Restaurant review:
La Bohème
Nyier Abdou conjures a dash of gay Paris
Sinful delights in rainbow-coloured bites beckon from the brightly lit ground-floor patisserie of Alain Le Nôtre's newest scion in Mohandessin. Up the narrow staircase, the small, homey dining area is awash with warm colours and simple, elegant décor. The punctilious staff harbours an air of surprise -- overly courteous at first, increasingly scarce as the meal wears on.
Opened a few months ago, Alain Le Nôtre is subdued yet bustling with a well-heeled clientele on a Sunday evening. This subtly infectious atmosphere will strike a cord with those who hunger for a taste of European café culture. In another time, a place like this might have evolved into something more Bohemian -- the kind of smoky meeting-house that one finds in French art-house flicks where every character seems cagey and deliciously morose.
But a budding hotbed of youthful revolution Alain Le Nôtre is not. Smartly dressed 20- somethings gossip conspiratorially, while nearby, parents wipe chocolate syrup from the chins of giddy children. Outside, the flash and buzz of Gamaat Al-Dawal Al-Arabiya rushes by, seen, but not heard. The setting exudes a kind of indefinable sterility -- a correctness that is at once pleasing and unnerving. The cleverly folded menus placed just so, the prim but slightly flighty wait staff hovering in the wings, the glossy pictures of sweets that dominate the menu -- it can feel contrived, albeit agreeably so.
I came bearing hungry travellers recently collected from the airport. They were minus one bag -- at that time floating somewhere between New York, Kathmandu and Tokyo in that shady parallel universe of lost baggage -- and in need of encouraging sustenance. So not just for the gorgeous desserts did we settle in for a long stretch of catching up and chowing down -- although one would be a bloody fool not to leave room.
We ordered a Salad Niçoise and a mushroom quiche to start, but the separation of courses apparently proved too taxing for our waiter and all the food came at once, forcing feats of plate positioning that covered every inch of the table. The quiche was delectably filling without being heavy, the pastry flaky and tasty. Salad lovers will appreciate the generous helping of salad greens tossed, a bit heavily, in a flavourful, herby dressing, that accompany the sandwiches, but our Salad Niçoise, I'm afraid, was not Salad Niçoise. It was the same side salad with a similar dressing and what appeared to be a can on dark tuna upended on top -- c'est finis.
As croissant sandwiches go, however, Alain Le Nôtre's signature jumbo croissant delivers, with melted Emmental cheese commingling with turkey or mushrooms, a splash of green, a slice of tomato, all in perfect harmony. Make no mistake, this is a meal, not a snack. The well-stacked club sandwich recommended by Al-Ahram Weekly's esteemed reviewer in the café's original Heliopolis branch, preserves its virtues.
We were forced to take pause before tackling the desserts, which can also be chosen from the take-away patisserie downstairs. A light, tangy mango mousse with a thin layer of fluffy cake was artfully encased, impressively presented and totally delicious. The apple crepe and dollop of vanilla ice cream was equally inspired in its presentation, and just as quickly gobbled down. A latte with cool, mint-flavoured whipped cream, and a café mocha (a bit heavy on the chocolate, but cheers to the chocolate whipped cream) topped off the evening.
One longs for a tinny recording of the blues, and maybe a glass of vin de table. It's not Paris, but in Cairo's exploding café scene, at LE65 a head, it's a sure thing.
Alain Le Nôtre, 29 Gamaat Al-Dawal Al- Arabiya Street, Mohandessin.
Open every day from 7am to 1am. Tel. 335- 8172/8192
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 28 August - 3 September 2003 (Issue No. 653)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/653/li3.htm