La Gastronomie Belgique!

On Saturday of last week we went to Chambar on Beatty Street, in Vancouver. It's tucked into a turn of the century brick building on the edge of Gastown, right at the Stadium/Chinatown station on the SkyTrain. 

Normally, Gabriel and I would not lay out the cash to go to such a snazzy joint, but our wonderful friend Tangiene wanted to take us, and we are forever indebted to her. We dressed in our fancies and hopped on the train. 

Chambar's fare runs  around the $25-30 region, but it was worth it for the presentation alone! Holy vertical food Batman! We asked for the best, but the cheapest wine on the menu. I think I'm going to do that more often at nice restaurants. At first we were recommended a bottle at $60, but then we said "Ahhh, uh, actually how about something between $40-50?". So she pointed out a bottle for $55 and we were like..."No, we really mean it, it has got to be cheaper." And she said "Then definitely it has got to be this one!" The wine was great.  I loved the moules au vin blanc avec frites, (mussels with white wine and fries) and my entree was super tasty. I think there may have been a bit of an overdose of cloves in my meal though. I had a tagine of lamb shank, couscous and fig, with harissa and yogurt. It had a slight bitterness to it, and about halfway through my meal I realized that my mouth was numb. Seriously! I'm pretty sure clove oil was used as an anesthetic in the ancient days of dentistry. Anyhow, I didn't care, because I ate everything in my tagine (it was very generously endowed). I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness for the little lamb whose tender delicate flesh fell of the bone as I...god I can't go on. It's awful to eat little creatures you would like to have share your bed. 

The desert as you can see was beyond compare. It was a pear pudding with rooibos tea ice cream and chocolate ganache. Ganache. If you haven't had ganache, let me explain that it is made with, cream and bittersweet chocolate and nothing else. Why would it need anything else? This dessert had us cooing and sighing with sensual pleasure. God, what I wouldn't give for another right now. 

Ganache

2 cups heavy cream

15 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped (go for high quality chocolate here, it's worth it)

Heat cream in heavy saucepan until simmering. Remove from heat, add chocolate while whisking. Serve. Can be refrigerated for a day or two.