Chambar

Tajine d'aziz a l'agneau

Mussels Congolaise

It's been a couple of weeks since I went to Chambar Belgian Restaurant but as usual it did not disappoint. My fiance and I went to celebrate our six year anniversary on a Saturday night that was buzzing with energy. It's a bit of a hidden gem even though it's located steps from Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain station at 562 Beatty Street. It has almost a cozy feeling to the restaurant and although the entrance is fairly narrow, it extends a fair distance and includes an additional room at the back.

The menu is just the right size. Although it only has six entrees plus mussels (done one of three ways) it has everything from fish to venison to duck. We decided to skip appetizers and go straight to our main courses of mussels and lamb. We ordered the Mussels Congolaise which was cooked in a tomato coconut cream sauce with smoked chili, lime and fresh cilantro. I've had mussels at several restaurants before and I can honestly say that these are perhaps the best I've ever tried. The sauce had the perfect balance of flavors and was thick enough to be scouped with the mussel shells as opposed to some places where it's too watery. The other dish we tried was the Braised Lamb Shank. It was cooked with honey, cinnamon, cilantro and figs with cous cous on the side and served in a traditional tajine dish. Our waiter suggested that I mix the cous cous in the sauce of the lamb to absorb some of the flavor (great idea). The meat was amazingly tender and could easily be pulled of the bone with my fork. My fiance is not a fan of lamb but I convinced her to try it and even she thought it was delicious. Chambar has a huge selection of imported Belgian beer but I decided to try the Chambar Ale and Lager. Both were light and smooth with the Ale giving a nice hops taste and the Lager a slight fruit note.

Overall I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone. It was great for our intimate dinner for two but also an excellent spot for groups. The staff were very friendly and didn't have the attitude you get in some restaurants downtown. I'd suggest you make a reservation if you plan to go though, it's no secret that Chambar's a great place for a sip and a bite.