 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 February 1999 Issue No. 417 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
 |
 |
|
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 February 1999 Issue No. 417
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
|
|
|
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Special Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters The Spanish Alps?
By Andrew SteeleThere is something that has always bemused me about the perennially popular Tia Maria in Mohandessin. Why name a decidedly Italian venue after a dubious Spanish coffee-flavoured liqueur? Perhaps the final vowels sound suitably Latinate to the ear. Perhaps the founder was a rampant digestif affiliate who happened to think that his or her empties would make for natty talking points of interior design; who can say? It is lost in the mists of time and memory. The setting is more authentic. One could almost be enjoying après-ski in an Italian Alpine lodge, what with the chequered linen and stained wood. A small but thoughtfully designed dining space, accommodating enough leg room for 30 hungry horses, and a small bar/service area to boot. Due to these space constraints, and also, to the restaurant's good name, booking in advance is recommended at busy times.
We were greeted and seated by the delightful maitre d', after which menus appeared before you could say sickly after dinner drink. A fine choice is proffered too. A good selection of pasta and antipasti dishes, complimented by meat, fish and chicken options, all topped off with a small but select array of deserts. We ordered apéritifs to go with the never ending supply of warm and wonderful garlic bread, and got down to the business of serious foodage.
Maggie decided to make seafood her recurring theme for the evening, beginning with a seafood salad and continuing to Risotto Frutti Di Mare. Mohamed regards himself as something of an authority on Minestrone, so opted for soup to start and a Scallopino Neopolitana to follow. Terry decided to be cheesy, and chose a Mozzarella Al Limone, followed by Lasagne. I chose that well-known Italian staple of mushrooms on toast, followed by a Spaghetti Primavera.
Starters were quick off the starting block, and we were soon brandishing cutlery and discussing the wares. The soup was declared average to middling, but certainly freshly made, Mohamed proclaiming that a dash of Parmesan perked it up no end. The seafood salad was bursting with said molluscs and crustaceans, heaped into a heap with shredded vegetables and light lemon dressing aplenty. A good and hearty bet, all in all. My mushrooms were smothered in garlic and parsley and were exquisitely savoury, sitting, however, rather unfortunately, on a thin and uninteresting piece of lack-lustre toast. The cheese was pan-fried Mozzarella in a light and creamy lemon sauce. Eat this on with the garlic bread to add body and consistency.
To the main courses then -- a rather mixed bag. Let's begin with the goodies. My Spaghetti Primavera came in a rich, creamy, artery-clogging sauce, just as it should, with ample chunks of pinker-than-thou bacon, and a generous portion of just-popped peas. All well so far. Maggie's Risotto was trying desperately hard to be paella, and had been turned out of a mould. It was, like her starter, packed with lashings of fishy bits, and surrounded with very dubious and ice-cold marinated clams. Fair enough, if a little odd. Mohamed's Scallopino was nicely presented, but bland to say the least, being nothing more than your ubiquitous escalope panée, tarted up with a whiff of mozzarella. The lasagne (which was twice sent back for reheating) was just plain nasty. Coffees to follow.
A hit and miss affair, all in all, with some menu items falling into the realm of the gastonomic delight, and others into the realm of 'I'm not eating that!' Go along, experiment, take your friends. The service is impeccable, and the Alpine ambience quite a delight. Dinner for four with four Meisters and a bottle of Omar Khayam came to a perfectly reasonable LE 275.
Tia Maria, 32 Gedda Street, Mohandessin
Tel: 3353273
