I grew up in this neighborhood, close to Versailles and about half an hour away from Paris, before moving to California, yet somehow never ate here before. On a recent trip back to my hometown, I finally had the chance to try this place out with my girlfriend on a quiet Sunday night.
Le Touareg is a great hidden restaurant to have couscous in Le Chesnay / Rocquencourt.
The wait staff is courteous and attentive, and the dining room has a North-African feel with discrete ambiance music and a few hookas and various decorations on display.
An appetizer platter was brought to our table, and included small portions of seasoned vegetables, fruits and almonds. Some spicy, some not. Good start.
The main courses' portions are generous, with a wide variety of couscous to chose from, each one composed of different combinations of meat: chicken, stewed lamb, skewered lamb, meat balls, merguez sausage, and of course vegetables.
The meats and vegetables are served on a platter that is kept warm on your table atop an alcohol burner, so you can take your time eating without fear of them getting cold. You will need time, because the portions are pretty big! I especially liked the merguez, meat balls, and lamb skewers.
The semolina (the couscous grains) are served on a separate platter, and a flavorful broth/sauce with garbanzo beans is served separately in another deep dish.
A fancy cup of harissa (red tunisian chili paste/sauce) lets you turn up the heat to your liking.
The dessert selection included ice creams and various lokum.
In short, we had an enjoyable huge feast, at a reasonable price.
Note: closed on Wednesdays. read more