Issue No.589
Living
Previous issue
Site map
|
|
6 - 12 June 2002 Issue No.589 Living |
Current issue Previous issue Site map | |
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Recommend this page | ||
Divine intervention
Injy El-Kashef enjoys another's torture
Last week I was meeting a friend coming from Paris who was staying at Le Royal Meridien and, it being lunchtime, the question of choosing a restaurant imposed itself. When I heard him suggest that we grab a grilled pigeon at Felfela's -- again -- my instinctive reaction was running to the reception and asking what restaurants were available. Do not misunderstand me: I adore Felfela, but variety is the spice of life and when I have already had about five delicious grilled pigeons in one week, I feel I have not only been loyal to the place, but actually bordered on the obsessive. And so I put my foot down and insisted that we try something different like all self-respecting, knowledge-thirsty, intelligent, mature people.
That is how I found myself at La Dorada, the hotel's seafood corner. When we arrived all the company we had was that of the fish swimming lazily about in the many large aquariums enclosed in the cavern-shaped walls. There are only a few tables at La Dorada, all inside the "cavern", except for one outside, overlooking the entrance to the other restaurants of what I believe is the food court. The cavern is very pleasant: shaded, cool, small and cozy, with a low ceiling atop which runs a little stream cascading in front of the tables as one could see from the little window in the cavern wall. We chose the table right opposite the little cascade and soon enough stopped talking to hear the sound of the water -- much more relaxing than anything we had to say to each other.
When the waiter arrived, we unfortunately had to break the silence as communicating our order via telepathy proved an utter failure, judging by the man's raised eye-brows in obvious expectation of verbal human expression. My friend and I shared a La Dorada Salad: a lettuce-based deal with thinly-sliced mushrooms and roasted pine nuts -- delicious, nutritious and oh so balanced. Next came my friend's Grilled Cigale Lobster Medallions.
Now the obvious disappointment on his face when he saw his four pieces of lobster sitting desolately on a large plate was joy to my eyes. This is what happens when someone allows themselves to criticise a brilliant, intelligent and kind soul as myself: they are punished from high above. The lobster medallions were, nevertheless, succulent and tender, sweet and fresh.
As to my main course, it was a rather heavy Pan-Fried Sole covered in a tomato-based sauce. Although I am not a fan of tomato- based sauces and certainly not on my sole fish, I have to admit that I hovered that dish in the blink of an eye (almost in as much time as it took him to eat his tiny portion). Sole fish does that to me: it robs me of any table manners, especially when the thin batter covering the fish is crispy and the meat is soft and the accompanying saffron basmati rice is so well- cooked. While my friend was enthusiastically describing the wonders of Cairo I kept myself busy with my Fruit Tart with Red Berry Sauce. The fruits are not the Meridien's creation, but the sauce was and for that I sincerely praise the pastry chef (though maybe the tart itself could have been a little softer).
A perfectly satisfactory, though not mind- blowing, lunch for an incredible LE293, including two lemon juices, a mango juice, a bottle of water and an American coffee.
La Dorada, Le Royal Meridien, Nile Corniche, Garden City
Tel 362 1717
|
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| 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 |
