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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 9 -15 November 2000 Issue No.507 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 9 -15 November 2000 Issue No.507
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Books Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters End of story
By Injy El-KashefThe name of the restaurant is Storia. My little suspicion is that the owner(s) wanted to inform the world that their "Italian" restaurant was exceptional. How to achieve this? By translating the local term hekaya (a hyperbolic word with very positive connotations, literally meaning "story," used to stress good/unique quality).
Storia is rather big. It is a two-storey affair (the upstairs being reserved for special occasions) with the first floor divided between the Italian diner and an "Oriental" corner. I fail to see the point of this East meets West situation, especially as the menu is the same everywhere. The den where guests are seated à la turque is closed off by a panelled wall, although it is where shisha is served.
The Italian section is not bad at all. Although clearly borrowing its interior decor from many established Swiss-chalet-looking restaurants, Storia adds simplicity to the cosy dark-wood-and-living-room-lamps atmosphere by refraining from encumbering the walls with eclectic objets trouvés and the like treasures. The menu is pretty extensive, with as many enticing dishes as hilarious spelling mistakes.
Since prices are very reasonable and we were famished, we indulged ourselves with some creamy pasta for starters. My Tagliatelli were very good: the white sauce was thick and garlicky, the chopped parsley was extremely fresh and crunchy, and the pasta, for once, was al dente. What really impressed me was the use of salt and pepper: perfect amounts. My friend's Ravioli was more of a disappointment. His sauce was the same as mine, only more diluted for some obscure reason. The ravioli were way too big and lumpy, stuffed with onionless minced meat (that was an awful surprise) and with very little salt, generally speaking. Never mind, we thought, the best is yet to come.
Indeed, his Intercota di Manzo wiped any memory of those horrid ravioli clear. Obviously previously marinated in a tenderising and seasoning concoction, the meat was also very well cooked and seemed to have absorbed much gravy in the process. The accompanying French fries were also good but the sautéed vegetables (not boiled down to a tasteless and colourless version of their former selves) even better. The dough of my Quatro Formaggi pizza was really excellent: fresh, the right thickness, the right consistency, just perfect. I would even go as far as saying that it has been years since I've tasted similar dough. As for the topping, I was annoyed to see all four kinds of cheeses spread evenly atop the entire pizza, with hardly any room for flavour distinction. I could barely tell that there was blue cheese there, and possibly Emmenthal; otherwise I have no idea.
As for dessert, my pancakes with chocolate sauce were, in a nutshell, rather dull. End of subject. But my friend's Umm Ali was huge, boiling hot and very milky, with fresh filo, sugary crust and nuts. What more could one ask for?
We had a pretty good dinner for LE80, including a Coke and a Birell; but a hekaya it is not.
Storia, 57 Mustafa Al-Nahhas St, Madinet Nasr.
Tel 270 3309© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
