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Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 May 2000 Issue No. 480 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 May 2000 Issue No. 480
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Home, home on the ranch
By Injy El-KashefThere definitely aren't enough Tex-Mex food outlets in Cairo. For a people who totally disregard the nutritional hazards of overspiced, greasy food (and rightly so), and who thoroughly enjoy a good meal when it presents itself -- in other words, for a people who cultivate a rich gastronomic interest -- Mexican cuisine would answer many prayers. Unfortunately, however, few are the restaurants specialised in that part of the world, and fewer still are those that do a good job of it. Of course, sandwich labeled "fajita" is included on the menu of many take-away joints, but these are not worthy of any attention.
El Rancho has recently opened at the Sofitel Hotel which is a clever location, considering the concentration of American expatriates in this corner of town. El Rancho is actually very likely to please diners of almost any nationality. It is, in a nutshell, a good restaurant. It is rather small -- a big, loud crowd would probably feel out of place (unless it has no consideration for the world). It is also cosy and well decorated; needless to mention, there are a few foam cacti, bristling with nails and painted green, but surprisingly, they are neither tacky nor embarrassing (they are actually quite sweet).
The seats are either wood and semi-comfortable, or leather and extremely comfortable -- pick yours with care.
A very pleasant waiter handed us the menus and all was fine until the maitre d' made his appearance. First, he insisted on helping select our order; we would need his assistance, he stated, since the menu was in English. Good intentions, wrong approach. The menu was indeed baffling, not least because it is quite large and very promising. Dishes are tagged T or M depending on their provenance, and we selected a balanced combination which would cover both Texas and Mexico -- until the maitre d' interfered. Another fifteen minutes were lost thanks to the confusion he created. I was gradually losing both my patience and my smile. Even good intentions have limits.
Our appetisers took some time (Quesadillas with spicy chicken, goat and cheddar cheese, and Tacos with cheddar cheese, pico de galo, guacamole and lettuce), but were quite good, the tacos especially so. My dining partner's Beef and Chicken Fajita (onions, cupsicum, guacamole, pico de galo, cheddar cheese and the wheat tortillas) came sizzling hot. His choice was perfect. My Plato Mexico was no worse, if less fun: grilled marinated beef with cheddar cheese served with quesadillas and guacamole (the latter never arrived). The food was actually delicious, good Tex-Mex with extra oil and all.
From a large dessert section, we opted for a brownie and something called cookies (two huge cookies, excellent -- real -- vanilla ice cream, fresh whipped cream and caramel sauce). The description speaks for itself.
It was a perfect meal in a really pleasant atmosphere -- which the maitre d' made sure to spoil every 20 minutes or so, but he made up for his intrusions by offering us complimentary coffee to mark our first visit. It won't be the last. Dinner for two was in the range of LE170.
El Rancho, Sofitel Hotel, Nile Corniche, Maadi.
Tel: 5260601/2
