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Al-Ahram Weekly 24 - 30 August 2000 Issue No. 496 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 24 - 30 August 2000 Issue No. 496
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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 The fish at the end of the galaxy
By Injy El-KashefWe had heard from two trustworthy Maadi friends that Fish and Rice was one of the best places in the area catering for the aquatically inclined. Furthermore, it was listed in a respectable and selective dining guide. We therefore hailed a taxi, hopped in and expected to judge for ourselves in a matter of minutes. What actually took place was a boring and prolonged ride resembling in character something like a merry-go-round. We didn't enjoy it; nor did the taxi driver. Insisting that empirical evidence is more potent than a thousand theories, he thought it odd that we should trust something as hypothetical as an address. But we persevered. We had seen it with our own eyes in the past, and that should drive any sane person to the logical conclusion that it would be at the same spot in the present. It was not a butterfly we sought, but a restaurant.
He got stubborn; so did we. If you are the last restaurant in the galaxy, Fish and Rice, we will find you. It was now a matter of personal pride He couldn't deal with the situation any longer. We said we'd get off and find it on foot. True, we weren't equipped with helmets, torches, rubber boots and dynamite, but we still ventured into the wild restaurant jungle near the Satellite area to find that evasive, amphibious beast.
When in doubt, ask. When we asked, we were simply told that Fish and Rice had been replaced by a new joint called Dokkan Koshari. Well, we were there, so why not give it a try?
Dokkan Koshari seems like the perfect place to have a major fight. It was completely empty when we were there, very quiet and very clean. Were you to find yourself becoming hysterical during an argument, there would be no one to watch you. You could hear yourself screaming very clearly and, were you to go for a dramatic finale, you could always toss your plate off the table and see all that koshari spill on a spotless floor. There are, unsurprisingly, just a few options on the menu. Two, to be precise: Tabaq Koshari Sahh (the right koshari plate) for LE3, or Tabaq Koshari Sahh Awi (the perfect koshari plate), for LE5. We took the first and thought it was not bad at all. I wouldn't call it the koshari meal of my life, however. The fried onions were abundant, and that is crucial in a koshari situation, but the sauce was a trifle unexciting. The portion is fair, neither dainty nor colossal. The perfect koshari plate is better in quantity, not quality, so you shouldn't feel compelled to order it if you are planning any important interpersonal transactions in the near future.
There are also two dessert options: rice pudding or mahallabiya, for LE1.50. The mahallabiya was very good, with a very pleasant mastic flavour which helped send the koshari on its merry way.
If you're not keen on koshari in public, you can always order it home delivered, although you'll miss out on the funky seats with snake-shaped backs. We could have tried to find the taxi driver, apologise, and treat him to koshari; but one wild goose chase was enough for the day.
Dokkan Koshari, 2/8 Al-Nasr St., Satellite area, Maadi. Tel: 5199940/50
