I’ve been on a bit of an Subcontinental food buzz recently; and an invitation to take AmounsBouche back to Essence Barbecue in Mohandessin was one i could not resist. We both love Massala at the Karvin Hotel, but being bound to the island of Zamalek and its immediate vicinity, we were pleased to finally have an alternative to the horrendous Nawab when the curry bug bites.

Nothing has changed from my previous review – the Pakoras are still among the best things I have ever eaten; pungently spiced with an impossibly light and airy texture and the potato samosas are little potato curry flavor grenades. We did not like the meat samosas, which had a strong lamb flavor, but were bland otherwise.

The kitchen clearly enjoys the process of creation, even going so far as to add a little black salt to the lemonade we ordered. It was a nice flourish, i thought, but it should have been announced to prepare us for the added twist. It was sent back in favor of the more boring ‘regular’ lemonade (but they did add a tinsel umbrella…) Probably more successful is their new Lunch menu, offering both vegetarian and carnivorous options for a flat price of EGP50. Included are four courses, and it can be ordered, and indeed is designed for, takeaway.

The service is still as fresh faced as ever, and the head waiter is more comfortable and familiar with all the items on the menu. We didn’t get a chance to meet the Chef this time, but if you take my word for it, she won’t be leaving cairo anytime soon.

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Peace out.

Be Warned: This is a Cellphone picture

You know the feeling. Great elation, a sense of accomplishment, of a great weight lifted up from off your shoulders. It’s the kind of feeling that demands to be celebrated and commemorated. The occasion, my friends, was my recent divorce from a particularly horrible employer; and I decided to celebrate and commemorate the event the only way I know how: by going out for a meal. Having never been to the Safir Hotel in Dokki before, I strolled around the hotel lobby and chatted with the concierge. I learned that they have an open buffet restaurant, a Lebanese restaurant and an outdoor café. But none of these were as advertised as “Asia Boutique” was; and it there that I decided to spend my patronage.

The dining room is smaller than I expected: the right wall sported a <sigh> teppanyaki grill and the left wall was anchored by a sushi bar. Immediately I worried that this “Asian” restaurant was another excuse for a hotel chain to capitalize on Cairo’s torrid and misplaced love affair with sushi and teppanyaki. As an aside, the good people over at “Benihana” should be looking to open a chain here, because they would do *very* well. Anyway; I found the décor itself to be pleasant. Dimmed lighting, black and red lacquered tables and chairs reinforced the pan-Asian theme and even the chairs were a stylized version of an Oriental pagoda. But it was not pretentious; the table setting was neat and clean, silverware and glasses polished to crystal clarity.

The restaurant was empty save for me and so I expected to be served with alacrity and precision. The sole waiter came to my table, and as he handed me the menu, asked for my beverage selection. I’m always happy when I’m asked what to drink before I order: it’s courteous and proper. And the waiter, Mr. Wagdy, certainly was both, eagerly scribbling down my menu orders and double checking to make sure he got it right.

The menu was easily navigable, offering mainly Thai main courses. Besides the beef teriyaki and the Miso Soup, the teppanyaki and sushi seemed to be the only Japanese offerings; I felt it was a focused menu, showcasing what the kitchen staff can do, as opposed to what the Hotel Managers may want them to do. The prices, surprisingly affordable, were comparable to non-hotel options like Fusion. There is even an option to order from the 3 course set menu, which will set you back EGP120 (excl taxes and charges). In the end, I quickly settled on my selection: Khai Kai soup (a coconut and lemongrass chicken broth), Beef Teriyaki, Chef’s Platter of Sushi and a Fried Banana Dessert. Orders received, Mr. Wagdy deftly retreated to the kitchen to get things started.

Having a nice private moment gave me the opportunity to take in the ambience. It was all very relaxing and soothing, but marred by the lounge Muzak wafting in from the hotel lobby through the restaurant’s double doors. I would have liked those doors to remain shut to protect me from the intrusion of the electronic piano version of Andrea Bocelli’s Con Ti Partiro upon my consciousness.

