A hidden culinary gem

Chicago Tribune (MCT) - Tucked within the labyrinth that is the Tunis medina, Dar el Jeld is tricky to find _ just ask around for directions _ and a hard table to get _ we telephoned our reservations from Chicago (in English) two weeks prior. But it's also Tunisia's top restaurant, fusing the country's North African roots with French flavors.

Upon arrival we snacked on complimentary tuna and olives and baguette bread dipped in harissa, a spicy red pepper sauce served with most Tunisian specialties. Then our appetizer arrived _ fritures de poisson, battered fish and shrimp with grilled calamari and a squeeze of lime. The batter was light and the fish fresh but nothing dramatically different or better than your average deep-fryer fare. Instead go for the brik a la viande, with meat, hard-boiled egg and a smattering of vegetables encased and baked in filo dough and served with a little lime and a swab of harissa.

The two standards, and stars, of Tunisian cuisine are, without a doubt, couscous and tagine. Dar el Jeld offers six versions of the former and three of the latter. We chose the tagine sebnekh, a dome-shaped flaky pastry filled with spinach, boiled egg and lamb. Unlike the Moroccan version, which is more like a stew, the Tunisian tagine is firm, dense and delicious.

Among the couscous options (which included couscous with fish, vegetables or grilled calamari) we chose the couscous d'agneau _ with lamb and, sadly, found it too reminiscent of pot roast. Fortunately, our entree order of braised lamb, called aknaf, came with its own side order of couscous, this one sumptuously studded with golden raisins, almonds and citrus peels.

Like so many of its Mediterranean and Middle East neighbors, Tunisia's sweet offerings rely heavily on honey, pistachios and rose water, and Dar el Jeld proves no different, as the place's most popular option are its Cremes a L'Ancienne (very loosely translated as "traditional custards"). Ours appeared as a refreshing rose-water-flavored creme with the texture of panna cotta, syrupy fruit at the bottom and crushed pistachios dusting the top. We ate every crumb.

Including cocktails and a bottle of Tunisian red wine, a meal for two will run you about $120, about half what you'd pay for similar fare in the United States. In Europe? Forget it.

Open for lunch and dinner except on Sunday. Closed August. Closed at lunch in July and during Ramadan.

Reservation telephone: 011-216-71-560-916; fax: 011-216-71-567-845. www.dareljeld.tourism.tn/

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