For the first duel of My Tiny Restaurant, two pairs will face off in an attempt to secure a spot in the semi-finals. On one side, Maxime and Kevin, childhood friends from the Virton region; on the other, the father-son duo Pascal and Curtis, hailing from Brabant-Wallon. With a farm-based table d'hôtes project, Maxime and Kevin will showcase Wallonian local products, while Pascal and Curtis will invite the judges to immerse themselves in their world blending Art and Gastronomy. These two unique and ambitious proposals are likely to captivate our three experts!

This week, two new pairs make their debut in My Tiny Restaurant. Gregory and Zineb, a young couple from Brabant Wallon, will compete against the two Brussels friends, Astrid and Létitia. For this second duel, Gregory and Zineb will present their Mediterranean-inspired shared kitchen project to the judges, while Astrid and Létitia will offer a morning counter reimagining breakfast dishes. It promises to be a mouthwatering program that might not be easy to judge!

For this third duel, Jessy, originally from Gaume and a lifelong culinary enthusiast, will embark on this adventure with his girlfriend, Lara. Determined and dedicated, they will give their all to impress the jury with a bistro-style and floral cuisine in a setting that is both woody, chic, and refined. On the other hand, Nadège and Thanh-Nhan, two friends from Brussels, will offer a menu centered around Wantan, a Chinese dumpling that has been a part of their childhood in a modern Asian ambiance. Two unique proposals. But which one will convince the jury?

Samira, from Brussels, and her partner Karim, from Paris, met thanks to their shared passion for cooking. They will offer a fusion cuisine with Oriental flavors, placing special emphasis on the aesthetics of their dishes. On the other hand, Marc and Henri, two longtime friends, will completely reinvent Belgian dishes in a neighborhood restaurant setting.

Two very different projects. But will they manage to tantalize the taste buds of our judges and secure their ticket to open their restaurant?

The duels stage is coming to an end, and now two pairs are competing for the last ticket to the semi-finals. On one side, Vincent and Martin, two vegan chefs, will try to astonish and delight the judges with a complete meatless menu. Facing them are Romain and Anaëlle with their Instagrammable Mediterranean cuisine project. These two projects are as distant from each other as the personalities of the candidates. One duo is fiery, while the other is as calm as water! At the end of this battle, one duo among the 10 concepts will be selected to advance to the semi-finals.

This week, My Tiny Restaurant kicks off the semi-finals, and things are getting tougher for the contestants! All the pairs will have to create a menu with prices, refine their project, and prepare for any questions the experts might ask about the opening of their restaurant. In this first of three semi-finals, Gregory and Zineb, with their Mediterranean-inspired shared cuisine, will face Max and Kevin, who focus on local and seasonal products.

At the end of the evening, both duos will be evaluated on their concept, pricing, and their presentation skills. The jury will have a difficult time choosing between these two very talented teams. Only one will have the opportunity to advance to the final and open their own restaurant.

To prepare for this semi-final, each duo has been coached by Hub Brussels, the Brussels Agency for Business Support. Together, they have worked on developing a business plan, creating a menu, and refining the concept for their future restaurant. For this semi-final, each team has been evaluated based on three criteria: the concept of their restaurant, the quality-price ratio of their menu, and their Grand Oral presentation.

Henri and Marc present their tiny restaurant concept, named "Dici," to the jury. The concept focuses on creating a neighborhood bistro atmosphere while highlighting local products and artists. The other team invites our three experts to discover their "Comptoir du mat'," an establishment that offers morning dining with local, sustainable, and authentic products.

After presenting their concepts, each team takes control and presents its menu to the jury, which can choose from a three-course menu. The mission for our pairs is to prepare this menu in 2 hours without making the jury wait – in other words, to replicate a service as if they were in their own restaurant.

Thanks to their professional experience, each duo cleverly organises their kitchen. However, despite their expertise, the pairs face a few minor hiccups. Henri and Marc encounter difficulties in preparing their "breaded pork cheeks" as an appetizer, partly due to tricky gelatin and tight timing. This execution error does not go unnoticed by the discerning chef, Isabelle Arpin. On the other side, the atmosphere is much more "zen" with the girls, but even with Astrid's exceptional culinary skills, the plating of dishes poses some minor issues. At times, they rush, neglecting the visual presentation of their plates.

