Belgium in January

Hi! I’ll start by saying yes, I know January will be cold and darker than other ideal times. My husband and I are going to Paris in January for an NBA game/ our 10 year anniversary. So the time is what it is! And we honestly love a moody winter trip. We loved Montreal in February.
I also know people have strong opinions about Brussels but we also like a good gritty city and love beer and chocolate.
Our tentative itinerary I’ve created has us ending the trip with a train to Ghent from Paris, 24ish hours in Ghent, followed by 24 hours in Brussels. If you’ve done either of these cities, what would you recommend we add to our Belgium itinerary? Bruges could also replace Ghent in theory, but Ghent seems like a slightly closer city with similar offerings for such a short trip. Any and all Belgium advice welcome! Except not to go, because we’re going. Thanks so much!