Asian restaurant - bao, loempia, gyoza, teriyaki, edamame - but we still had trouble narrowing down what we wanted. Just when we figured it out, the table next to us received their food and it changed everything! "What was that? And what about that one?", we asked. The starters all looked incredible!
The veggie gyoza? Delicious! Probably the best I've ever had.
The kimchi balls? 10/10 *Chef's kiss*
We could have easily ordered 4-5 starters (great portion sizes!) and just made a meal out of them, but we did decide on two mains. I chose the salmon teriyaki, which was very filling and every.single.bite. was sooo flavorful! It was a large enough that I actually took half home with me (though I may have also had one too many of those amazing kimchi balls). My partner ordered a chicken curry dish that he also really enjoyed. The bite I had was super tasty.
My only advise is to not be shy about asking for utensils. My partner + I are both adept at chopsticks, but the sizes are large enough that you may want a knife/fork - and the curry has enough yummy sauce that you'll want a spoon to get every last drop! They do provide a ramen spoon perfect for soups, but it's really big and I found it difficult to get to the bottom of the ramen spoon for the heartier stuff, like chicken and rice. (I had to stick my tongue way out to reach the bottom of the spoon, which was neither graceful nor sexy.)
B O T T O M L I N E :
Go! We live in Kortrijk several months of the year and we honestly can't wait to go back to Lily's to try more menu items. Maybe on a warmer night when we can also enjoy the large outdoor area! read more