Restaurant review:What's yours is mine...
...And what's mine is mine, discovers Injy El-Kashef
One quick look at me and you would immediately understand I am no follower of fashion -- and that means that I am always well-dressed regardless of what colours or materials are dominating the window shops, thank you very much. This individualistic approach also applies to other domains of life, like the places I choose to grace with my presence. It's been quite some time now that I have known of the existence of Alain Le Nôtre and its instant success, particularly among mothers who send their children off to nursery school and then meet up for a little gossip session over coffee and cake. But I only decided to go there when I heard of the Marron gâteaux, looked up at the grey sky and realised it was time for a well-earned treat, being the good person that I am.
Alain is the offspring of the French chain of patisserie and delicatessen, Le Nôtre, which has recently opened in Cairo. A visitor who walks in carrying the chain's striped dark-brown and white box instantly makes a statement to his host: I got the best, most expensive and therefore most 'fashionable' pastry in town. A treat from Alain Le Nôtre has become a social statement spelling out "I'm elegant and rich."
But never mind all of that for me. I was interested in some serious coffee, a sandwich and a piece of gâteau that would blow me off my feet. Ignoring the bright-red neon sign of Johnny Carino's neighbouring the Heliopolis branch of Le Nôtre, I walked in with one of my best friends expecting a morning like I have not had in months. I chose the club sandwich with turkey, a vanilla éclair and a cup of non-alcoholic Irish coffee, while she settled for a cappuccino and a Marron gâteau.
Sitting for 10 minutes in the open air threatened to freeze our minds as well as our blood, and so up we climbed to the second floor where a very pleasant, albeit small, sitting area proved extremely welcoming with its huge, comfortable, cream-coloured fauteuils and its simple décor. Now, let me say this and get it out of the way: the coffee was nothing special at all. There are many places now in Cairo where one can enjoy a far richer and fancier cup of coffee than what we sampled that morning.
Totally compensating for this shortcoming, however, was the food. My sandwich was excellent with lots of cheese, turkey, crispy lettuce, sweet tomatoes all in very soft toast, accompanied by perfect French fries. As for the gâteaux, my éclair was so fresh, so delicious, so full of that wonderful custard filling, so covered in vanilla icing that my heart broke with the last bite. The Marron gâteau for LE9 fared no less. Although my friend would not allow me a taste for the sake of this review, she described it in the most hyperbolic terms, mentioning at least a dozen times that it was absolutely oozing with caramelised chestnut paste, but adamantly refusing me even the smallest nibble.
Although we felt ripped off with our LE60 bill, we knew this was only the first of many more visits to come.
Alain Le Nôtre, 93 Al-Merghani St, Heliopolis.
Nile City Boat, Saray Al-Gezira St, Zamalek. Tel 737 8300
