There are more than a few good takeout places on the Continent. So why is everyone flocking to Hoffy’s in Antwerp?

When Pinchos Hoffman and his wife came to Antwerp after the war as penniless immigrants, any work would do — even selling cut-up fish door-to-door. Their fish store eventually became iconic, but who would have thought the restaurant their sons later opened across the road would become a major attraction for a secular clientele curious about kosher?

The storefront window on Antwerp’s narrow Lange Kievitstraat draws us in, as we eye the L-shaped counter packed with a mouth-watering display of authentic heimish Jewish food.

It’s a gray, chilly Thursday morning and we’ve made our way to Hoffy’s, past the arches of the railway bridge, then a left turn just one block before the downtown diamond district. On the narrow sidewalk outside, a chassidish girl talking on a kosher flip phone passes with a laden stroller, while two tourists with straw hats and ponytails seem glued to the window. They’re inspecting the egg rolls and creamy mashed potatoes, beef and sauteed liver, schnitzel and chicken stir-fry with a little curiosity and a growing appetite.

Inside, it’s all brightness, hustle and bustle. Besides being a busy heimish takeout, Hoffy’s is a restaurant offering white-glove dining. A varied crowd mills around the takeout counter, unwrapping their scarves and breathing in the savory smells; behind it, four older chassidish men whisk around with quiet efficiency. Customers point out their favorites and Yumi, Yanky, Leyzer, and Moishi Hoffman serve, weigh, heat, and wrap the portions.

“I’ve been a Hoffy’s customer for 35 years, from when I used to come here with my parents,” a woman from Amsterdam with two young children shares. “We drove in from Amsterdam (150 km away). When we make the drive to Antwerp, our first stop is to make an order at Hoffy’s, go do our other shopping and come back here, taking the food home for Shabbos. This kind of kosher variety is not available in Amsterdam, so it’s a party for us here at Hoffy’s.” She says she’s still buying the same gourmet traditional fare as her parents bought; her favorite is the melt-in-your-mouth steaks swimming in mushroom sauce.

Another customer is a Jewish tourist from Switzerland, visiting the reputed restaurant for the first time, while a local balabusta shares her secret — she comes here for her kugel every week.

This Jewish melting pot — kippot serugot and headscarves, bare heads and platchedige hats — is matched by the medley of food. Colors and flavors from East to West of the Jewish world, from lamb and couscous to stuffed peppers, to kishkeh, griben and galeh share space here. The display meanders from meats to poultry to fish, sides, and colorful salads, closing at the far right with a selection of desserts: a flagon of frullato, traditional sachertorte, and other gateaux from Antwerp’s equally famous kosher bakery, Kleinblatt.

Granted, this place serves great food, but there are more than a few good takeout places on the Continent. So why is everyone flocking to Hoffy’s?