We visited Boukarou Lounge, Chicago’s first Cameroonian restaurant

Anytime a restaurant debuts a cuisine in Chicago should be a time for the community to welcome it and support it with open arms. When we stumbled upon Boukarou Lounge, we curiously scanned their menu to determine if we had tried anything like it before in the city. When we walked in to learn more and try them out for dinner, we quickly learned how unique some of their dishes were. Dishes like Poulet DG are distinctly Cameroonian and were mentioned to be a specialty at the restaurant. Poulet DG (a French name) roughly translates to Chicken CEO and is known to be a dish reserved for the highest ranking company officials in Cameroon. The owner, Bouba, was very kind to walk us through the cuisine.

Their menu offers 4-5 main entrees and various sides to add a la carte. They also have weekend specials so make sure to inquire prior to ordering. They make each dish to order and can omit ingredients in order to satisfy any dietary restrictions. They are BYOB and only accept cash or Zelle. Another tip is if you are dining in, help yourself to the beverages in the cooler and they will be included in your bill at the end. Both times I have dined in, the restaurant was operated by one individual. They were in charge of both waiting on us and cooking the food, making for a truly personal experience.

We have eaten nearly every dish on their menu at this point:

The soya is excellent to share. It’s tender pieces of steak, raw onion, and soft plains accompanied with a mayonnaise sauce and spicy chili powder. It’s served alongside bamboo skewers, and the dish is eaten by piercing each ingredient to create your own kebab before dipping it in the mayo and chili powder.

The ndole is a weekend special with bitter leaf, peanuts, shrimp, and meat. Just like the name suggests, this stew does have bitter (and sometimes funky) notes but is also incredibly comforting. It’s a dish that gets better the more you eat it.

Carpe braised fish is served with peppers, tomatoes, onions, and jollof rice. The fish is served in its skin and make sure to be mindful of bones before eating it. The fish is delicately cooked in spices with incredible flavor.

Jollof rice was served with the carpe braised fish and we had also ordered it as a side dish. It’s plated in the shape of a star and folds in vegetables like carrots, corn, and peas. This was my first time ordering jollof rice and it was delicious. In a way, it reminded me of fried rice and was expecting more of a tomato flavor based upon researching this dish prior to visiting, but wasn’t disappointed.

Poulet DG is a great dish to order if you are looking to get your vegetables in for the day. We had ordered it without the chicken to accommodate for our non-meat eating friends. Even without the chicken, this dish was hearty. It was served with sautéed onions, bell peppers, carrots, and plantains in a light sweet and savory sauce.