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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 June 2000 Issue No. 486 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 June 2000 Issue No. 486
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters In the sheikh's lair
By Injy El-KashefArabic is not even spoken in Coral Bay -- Sheikh Coast, that is. Located on a cliff overlooking the Red Sea in the vicinity of Ne'ma Bay, Sharm Al-Sheikh, the hotel is one of the largest, nicest and most expensive in the whole of Egypt. But that is not the subject of this review; the resort's Fish Market is.
The fact that the menu is in Italian does not mean, in this instance, that it is an Italian restaurant. Everything and everyone at Coral Bay is Italian; hence the language and plates on the menu. With sections devoted to pizza and pasta, the restaurant merely tries to address the large majority of its clientele. The Fish Market is clearly just a colourful name chosen by the management to add flavour to a seaside affair, for fish is far from prevalent. While we awaited our order, we were kept happily entertained by the multitude of tiny birds and sparrows picking little bread crumbs off the floor, chirping contentedly and occasionally perching on the back of a nearly chair. The wicker overheads and bamboo seats, luckily left to their natural look, are not only comfortable and protective of the scorching sun, but helped emphasise the holiday atmosphere so eagerly sought by a Cairene in June. The waiters are all extremely pleasant, and why shouldn't they be? Away from the stress and madness of the city, in contact with holiday makers, themselves in search of a good time, and perhaps even indulgent about any negligence that in other circumstances, would have warranted a trip to the manager's office.
The pasta arrived first. My friend had children in need of a wholesome dish and therefore had opted for the Penne with Zucchini and Shrimps. It was unfortunately a little overcooked, but the zucchini had been turned into a creamy green paste enveloping both pasta and shrimps. The latter tasted fabulously fresh and was seasoned to a subtle and elegant degree. My Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Shrimp (why not?) was, in my opinion, even better than the penne. Real tomatoes for once (hallelujah) and fresh basil, with thick slices of garlic and rich butter bathed the spaghetti, which in my case were cooked al dente. The shrimps tasted the same as in the penne version, quite honestly, and a good thing too if you ask me.
Next came the Beef Fillet Grilled with Rosemary Sauce and the Fried Calamari Platter. The fillet was thick and convincing, although my request for a well-done grill was overlooked and the meat arrived rare. Back to the kitchen it went and came back in no time cooked to perfection. A few drops of olive oil topped the filet and the vegetables, stir fried with fresh rosemary. Really good and light; I could even jump back into the pool immediately after lunch without suffering from indigestion.
The calamari were fried to the kind of golden brown that one can never reproduce from cookery books, and the little white chunks on the inside were soft and tender, rather than the soles of tennis shoes one sometimes finds elsewhere. As for the accompanying potato croquettes, suffice it to say that I would like to have a bag full of the delightful little things in my freezer. A really good meal in a mind-blowing environment for LE180.
The Fish Market, Coral Bay, Sharm Al-Sheikh, Sinai.
Tel: 062 601610
