29 Nov. - 5 Dec. 2001
Issue No.562
|
Al-Ahram Weekly Online 29 Nov. - 5 Dec. 2001 Issue No.562 |
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Sensory overload
Injy El-Kashef seeks spiritual solace
I had been to the Doqqi restaurant complex called Plato 2001 months ago, and spent a delightful evening in the fish restaurant Psaria. I had promised myself to return for more and, although I had a wonderful time with my female friend that night, I was rather hoping that the following time would be with a male dining partner, just for a change.
So off I went with a very dear friend of mine, both dressed to the nines (a pair of knockouts, actually -- you should have seen us) and arrived at Plato's around 9pm for our first meal of the day.
As I remembered it, Plato offered the kind of quiet, elegant, unpretentious setting that encourages interesting conversations, flights of sweet memories and similar social pleasures. What we saw, however, was a totally different arrangement. Plato's had been afflicted with the Ramadan syndrome that turns many pleasant restaurants into enormous tents adorned with suspended TV screens, loud music and shisha smoke, attracting the young and rich clientele to these dens of lawful pleasures.
We took our seats in the upstairs tent (the one without the programme of singers bellowing into a mike). Downstairs would have been simply too much to bear, notwithstanding the array of untalented vocalists. I know, I know: I can be so negative sometimes, but Ramadan deals become more and more annoying every year, especially when one realises that almost everyone associates them with the true spirit of the holy month. Well, I personally find nothing holy in hearing old Amr Diab songs played at full blast over a shawerma sandwich.
Anyway, it was a freezing night and so some soup was definitely in order. My Cream of Chicken Soup was a little too gooey but tasted fine, while his Tomato Soup was actually quite good, and featured lovely croutons floating in the lemony red liquid. I looked to my left and saw many good-looking youths, seeming polished, affluent and totally superficial. I felt old but proud. Luckily the rest of our food began flowing in, distracting us from the sensory torture to which we were being subjected. The Baba Ghannoug (we're becoming experts on caviar d'aubergines) was the perfect consistency but maybe a little too hot and spicy and lacking a touch of salt. The Vine Leaves were quite good when dipped in the yogurt salad, though too dry if nibbled on their own.
My Fillet au Roquefort was absolutely delicious, and came accompanied by a veritable bouquet of sautéed vegetables. Oh, that rich, thick sauce -- I almost forgot all about the noise and casino-like atmosphere for the duration of my main course. My poor dining partner, on the other hand, left so much on his plate that it could have been passed off as an untouched main course on an unsuspecting customer. He had ordered the Fillet with Chicken Livers and Mushroom Sauce, but there was so much there -- so much chicken liver especially -- that the flavour was completely lost. Like an over- madeup face, the exaggerated emphasis on detail ruined any trace of taste. He didn't touch his fries, either, because the oil was old and so, more and more desperate to leave, we begged for the LE118 bill and were out of there in a flash. Never again in the holy month.
Plato 2001, 15 Osman Ibn Affan Square, Doqqi.
Tel: 012 341 1194
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
Recommend this page