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

Risotto is commonly seen a starchy replacement for potato puree; Risottos are “sexier” than just regular mashed potatos. To have a risotto as a main course is derided as not being satisfying enough, a claim that I find to be very misinformed. Of my all-time favorites were the mushroom risottos at Eatalian (now defunct) and La Gourmandise (no longer on the menu). Since these are no longer an option, I’ve been searching for a worthy replacement for my mushroom risotto fix.

One example of rice cooked in Alfredo sauce can be had at La Trattoria in Zamalek. What I expected, and what I received, were two very different things. I expected a homogeneous creamy risotto, each rice grain distinct in its texture but not chalky and chunks of hearty flavorsome mushrooms throughout. What I received was the exact opposite, swimming in a Grey pool of heavy cream. Highly un-recommended.

Where good risottos *don't* come from.

Another perpetrator of risotto crimes resides at the Semiramis Intercontinental hotel, at their Italian restaurant, Pane Vino. Their risotto was a dry, cloying heap of overcooked rice, mixed through with raw mushrooms and a heavy handed dose of fresh cilantro. I don’t often send food back, leaving the half eaten portions on the plate speak for themselves, but this time I could not let this aggression stand. The manager was called over, who called over the chef on duty and both listened intently as I schooled them as to how a risotto should be made. Imploringly, they asked me to give their next risotto another try, but the damage was done – I had faith only in their distinct lack of culinary artistry, and that faith is unshakable.

“Physician, feed thyself”

To embrace this motto, I decided it was up to me to make my own mushroom risotto. I knew what my ingredients would be, but felt I needed to study up on the finer techniques of risotto making. I listened to Raymond Blanc, Carlo Gracco and Heston Blumenthal all explain their own recipes and techniques, and in the end, produced a plate of risotto I can be proud of.

Even though I love porcini mushrooms they tend to bully the other mushrooms and flavors and I’ve decided to leave them out of this risotto. But I do love shiitake mushrooms, which play very nicely with button and forest mushrooms; the trick is to know that the woody stalks must be removed or else you’ll be biting into hard bark in the middle of an unctuous and creamy risotto.

At the restaurant, I decided to make an Egyptian risotto, using Egyptian short grain rice and Egyptian mushrooms only and paired this wonderful risotto with a pan-seared fillet of Egyptian beef, seasoned with salt and nutmeg, and flamed in the pan. This little trick gives the beef a roasted aroma similar to a traditional kebabgy’s. When I taught my chefs at the Cairo Jazz Club this technique, they instantly fell in love with it.

You’re welcome.

Shiitake and Forest Mushroom Risotto

Yield 2 portions

Ingredients

• 75g Arborio rice
• 300 ml chicken stock
• 5 Shiitake mushrooms (dried)
• 10g forest mushrooms (dried)
• 10 button mushrooms, stalks trimmed and cut into quarters
• 20g Worcestershire sauce
• 25g spring onions, finely sliced
• 10g scallions (the green part of the spring onions, sliced finely)
• 35g butter
• 35g Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Bring chicken stock to the boil, and remove from heat
2. Add dried mushrooms to the stock and let them reconstitute for 15-20 minutes
3. In a heavy bottomed sauce-pot over medium-high heat, sautee the mushrooms with salt and pepper and olive oil until dark brown.
4. Add minced garlic, then immediately add rice; stirring constantly for 5 minutes
5. turn up heat to high, and deglaze with Worcestershire sauce, and stir till most liquid has evaporated.
6. add enough stock to barely cover the rice and mushrooms, and turn down the heat to low. Let this simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Turn the heat back up to high, and begin stirring the risotto constantly, adding a little stock at a time. this should not take more than 5 minutes till the rice is properly cooked and the creamy texture of the risotto is achieved.
8. finish by stirring in the Parmesan and butter. season to taste and for an extra flourish, add a few drops of truffle oil right before you serve it.

