Restaurant review:

Bring it on

Gamal Nkrumah discovers that there is something about the fat in fast food that does the job

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The "See Pass", presumably Sea Bass, was surprisingly superb. It was fresh, succulent and juicy. The freshly- squeezed lemon added a tangy twist. "Seefood" fajita skillet sat on a bed of grilled vegetables. When my companion complained in a shrill voice that the seafood was not sufficient and that the fish was insufficient, the manager came round and offered to replenish the plate. He was obviously one of those men who wanted to please. And, he knows how to.

Back to the "See Pass". To be served with three sauces and bread -- only two sauces were presented. But as I said, it was delectable.

What caught my eye in the style of cooking of Bella Vista was that it was the exact opposite of my mother's recipes. My mother was an accomplished cook. She encouraged me to stick around her in the kitchen. She put up with me when I was more a hindrance than help. Her food was wholesome. And, I sorely miss it.

Not so with Bella Vista. It is your typical Cairo café that serves fast food dishes on the side. Not only is it not a low-fat and low-cholesterol eatery, but it also has a number of dishes that have enough butter to entice you, and help you gain a few pounds in the process.

Bella Vista is the sort of place where you stuff yourself with delicacies that are guaranteed to trigger heart attacks. But, even though cardiac arrests threaten, you can eat your favourite dishes -- those that make your mouth water and your cholesterol level soar -- without the fear of putting yourself at risk if you can enjoy it and adhere to the adage "mind over matter". The bottom line is that the food at Bella Vista is tasty, not particularly heart-healthy, but forget about putting yourself at risk.

Today cholesterol is a household word. And, cholesterol-reducing drugs abound. A severely-restricted diet is suffocatingly confining. The trick is that when you do want to eat something naughty, it must by all means be nice.

The menu of Bella Vista is varied and variegated. If you are a native English-language speaker you must struggle with figuring out the precise meaning of the dish in question. The pleasant surprise is that most main courses on the Bella Vista menu are actually scrumptious.

The appetisers are equally inviting. I advocate brushetta al pomodoro -- fried mozzarella and chicken crocket are for the sturdier folk. We skipped the sandwiches altogether. I never found out what the Bella Vista really tasted like: the menu indicated that it included some kind of "meet", ostensibly meat, mushroom, coloured peppers (bell peppers I suppose) and onion.

The "Nerwegi sandwitche", Norwegian sandwich, which surprise, surprise contains no salmon, was, I was told, not bad. I just couldn't bring myself to try anything Norwegian during an Egyptian June. As it is, the heat is on. The pastas are more assuring as far as Cairo is concerned. Arabiata, Napolitana, Bolognese -- these sound like more familiar fare. The Quatro Fromaggi and the Frutti de Mare (prawns, squid, and other seafood drenched in the creamiest of sauces) are on offer.

Then there are suspect dishes, albeit delicious I am assured. Take the steaks for instance. "Stake mashroom", supposedly grilled mushroom steak, was rather tasty. With 26 tables, kitsch décor, and rich food, I reckon Bella Vista is not all that bad.

By the time we were done with our main courses, there was no room for a pizza, even though I was rather curious to try the Italian hawawshi. However, I was not about to try. And, I didn't. Hawawshi is a popular Egyptian dish that basically consists of fried fatty mince meat cooked with onions and a variety of mouth-watering spices. Then the whole is wrapped in traditional brown Egyptian bread and once again deep fried in oil or ghee, clarified butter. Needless to say, it is an exceptionally greasy dish that especially appeals to people who have some sort of secret death wish.

Bella Vista

20 Degla Street, off Shehab Street

Mohandessin, Giza

Dinner for two: LE150

Tel: 3372 8476