In the service area, the radiant Leticia takes charge. Her precision and professionalism in the dining room impress the jury. In Henri and Marc's team, it's Henri who presents each dish, emphasising the story and preparation of his creations.

At the end of this high-flying service, each team presents their bill to the jury, representing an evolution from the duels phase. Our three experts can thus evaluate the quality-price ratio of the menu they were served.

This bill is a prelude to what follows: the Grand Oral. After their service, each team has 3 minutes to pitch their restaurant concept to the jury. The goal is to convince them to grant them a place in the final.

In this last semi-final of My Tiny Restaurant, Nadège and Thanh-Nhan are competing against Martin and Vincent. Two experienced chefs are facing a less experienced duo. For this last semi-final, our jury has decided to impose a single-product menu, centered around wantan for the female duo, and a vegan menu centered around bao for their opponents.

To prepare for this semi-final, each duo was coached by Hub Brussels, the Brussels Agency for Business Support. Together, they worked on developing a business plan, creating a menu, and refining the concept for their future restaurant. For this semi-final, each team was evaluated based on three criteria: the concept of their restaurant, the quality-price ratio of their menu, and their Grand Oral presentation.

The first step for the duos is to present the concept of their restaurant, refined since the previous challenge. Vincent and Martin present Wonder Bao, their concept of fast vegan dining with baos on the menu, as the name suggests. For Nadège and Thanh-Nhan, the adventure is called Wantany and offers a menu based on... wantan, from appetizer to dessert.

When it comes to taking orders, Nadège excels, as her presence in the dining room and customer interaction combine warmth and efficiency, while Vincent is much more clumsy.

In the kitchen, Vincent and Martin's experience shines through, and their duo operates smoothly. Services run smoothly with a zen attitude. The jury is impressed by their hummus as an appetizer but disappointed with their main dish, the baos. Still as original as the first time but lacking in salt, which frustrates the jury. For dessert, their roasted plum and lemon meringue reconcile everyone; these two are here to win!

On the other hand, Nadège and Thanh-Nhan lack organisation, but their menu is smart and consistent: all their previous feedback has been taken into account, which pleases the jury. They have success with the appetizer but flop with the main course: a very bland wantan broth. Like their opponents, the duo redeems themselves with a very successful dessert.

It's an extremely close duel, but the balance shifts when it comes to the bill. Each duo proposes a very low bill, much to the surprise of the jury. However, with their high-quality three-course menu priced at less than twenty euros per person, Vincent and Martin astonish Jonathan Blanchard, who remains perplexed. It's impossible for him to make a profit with such a low bill.

During the Grand Oral, Nadège and Thanh-Nhan have all the answers. For Vincent and Martin, the Grand Oral is torture. These two chefs have undeniable talent in the kitchen but struggle with public speaking.

For the first time, 10 duos, whether friends or family, have decided to embark on an extraordinary competition that combines cooking, creativity, and profitability, with the goal of making a living from their passion and opening their first restaurant.

These 10 duos had the opportunity, thanks to My Tiny Restaurant, to test their concept in real conditions, in containers designed to accommodate three guests. In a matter of hours, they had to convince an exceptional jury that their decor, signature menu, pricing, and concept were the most coherent, harmonious, and, above all, viable. The prize at stake was 15,000 euros to kick-start their restaurant concept under the best conditions.

Over nine weeks, they all demonstrated unwavering determination, total commitment, and unwavering passion, pushing their limits, experiencing moments of joy, pressure, competition, twists and turns, and both good and bad surprises.

Throughout these nine weeks, our jury, consisting of Isabelle Arpin, a Michelin-starred chef, Jonathan Blanchart, an expert investor, and Thibaud Villanova, a "Gastronogeek" influencer, were able to offer their advice and share their experiences, with one sole motivation: to help the best concept come to life in 2022.

So, among Max and Kevin, Nadège and Thanh Nhan, and Henri and Marc, who will win the 15,000 euros to realize their own restaurant?