Cooking time: 45 minutes (including prep)

I haven’t got a lot of time to regale you with tales of food history or tell you how to make a cinnamon syllabub; I’m in a wham-bam-thank you ma’am kinda mood. When I’m hungry and I need speed, I get some me fast feed. Of course I have favorites; some home deliveries are faster than others, and that typically influences my decision. But it’s not just the speed of the food delivery – cook door could deliver in 5 minutes and I still wouldn’t touch them with a ten foot pole – it’s the items on offer.

Burgers? Burger King, Hardee’s, Burger Kitchen then McDonald’s.

Pizza? Sbarro’s, Papa John’s, Domino’s, Pizza Hut then Little Ceaser’s.

Chicken? KFC, Texas Fried Chicken then Al Tazaj. Not too many chicken fast food options out there; that would explain why KFC has been allowed to thrive.

Chinese? No one. It’s a big market gap that needs to be exploited by someone with more time and money than myself.

As a wee lad growing up in the deserts of Saudi Arabia, I often found myself wishing for the day when I could mix and match, pick and choose my favorite items  and eat them all on the same plate. Sort of like an All-Star Fast Food Team. Thankfully, my Fast Food Fast has been over for almost 6 months. Without further adieu, Here’s my lineup:

Main Items:

1. BK Whopper
2. Hardee’s Mushroom and Swiss
3. KFC Toasted Twister Wrap with Cheese (Original)
4. Sbarro’s New York Thin Sliced Margherita Pizza

Side Items:

1. Texas Chicken’s Biscuits
2. A&W Root Beer
3. McDonald’s Fries
4. Hardee’s Big Cookie

I’m pretty sure there are some items that you wouldn’t agree with; but then again, there are probably items there that you have not tried yet: go try them, then come talk to me. If you’ve got your own suggestions, make yourself heard!

Nuked, 3 minutes on Medium

Summer is here. School is out. Good times will be had by all. So instead of doing the same old routine, why not change it up a little while you’re still in Cairo? Wake up early and go have breakfast with the usual suspects you hang out with.

More and more restaurants are offering breakfast options on their menus, especially American/European styled fare. Unfortunately for me, writing up these kinds of reviews exposes the inverse relationship between my wallet’s fatness and my own; but it is work I must do. Here’s a quick rundown of my favorite places to get my morning fix. Notably absent are coffee house chains, like Cilantro, Beano’s, Starbucks, Second Cup Etc.  We’re talking restaurants, baby; not some prepackaged, vacuum packed, sterile airport lounge.

And please leave the laptops at home – there should be no such thing as a “working breakfast”. I don’t care if you’re crunching numbers over coffee, Googling over a bowl of grapefruit or browsing Facebook; with a forkful of scrambled eggs; you need to relax. No one likes a party pooper, and computing over crumpet means you’re wound way too tight.

Casper and Gambini’s, City Stars and Nile Towers

Fluffy Pancakes with fresh fruit and maple syrup; a Caramelized onion frittata so light you could use it as a floatation device; superb, freshly brewed cups of coffee. ‘Nuff said.

It’s no secret to the five people who’ve have read my food blog that I am a huge fan of C&G. Whatever it is they do, they do it very well. I prefer the City Stars location, since in the mornings you’re bathed in the soft glow of sunlight, and the mall is quiet until around noon. Breakfast is apparantly offered all day long, but in reality, you can only order it from 9am to 12pm.

If you’re planning on spending the day at the mall you won’t find a better way to start.

Felfela, Downtown

I’m talking the “Tourist Restaurant”; not the sandwich shop. I’ve been coming to Felfela ever since I was 6 years old, and it’s one of those places that feels like home everytime I walk in. This establishment is not everyone’s list of places with great food – but it should be.

The foul medammis in all it’s different incarnations are supremely satisfying, especially when coupled Ta’ameyya, an egg and bastirma omelet, French fries, pickled tomatoes and the traditional pickled carrots and beets (read: Torshy). The bread is fresh and baked on the premises. Tahina and Baba Ghanough should also make an appearance on your table to complete the experience. Wash it down with water or a soft drink or, if you’re feeling crude and feckless, drink a brew for breakfast.