Mr. Wagdy materialized to bring me my soup, a full 10 minutes before I expected it. It sat, steaming, in an unassuming white bowl, flecks of green on an off-white creamy broth. The odor was unmistakably lemongrass and coriander. The flavor matched the odor, and provided a pleasantly smooth mouth feel to the soup. I had an issue with the tomato skins still lingering at the bottom of the bowl, and felt it was served too hot, meaning it had been reheated by microwave. Uncharacteristically I found myself forgiving the insult; and finished my bowl of soup just in time for my Beef Teriyaki, which arrived as the last spoonful of soup was trickling down my throat. This was Beef Teriyaki the way I liked it and more. The sweet teriyaki smell, punctuated by garlic and ginger, got my mouth watering. The presentation again was understated. Served in a simple white bowl, the dark brown and black contents were highlighted by the julienned red and green peppers streaking through it. I particularly enjoyed the knowledge that I was eating local Egyptian beef.

The service was fast and furious: like a gastronomic traffic jam, the courses were packed bumper to bumper. As soon as the beef teriyaki was finished, I was presented with the Chef’s Platter of Tuna, Salmon and whitefish Nigri sushi; Crab, salmon and Avocado Maki and slices of chilled tuna sashimi. All this was packed onto a small wooden chopping board, unassuming and entirely delightful. Each piece delivered, sweet salmon, stubbornly robust tuna, delicately smoky whitefish counterpointed with the sharpest pickled daikon radish I’ve ever eaten. For EGP65, it was the priciest sushi option on the menu, but probably the dish that best represented the confidence and technical ability of the kitchen.

3 courses in quick succession left me gasping for air, and I was given a brief resting period before my dessert arrived. Sitting on a small square plate was a single banana, deep fried in light tempura batter, and drizzled with coconut and honey. Alongside it was a mound of creamy vanilla ice cream, dotted with whole walnuts and a sliced strawberry. Like the grasshopper gun from Men in Black, this unassuming dish blew me away. Every single flavor came through clearly, mixing and playing off one another. Warm banana, cold vanilla ice cream; soft banana, crunchy walnuts; texturally, it was a delight.

I ordered the check, and was very happy to pay EGP200 (excl tax and tip); I’ve spent more money at Chili’s. The meal, having ended on a very high note, left me with a huge grin on my face. Then I remembered the reason I was celebrating, and laughed out loud in joy. Cause for celebration indeed.

The people behind “VIP” want you to feel part of an exclusive and rarefied club; the Elite, the Chosen Few. But instead of employing bouncers at the door, and conjuring up fictitious minimum charges, they do it the old fashioned way: just hide the door. It’s reminiscent of a prohibition era Chicago. It took me two trips to the Cairo tower to get in; making a reservation wasn’t easy – VIP doesn’t have a direct line. Your best bet is to pray the Cairo Tower operator will answer and then redirect you to the Restaurant Manager.

After two long elevator rides and at an elevation of a hundred meters, VIP provides a very special atmosphere, well suited for celebrating a business deal, an anniversary, or a grand apology. There are two levels; a lounge level that serves a variety of alcoholic drinks and the lower dining level which seats forty diners. Impressive menus, ironed white tablecloths and elegant tablesettings set the mood, and the impeccable wait-staff blend into the background, appearing only to silently top up your water, bring you the next course or light the cigarette lingering in your hand.

Bring your own Diamond Ring.

VIP’s dinner menu reads like a catalogue of the finest ingredients available; lobster tail, Fois Gras, and Wagyu beef tenderloin. For a decadent start to the meal, share the Fois Gras on Brioche with a friend, and follow it up with any of the classic French dishes on the main course menu. The Filet Minion with Potato Dauphinois and Green peppercorn sauce is highly recommended. For dessert, the Crème brulee is easily among the best on offer, and the Belgian Chocolate Tower exceeds all expectations.

VIP restaurant is Exclusive. It is Intimate. But it is also extremely expensive. Use sparingly, and try not to get addicted.

