3 - 9 May 2001
Issue No.532
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 3 - 9 May 2001 Issue No.532 |
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Instantly familiar
Injy El-Kashef finds friends and salty fish
My friend and I had been wanting to engage in social discourse for a while, especially considering that we almost exclusively meet within the confines of our mutual professional orbit. And since our more elaborate plans had failed to come to fruition, finding ourselves actually walking from work to Café Riche was really quite refreshing. All this to say that I have been to Café Riche, finally, and I love it.
My friend had warned me about the owner: "He is rather moody, but he's adorable." Luckily, on that Sunday night, he was in good spirits and greeted us with a big smile. My friend, clearly an habituée, was très à l'aise with the waiters, asking them in conspiratorial whispers if they had any Stella. She ultimately had to contend with Meister because they did not have the "S" word that night. After only one quick look down the long interior, we found ourselves walking to the other end of the café in pursuit of a quick word with friends and acquaintances -- and there are always some at Riche.
Back in our seats, we were ready to order our mezzes (the budget had been tightened by a visit to Madbouli's nicely renovated bookshop): chicken livers, herring salad, artichoke salad and boussara soon found their way to our table and we indulged. My favourite (one that I ordered the very next day following a lecture and again a week later during a pause from shoe shopping) was the herring salad. Very refreshing, very balanced, quite salty, with potatoes and onions -- very, very nice. The chicken livers were no worse and were drowning in a very pleasant, garlicky sauce that was a good match to the freshly baked bread. The artichoke salad was also very good with olive oil, except I would prefer it with an extra sprinkle of salt. Last (and least in my book) is the boussara, but that is my fault: I just don't like boussara. I must say, however, I ate half the serving that night even though I was not hungry.
But Riche is not necessarily about food or drink, it's about atmosphere. A pleasant medley of Egyptians and foreigners, intellectuals and families, artists and unemployed middle-aged men, it is one of those places where one must invest serious conscious effort to feel out of place. As my friend puts it, "If you're on your own over there, you don't have to pretend to be reading a book; it's OK to just sit and stare -- even at the people."
Adjacent to the café is a full-fledged restaurant that always seems empty except for the gallery of portraits. I can't see myself eating anything but herring salad at Riche and sitting anywhere other than that lovely café where one feels so terribly good being oneself.
Two beers, two non-alcoholic beers and the mezzes came to LE53.
Café Riche, 17 Talaat Harb St, Downtown.
Tel: 392 9793
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