Brussels Muscle Belga Café in Capitol Hill Strikes Chord With Euro-Fusion Dishes by Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana Although we had been hearing about Belga Café in Capitol Hill for several months, one of the reasons we were so eager to try the Belgian restaurant had nothing to do with the food or the setting. Instead it had to do with the beer. The Belgians surpass all other nationalities when it comes to the selection and quality of those rare few who prefer a fine beer over a fine wine with fine eating. Belga Café lived up to its nationality and its brief reputation, having been opened less than a year ago. Belga’s menu of about 35 Belgian and Belgian-style beers, which includes the ever-popular Chimay as well as more obscure brands, should be a hit among beer aficionados. We tried a DeKoninck ($6.25) a typical full-bodied Belgian beer, with medium gold color and rich maltiness. Unfortunately, it didn’t last until the food arrived. Belga Cafe is in the southern section of Capitol Hill called Barracks Row, an area that appears to be going through some revitalization and was surprisingly bustling for a warm Tuesday evening. Belga is obviously a neighborhood favorite, and an extremely popular one at that judging by the wait at the door and the standing-room-only seating. Chef Bart Vandaele, who wa s formerly the head chef for the Dutch ambassador, has struck a muscular power chord with his slightly off-beat Belgian cuisine that fuses Asian, American and French influences. Belga’s rather plain and stark interior was not without fundamental charm and character. Although mostly white with accents of dark wood, one long wall was made of exposed brick, and a huge framed and wall-mounted Victorian ceiling centerpiece kept us transfixed on its circles and hubs of intricacy, all of which was backlit with the restaurant’s soft lights. The outdoor tables were the most popular area to eat, with not a single empty seat among the umbrellas. And not surprisingly, the interior was full with the din of talking, which is to be expected in any Capitol Hill restaurant. The menu is divided into Euro-fusion and traditional dishes, and we chose some from each side. Kips and krab sigaar or cigar-shaped rolls of chicken and crabmeat ($6.95) with two dipping sauces were the hands-down favorite appetizer as our black-clad waitress pointed out. The lauwe aspergesalade or baked asparagus ($9.95) with frisee and thin-sliced salmon and coriander butter was a welcome traditional dish. One of the specialties of the house was a Belgian mussels pot ($16.99). We picked the garlic butter version, which was generously filled with big, tender and perfectly cooked mussels without a grain of sand. Five other sauces were also available. Although we often follow the wait staff’s suggestions, that night we knew exactly what we wanted from reading the menu and went straight for it—which serves us right because our waitress came back and said the kitchen had run out of the hanger steak ($22.50) with the coveted pomme frites. So she suggested we compromise with le vrai steak Belge ($19.95), a thick, tender cushion of beef, grilled medium rare and accompanied with an unusual roasted vegetable medley of carrots, potatoes, shallots, onions, peas, and whole cloves of garlic and chunks of smokehouse bacon. The Belgian fries were also rather unusual: purple potatoes that appeared black, which were cut western-fry style with a deep smoky flavor. Off the side dishes entry, we picked a caramelized Belgian endive ($5.25) with vinegar, which one of us enjoyed and the other thought was “novel.” Vandaele’s dishes are often stylish and dramatic, such as the coquilles St. Jacques ($20.95), also known as scallops, which were seared brown, fat and juicy—one of standouts of the night. Served with a cumin-spiced carrot puree and accompanied by steamed carrot pieces and flat green beans, it was unique and seemed like a non-guilty pleasure, considering this must be a lower fat dish. The scallops and carrot puree combination was a felicitous marriage. Offering further evidence of Vandaele’s inventiveness were the desserts. In the dessert sampler, the chocolate mouse was attractively layered and irresistible—super-smooth, creamy and rich. The brownie was also chocolaty and nicely textured. After beer, Belgians certainly know their way around chocolate. The crème brule was everything you would expect from this traditional dessert. One thing we were surprised about was that the homemade Belgian waffle had a slightly burnt taste to it, which even the chocolate sauce could not mask. But these things happen in a busy kitchen. In this diverse town full of diverse restaurants vying for the palettes of various ethnic tastes, it’s nice to find one that feels at home and familiar right from the start. Belga Café is located at 514 8th St., SE. The phone number is (202) 544-0100 and the Web site is www.belgacafe.com. For lunch, the kitchen is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with brunch on Saturday and Sunday starting at 11 a.m. Dinner is served on Sunday and Tuesday to Thursday from 5:30 to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Dress is urban casual. Rachel Hunt and Stephen Qualiana are the restaurant reviewers for The Washington Diplomat.