This Lebanese born establishment sits spatially and gustatorily above another Lebanese export, Crepaway, for whom I have little love and less than no desire to ever try again.

But lets stick with what’s good, and C+G certainly has that in spades. The menu is (thankfully) easy to read and offers more than a few intriguing and highly satisfying dishes to choose from.
Although the tag line is “Taste of tradition”, I find very little tradition in their food, and that’s not a bad thing at all.
There are fluffy fruit pancakes with maple syrup, caramelized onion frittatas and a BLT sandwich for breakfasts (until 12pm noon), complimented fantastically by an selection of fresh juices or a cup of the best French press coffee in Cairo. Yes I know. To Starbuck’s zombies, this is blasphemy, but King Buck’s got nothing on the C+G.

The rest of the menu features a wide selection of appetizers, salads, soups and sandwiches, main courses (Pastas and meat/seafood) and a page dedicated to the weekly specials (1 new dish from each section). The specials are definitely worth a try, if, like me, you want to be excited and experience an adventure. To borrow Marco Pierre White’s words, let C+G “take you by the hand and guide you through” a wonderful meal.

The desserts, however do not shine as brightly as their savory brethren. The chocolate cake is barely passable, and the cheesecake leaves much to be desired. Not that they’re bad, but they’re just not *as* good as the rest of the fare on offer. Except one thing: The chocolate Fondant. This is a revelation in desserts, and I recommend ordering one for your partner, or else you’ll be fighting over the crumbs. The seemingly innocuous mound of dark chocolate cake holds inside it a river of molten chocolate itching to attack the pure white dome of vanilla ice cream sitting centimeters away. I caught myself ready to lick the plate many a time, only to be stopped by breeding, manners and a disapproving look from my fiance.

All ingredients are fresh, and it shows: starting with the complimentary bread basket, through to the crisp, crunchy and oh-so-succulent salads. Even the sauteed vegetables supporting the various grilled meats and pastas, often overlooked or added as an afterthought at other eateries, are brightly colored and cooked to perfection. The cuts of Fish, chicken or beef are expertly trimmed and shaped, and cooked to order. Only once dd they get my fillet of beef wrong, but they were forgiven – even at well done, it was still tender and flavorful.
More importantly, eating a 3 course meal doesn’t mean you’ve broken the bank nor your waist line. The quantity of food seems to be carefully calculated: not too little so it doesn’t seem like they’re cheating you on the bill, but just enough so they don’t have to cart you out in a wheel barrow. The credo of this establishment is “Some people eat to live, some people eat to live longer”. God bless them, they *want* me to live!

I feel like Messrs Casper and Gambini really *do* care about me, and it shows even in the attentiveness of their staff. I’ve found the service to be quite exceptional, and after eating there regularly for the better part of the past year, I can confidently declare that they have never been tardy. The food is timed perfectly depending on the number of courses ordered and are at hand when you need them, and invisible when you don’t.
There is, however, a black hole at the City Stars location: underneath the obligatory flat screen TV, there are two comfortable brown leather couches facing each other. If you enjoy being left alone, then sit there. Keep in mind, you could be there till the end of time before a waiter voluntarily notices you.

In truth, all one really needs to enjoy this place to the fullest is good company and a good appetite. Break bread with some close friends and family, or reconnect with old ones. In that, I suppose, is where the taste of tradition is.

RECOMMENDED:

• Salad: Cobb Salad
• Soup: Wild Mushroom Soup
• Sandwiches: Turkey Frontega Press, Grilled Halloumi, Club Sandwich (bread NOT toasted), Philly Cheese steak (focacia bread, untoasted)
• Pasta: Pesto Fusilli, Creamy Tandoori Linguini
• From the Grill/Oven: To Die for Salmon, Grilled Tenderloin, Chicken under a brick
• Appetizers: selection of 3 tapas: Jumbo Prawns, Spring Rolls, Fried Mozzarella
• Desserts: Chocolate Fondant
• Breakfast: Pancakes, Fritatta