14 - 20 December 2000
Issue No.512
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 14 - 20 December 2000 Issue No.512 |
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Ramadan riddles
One of the most enjoyable aspects of Ramadan, as far as this reviewer is concerned, is the fact that one can pick any restaurant in town and be more or less sure that most potential customers are nicely packed under some shisha-infested, TV-ridden tent, where they can't bother anyone.
I'm not one for tents, quite honestly, especially under the above-mentioned circumstances. Although it was getting later than we had planned, when we got to Red Onion there was not a soul inside except for the poor waiters, who were clearly bored of not having anyone to wait on. Red Onion has quite a reputation and, combined with the Ramadan situation, being the only customers there was in no way alarming or indicative.
The menu is an interesting one, providing separate Chinese and Vegetarian sections (the latter so good that we were both quite seduced) as well as an already extensive carnivorous one. My husband had Onion Soup, which was very good, but lacked the traditional topping of melted-cheese-on-toast. My Creme of Mushroom Soup only started becoming tasty (and testifying to the presence of edible fungi) towards the end of the bowl, while the beginning was on the bland side. Next came a succulent Calamari Salad. The waiter had explained that because of Ramadan most of the seafood section was unavailable; from experience, however, we can safely say that whatever was there (at least we know of the calamari) was terribly fresh. Basically, don't worry about trivial details, just go ahead and get the calamari salad. It is extremely tangy, with lots of lemon, cumin, onions, tomatoes and green peppers... and white, tender slices of calamari, tentacles and all, gulped down with a fizzy Birell.
Main dishes: well, it was difficult to choose, for they all seemed worthy of our royal palates. We settled for the Beef Stroganoff and the Red Onion Beef Rolls. I know it isn't like us to order from the same animal category, taking our readers' benefit as we do, but this time the readers will just have to indulge us: it was a cold night and no food matches the cold like a delicious beefy morsel. The Stroganoff was among the best I've ever tasted. The thing about this dish is that it isn't worth much on the aesthetic side -- it actually looks like most of my TV meals -- but has an incredibly rich taste, encapsulated in those thin, dark beef strips. The Beef Rolls were equally delicious (although my heart leans to the Stroganoff side) and terribly plentiful. Three big beef rolls stuffed with mozzarella cheese, all topped with mushrooms and gravy, accompanied by a jacket potato with very fresh cream -- and it tasted as good as it sounds.
It was time for dessert. Unfortunately, again, because of Ramadan, only ice cream and fruit salad were available; no trace of the cheesecake or pancakes promised by the menu. One of each, we had, but I asked the waiter to use his imagination and make them a little more exciting somehow. He is a very sweet and obliging man: he topped them with strawberry sauce and peanuts and we are eternally grateful; it's the thought that counts, sometimes.
The big surprise of the LE160 dinner was that my husband and I both thought the other had the money for the tab. "I thought you brought it." "No, I thought you did!" The revelation that neither of us had cash was only made towards the end of the meal (right before dessert). Thank God for mobiles -- and good friends.
Red Onion, 27/A road 276, New Maadi.
Tel: 520 0240
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