Quality is the catch
Gamal Nkrumah breaks his fast with fish
Undoubtedly one of Cairo's best piscatorial establishments, Asmak Al-Nil is essentially a bare-bones, hole-in-the-wall restaurant with minimalist aesthetics.
We went twice for iftar -- the daily breaking of the Ramadan fast -- and on both occasions the popular, though frankly insalubrious, haunt was healthily busy. The first time we searched for a spare table in vain. "You have to book a table in the morning, Sir," a worn out waiter told me, his eyes eerily agleam.
Arriving a quarter-of-an-hour before iftar, our second visit was more successful. The place was chock-a-block with seafood connoisseurs, voraciously downing a somewhat unconventional iftar.
Fish is not traditionally associated with Ramadan, but rather with Eid Al-Fitr, the Muslim festival that marks the end of the month of fasting. Whatever the time of year always remember that Asmak Al-Nil is not a great meeting place: you'll never avoid sardine-tin overcrowding. The poorly ventilated haunt can get especially stuffy on steamy and jam-packed evenings.
Fish in Egypt during Pharaonic times was considered the food of commoners. High priests, royalty and aristocrats religiously adhered to a diet free of fish. Only the toiling masses ate the flesh of the humble river creatures found in such plentiful abundance -- the bountiful gift of the Nile. Today, the Eternal River is no longer teeming with fish, but something of the ancient reasoning remains.
At Asmak Al-Nil it all comes down to one thing: choose whatever fish is fresh that day and you are guaranteed an excellent meal. By no means a high-class restaurant, Asmak Al- Nil -- literally Nile Fish -- serves first rate seafood. The fish is prepared in the traditional Egyptian way. Asmak Al-Nil is not renowned for haute cuisine -- the cooks abandon any pretense of the fusion-style favoured today by more up-market seafood restaurants.
I always have fabulous fish every time I go. The seafood is invariably fresh and perfectly prepared. The best fish dishes do not come cheap but are well worth every penny. Simply the finest fish I've ever eaten in Egypt.
But the service is not always spot on, especially not in Ramadan.
Go in a large group so everyone can sample a bit of everything. The trick is to have contrasting fish dishes with finely differentiated flavours.
We had several dishes and everything was daisy fresh. The char-grilled prawns were succulent and juicy, and just the right chewy texture. The pan-fried squid equally delectable. The ishr bayad , or Nile Perch steaks, were mouth-wateringly delicious and the denise, or sea bream, divine. The batter on the fish was nice and light without being greasy and overwhelming; the crispy golden coating outside compliments perfectly the flaky snow-white flesh inside.
The quality simply cannot be overstated.
The intensely flavoured traditional salads and pickles and quite wonderful seafood rice accompanied.
The bill came to less than LE150 for the three of us, but the food was exceptionally good value for the money. Eat in or take out, Asmak Al- Nil is not to be missed.
25 Al-Bustan Street, Bab Al-Louq, Cairo
Tel: 7940042
