Restaurant review
Fishy business
Gamal Nkrumah angles for a meat-free finish to Ramadan
Traditionally, fish is eaten on the first day of Eid Al-Fitr, the feast marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. After 30 days of feasting on meat, those fasting customarily gorge themselves on fish come Ramadan's close.
Excellent as they are, I do not fancy the traditional Egyptian ways of preparing seafood. I searched for exotic alternatives, and reckoned that with all the rich Ramadan victuals behind me, I deserved nothing less than what many consider the world's healthiest culinary tradition -- the Japanese.
In the plush Royal Nile Tower of Le Meridien in Garden City, a Japanese eatery is tucked away in a tiny niche, perched halfway between the ground level and the floor below facing the River Nile. Le Meridien is an opulent and ornate five-star hotel with plenty of chrome and glass and giant potted plants. And this Japanese restaurant, Okashi, is a perfect place from which to watch the waves of the Nile and take in all the sumptuousness of the place.
Okashi is as modest and unpretentious as the Japanese. The décor, from the beautifully lacquered glossy black boxes to the Japanese fans and umbrellas hanging on the walls, brings a dash of Japan to Cairo. The premises are a little cramped, a miniature version perhaps of the tatami rooms of Tokyo.
Dark wood furnishings and a neutral tan colour scheme complete the cosy picture. And at night soft lights provide a romantic glow. The setting is sublime, if you overlook the kitsch and concentrate on the breathtaking Nile view, where felluccas compete with the glitzy restaurant cruise ships as they ply the eternal river.
The service was attentive. The quality of the food was not quite as good as the spectacular view. But, I was told, many of the Okashi's Japanese customers believe it is the best Japanese restaurant in town.
To my chagrin, the menu did not teem with seafood. Only a limited range of nigiri sushi was available. The raw slivered fish of Japan is ordinarily eclectic. Suzuki, or sea bass, was not on offer. Tai, or sea bream, was absent, and so was hamachi, or yellow tail. We settled on aji, or horse mackerel, and katsuo, or bonito fish. The latter was excellent.
The temaki sushi, or chopped tuna and rice wrapped in seaweed, was something of a disappointment. My dining companion did not think much of it either. The dish was supposed to have avocados and spring onions, instead it featured thin slices of cucumber. Avocados are in season and spring onions are at their best now, so there was hardly any excuse for their conspicuous absence.
My osui mono, or clear Japanese soup with seafood, was good. Two plump prawns accompanied by fat fish morsels chased seaweed and swam with abandon in the soup bowl. The spring onions were also nowhere to be found in the miso soup of my companion. A sprinkling of seaweed and the grainy remains of what might have once been cubes of tofu floated inconspicuously. Still, he pronounced it palatable.
The wakame-su, seaweed and cucumber pickle drenched in a sweet Japanese dressing, was too salty. The gari, the delightful and delicately pink and thinly sliced pickled ginger, was simply divine. Fiery hot but irresistible was the paste of the light green Japanese root with a flavour reminiscent of horseradish.
Okashi is not cheap; the bill for our simple meal came to LE234. But ambiance always comes at a price.
Okashi, Royal Nile Tower, Le Meridien, Garden City.
