Boo Raan — Restaurant in Knokke-Heist

We chose Boo Raan for a special family celebration, excited to finally try this Michelin-starred Thai restaurant. As Thai food lovers who typically reserve Michelin experiences for truly special occasions, we were prepared for the high price—expecting culinary excellence in return. Sadly, Boo Raan fell far short of that standard.

We opted for the Isaan discovery menu, warned (and intrigued) about its heat. The starters were decent—the sauces were flavorful—but the spring rolls were mostly wrapper, lacking filling. The main course included laab with grilled pork, which was delicious, and a somtam that was cloyingly sweet, lacking the usual balance of spice, sour, and umami (no dried shrimp either). We didn’t finish it and took it home. The steak was perhaps the biggest letdown: it was incredibly fatty and riddled with tendons, difficult to eat with spoon and fork. Half the portion ended up being inedible fat, as we discovered the next day.

Honestly, I’ve had better versions of laab and somtam from our regular Thai takeaway—where we can order the latter with raw crab for a more authentic flavor profile.

Our 10-year-old daughter ordered fresh spring rolls, which were bland and forgettable—no cilantro, no fresh pop of herbs. Her egg noodles were left uneaten due to how oily they were.

Dessert was the final blow. No mango sticky rice—a Thai staple we were really looking forward to. I had mango with mango sorbet, which was good, and the mango was excellent. My husband’s kaffir lime crème brûlée, however, was plain and lacked any depth of flavor (the lime leaf was decorative only). We asked if our daughter could have a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a bit of mango on the side, and they agreed kindly. But when the bill arrived 25 minutes later (after waiting while staff prioritized take-out and turnover), we were charged for two full mango desserts (€18 each) and the scoop of ice cream.

We were shocked, but paid. I returned to question the bill and was refunded €4 for the scoop, with apologies. Still, the miscommunication soured the experience—and they should have made it clear at the time of ordering that they were charging full price.

We left wondering how Boo Raan ever earned its Michelin star. We acknowledge that the team works hard, and the restaurant is clearly loved by many. But when a restaurant leans so heavily on its star to justify premium pricing, it creates sky-high expectations. What we experienced was simply not Michelin-level cooking, service, or value.

Sadly, this was a celebration that turned into a...

Food was excellent, but the service clearly needs improvement on basic things before I consider returning. My wife and I had a mixed experience at Boo Raan yesterday. We are currently in Knokke-Heist celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary. The reservation process was smooth, but I had booked a table for 8:30 PM, which finally felt a bit late. I attempted to call twice during the day to see if we could come in earlier, but couldn't reach anyone. When we arrived at 8 PM yesterday, we were informed that our table wasn't ready and were directed to wait at the bar before being seated (which was understandable). However, we were left there without a drink and with our jackets on, which could have been taken and stored while we waited. After 15 minutes, we were finally shown to our table, where we were able to order our drinks.

We opted for the discovery sharing menu and a (good) bottle of wine. Unfortunately, the bottle wasn't brought out with the first course, so we couldn't enjoy the wine with it. When questioned, we were informed that the wine needed to breathe a bit, and the bottle was not opened at the table. As a wine enthusiast, I found this approach lacking for a Michelin-starred establishment. Later, during the main course, two out of the three dishes were served, and while waiting for the final dish, the dessert menu was presented. When we asked for the third dish, we were given the option of taking it away (at an additional cost) or having it deducted from the bill. We requested the dish be served, which took an extra 10 minutes.

Overall, the food quality was excellent, but the service standards definitely require polishing before I would...

Lekker gegeten, maar teleurstellende reservatiepraktijken Het eten was over het algemeen erg lekker, met hier en daar een gerecht dat echt wist te verrassen. We werden vriendelijk en vlot ontvangen door de jonge, spontane zaalverantwoordelijke, wat zeker bijdroeg aan een aangename sfeer. Toch willen we een serieuze kanttekening maken bij het reserveringssysteem, dat volgens ons niet thuishoort bij een restaurant van dit niveau (1 Michelinster). • Bij reservatie wordt onmiddellijk €50 per persoon van je Mastercard afgehouden, plus een bijkomende kost van €3,79. Voor twee personen betaal je dus op voorhand €103,79. • Bij een tijdige annulatie of wijziging krijg je €100 teruggestort, maar de €3,79 ben je sowieso kwijt. Wil je opnieuw reserveren, dan betaal je opnieuw het volledige bedrag – inclusief die reserveringskost. • Op de dag zelf wordt het eerder betaalde bedrag dan wel in mindering gebracht op de uiteindelijke rekening, maar concreet betekent dit dat je geld al weken op voorhand bij het restaurant staat, ook al heb je er nog niet gegeten. Die €3,79 wordt niet in mindering gebracht en ben je kwijt. We namen contact op met Resengo (het reservatiesysteem), die aangaven dat het restaurant verantwoordelijk is voor deze kosten. Het restaurant op zijn beurt ontkende dit. Een vooraf verstuurde e-mail bleef onbeantwoord. Ook na ons gesprek ter plaatse met de zaalverantwoordelijke – die ons heel correct te woord stond en toegaf dat wij zeker niet de eersten waren met deze klacht – kregen we verder geen enkele reactie. We hebben al vaker gegeten in sterrenrestaurants. Vaak geldt daar ook een no-show-beleid, wat volkomen begrijpelijk is. Maar dan betaal je pas op het moment van het diner, niet weken op voorhand. Bovendien nemen die restaurants de kosten van het reserveringssysteem voor hun rekening – en terecht. Het gebrek aan reactie op onze vraag vinden wij onprofessioneel en commercieel ondoordacht. We hebben dit gemeld aan de Dienst Consumentenbescherming en de Economische Inspectie, in de hoop dat dit soort praktijken kritisch geëvalueerd worden. Kortom: een smakelijke ervaring met een bittere nasmaak door het ondoorzichtige en klantonvriendelijke reservatiebeleid.

De reactie van de eigenaar hieronder zegt alles. Het restaurant werd wel degelijk gecontacteerd, maar er kwam geen reactie... Kleine rechtzetting: ik dreig niet met een klacht, ze werd ingediend. U dient dergelijke praktijken en kosten te melden op uw website als u zoiets toepast. Contacteer mss Sergio Herman eens, hij zal u kunnen zeggen hoe u een...