KNEES TO CHIN
This month Aroz Stories is thrilled to introduce you to Agathe and Roxane, sisters and co-founders of Knees to Chin, the fresh and savoury vietnamese spring rolls.
25 Jun,2021
We flew away for ten days to finally discover the origin of our product : the vietnamese streets. It was a dream to go there together, but also an evidence and a necessity regarding the evolution of our concept. It was amazing to encounter so many tastes and of course this so rich atmosphere that is the vietnamese street food.
- AROZ. Can you tell us a bit more about yourselves in a few words ?
Roxane. Co-founder of Knees to Chin and Agathe's big sister.
Agathe. Co-founder of Knees to Chin and Roxane's little sister !
- AROZ. And what about the story of your company ?
R&A. We launched Knees to Chin by June 2014. Our first address was our little restaurant on the Livourne Street.
We in fact discovered a true passion for spring rolls a few years earlier, when discovering and by taming this product by ourselves, in a very simple and friendly manner : we used to put all the rests of our fridges on the dinner table and created kind of our own "revised" spring rolls.
We then discovered little by little the appeal of the product that we loved : so fresh and healthy, low in gluten and infinitely adaptable.
The desire to take the plunge, our passion for this product that was at the time not really known yet, plus all those mono-products concepts that were blooming everywhere, and so Knees to Chin was born, evidently to us. Today, seven years later, we own five restaurants in Brussels.
- AROZ. Where does your inspiration come from ? ( in terms of cooking and visual identity )
R&A. Our inspiration mostly comes from all the researches that we do with the incredible team of cooks, who all come from Vietnam, but also with the downstream of our restaurant managers, who are always the firsts to taste our proposals and give us their feedback.
So it is a perfect mix of personalities, cultures and tastes that creates its magic !
Two years after opening Knees to Chin we flew away for ten days to finally discover the origin of our product : the vietnamese streets. It was a dream to go there together but also an evidence and a necessity regarding the evolution of our concept. It was amazing to encounter so many tastes and of course this so rich atmosphere that is the vietnamese street food.
This trip was also kind of a revelation, it was like "closing the loop" somehow. We have found much more sense in our project.
So, back in Belgium we reworked our entire identity, mostly regarding the atmosphere in our restaurants. Neon, inox, vivid colours and plastic chairs, we brought back a little bit of the vietnamese streets in our restaurants.
We also evolved a lot concerning the courses and products that we propose to our customers. This trip gave us the opportunity to look at our product in a yet more creative way, revising some vietnamese dishes that we discovered by twisting them into spring rolls.
- AROZ. What are the advantages of working with family ?
Agathe. For me it would clearly be trust and knowing each other by heart. But at the same time it is kind of a challenge to make the difference between our relationship as "sisters" and the one as "associates".
Roxane. Exactly the same for me !
- AROZ. And what are your plans for 2021 ?
R&A. With no doubt thinking about new openings !
- AROZ. What represents jewelry for you ?
Agathe. For me, a jewel represents a story. All the jewels I care for the most have always been those offered in particular circumstances. I especially think to a ring that I received from my mom for the birth of my daughter. I'm already thrilled to think that one day when she'll have a child I could offer it to as well ( fortunately that gives me some time left to enjoy it ! ).
Roxane. For me a jewel is almost like a piece of clothing. It is the element that I always try to showcase. Instead of, at the contrary, use it as an "accessory", it is for me the start of an outfit. I actually always wear a very simple fit that will sublimate the jewel that I'm wearing.
- AROZ. What are the jewels that you never leave ?
Agathe. I have three. There are the two rings that I received and the third one, is an AROZ gold medallion that Paola gifted to me since she is my daughter's godmother. The medallion is engraved with my daughter's name and her birth's day. It never leaves me as well.
Roxane. I have a vintage silver "snake chain" necklace that I never leave. And a bunch of small silver AROZ earrings, they are small and simple hoops that I alternate with drills of all shapes.
- AROZ. What is the piece that you dream about at AROZ ?
Agathe. My latest dream piece was the Sunray necklace from the collaboration with Bellerose! It is very recent so you could say that I just acquired my "dream piece". But the « Maïté » necklace has been on my mind for a few weeks...
Roxane. I personally love the Nayka ring and the Joe earcuff.
- What's your mantra, the one that you could engrave on one of our medallions ?
Agathe. "What will be, will be" : I like to take risks and I'm rather a go-getter when it comes to making decisions.
- How would you define AROZ in three words ?
R&A. Passion, History, Creation !
The restaurants
Bailli : rue de Livourne 125, 1000 Bruxelles
Bruxelles centre : rue de Flandre 28, 1000 Bruxelles
St Gilles : ch. d'Alsemberg 148, 1060 Saint Gilles
St Boniface : rue Francart 18, 1050 Bruxelles
Wolf food market : rue Fossé au Loups 50, 1000 Bruxelles
For more information, you can check out their website by clicking here