References to “The Clash” aside, I want you to remember to look up from your plate once in a while and get acquainted with one of Cairo’s oldest and most storied traditional restaurants. Oh, and a few grunts of approval to whomever you’re having brekkie with can’t hurt either.

McDonald’s, Anywhere

Last year, I had much cause for celebration and jubilation – McDonald’s began serving their calorie laden breakfasts at most locations. My dream of having those excellent pancakes at home, without making them from scratch, became a reality when the gentleman on the other end of the phone confirmed to me that “Yes, sir. We do deliver breakfasts.”

15 minutes later, I was staring a double order of pancakes in the face, and armed with my own maple syrup, I took that bad boy down. The coffee isn’t bad, either. Besides the pancakes, there are hash-browns, scrambled eggs and the heart attack inducing Egg and Cheese McMuffin, made on a real English muffin, which makes my heart skip a beat even as I write this.

If you want to get down and dirty, and have a greasy lipped smile at the end of your breakfast, then check out Mickey D’s. The delivery option can help you turn the breakfast into a picnic; drive to your preferred location, call them up on the cell phone and they will deliver to wherever you happen to be. Convenience to the Extreme.

Le Chantilly, Korba

A Long time dinner eater, but first time breakfast eater, I only recently discovered that Le Chantilly offers a breakfast menu. Eggs, Croissants, jam and tea; the best option is to have a European style continental breakfast. If you’re sitting inside, or even in their outdoor seating area, the restaurant makes you feel like you’re in a bubble, and although it can get quite crowded, you will never struggle to have a decent breakfast conversation with your friend, or enjoy a quiet read of your favorite morning paper or magazine.

Lucille’s, Maadi

Ask “breakfast in Cairo” to anyone and nine times out of ten, the reply will be “Definitely Lucille’s”. And rightfully so; this greasy spoon diner serves up some of the best pancakes in town, and one of the only places you can have a short stack, with hash-browns, biscuit and gravy, eggs and beef bacon all on the same plate. The thin American coffee complements the meal perfectly. Whenever I’m having breakfast there, I’m transported back to my favorite diner in New Haven, CT, USA: Cody’s Diner. The only difference is the notable absence of whiskers on your female waiter.

They can make your eggs any way you want, and they even offer French Toast. I have yet to try it, but if it’s anything like the pancakes, then I expect a huge portion and a satisfied set of taste buds.

Lucille’s is a bit pricy, and if you plan on having breakfast on a weekend, then make sure you get there early or call to save a table, or else you’ll be left standing on the sidewalk, hungry, rejected and contemplating a stale Beano’s croissant.

Fuddruckers, Dokki

One of the first places to make a decent stack of pancakes about a decade ago, Fuddruckers is still going strong. Ignore the oversized burgers, and head over to the Shooting Club location in the morning. On the weekends, it can get a bit hot if you sit near the window, but if you’re a sunlight junkie, then this should be right up your alley.

I can’t recommend anything else they have for breakfast, other than the huge fluffy pancakes and bottomless cups of brewed coffee. I wouldn’t want to; just make sure they give you enough syrup, and you have enough room in your stomach for the festival of pan fried dough you are about to eat.

Marriot Hotel, Zamalek

There are a number of options, but I’ll focus on two of them. The fare on offer at each is different, but they share one thing in common: Eating here will put a dent in your wallet for sure.

The first is the pool side café. For outdoor atmosphere, the poolside café gets top marks; having 2 eggs and a steak for breakfast in the sun-tinged greenery of the hotel’s poolside courtyard is the embodiment of living the high life. But the food is a bit mediocre, with most hotels; it’s about style rather than substance.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of the Marriot Zamalek, Roy’s is one of the very few high-end restaurants open 24 hours a day. The fare on offer is distinctly American, and they have breakfast rolls that are simply to die for.  The atmosphere does leave a lot to be desired; Roy’s is not only tucked away in a corner of the hotel, it’s also half buried in the ground, giving a distinct “Basement Chic” appeal, and a minimum of direct sunlight.

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.