Fruit of the calabash, a type of squash, musical instrument and container, the calabash is also the name of the only African restaurant Quebec.


It's been less than two years that the Calabash restaurant is located in the district Ste-Foy, Myrand street, right in front of VAT studios. However, a few years ago, it was in the St-Roch neighborhood we found this African restaurant. "We wanted to bring students from Université Laval, which is not far from here," says Agathe Konan, property owner with her partner Adama Konseiga. It was also she who throne in the kitchens of the restaurant with the colors orange and huge zebra painted on the wall.


Say what African restaurant is vast Africa. All this deserves a little more accuracy. "Apart from North Africa, it affects all parts of Africa, but especially in West Africa," says one who is from the Ivory Coast. This means that Senegalese dishes, Mali or Ivorians are or could be part of the menu.


From one discovery
Speaking menu, Ms. Konan notes that African students will particularly prefer grilled fish, chicken or mutton. Attention no lamb, but the lamb to taste more pronounced. By cons, according to Mrs. Agathe, Quebecers will be rather tempted by outright ordinary outgoing dishes. An example: oxtail to the seed sauce made from palm nuts or ndolé, dish of Cameroon, which takes its name from green leaves base for this dish. Ndolé leaves are cooked with peanut paste served with shrimp and cubes of beef, all accompanied by cassava, rice or fried plantains.


We can also go to the mafé or chicken complete with a peanut sauce, made with rice or attiéké, kind of cassava couscous.


But how does she manage to procure? Oxtail having nothing to do with the beaver tails! "Often from Montreal. When I started, oxtail, it will not sell much. Now, people know that it is good, prices have increased! By cons, there are now in grocery stores, many more African products such as cassava. "

 

It would be wrong not to try the ABLOS, found particularly in Benin and Togo. It is actually small balls cereals (rice, wheat, corn) sweet we eat slightly embellished with a hot sauce as only Africans have the secret!


Buns

African cuisine is the opposite of fast food, many dishes are stewed. It will be a tad patient room before being served. However Agathe Konan suggests to call the day before to order your dish, the menu is available on the internet.

Another quality La Calebasse and his cook, we can make special requests to it for African dishes that are not on the menu.

And as African cuisine will seduce you and that like cooking Ivorian Senegalese or at home you will surely know that La Calebasse, it is also a delicatessen adjoining the restaurant African products forty seats.

Musically, in September, Saturday the 26th, as part of Culture Days, which begin evening entertainment of African music will obviously be honored while you enjoy your chicken curry with coconut milk.