Hanami Sushi - 14 Bites of pure joy!

I've been ranting and raving about Hanami Sushi to everyone who will listen ever since I tried them for the first time earlier this year. This tiny bastion of freshness is highly recommended to sushi lovers in Cairo, and for a much better price, too!

Lets begin with the location itself. sitting in a tiny building overlooking the nile in Giza, the physical space it occupies is quite small. Zamalek natives will identify it with Dido's, a tiny italian eatery specialising in various pastas, and an institution of good italian pasta. However, the decor of Hanami far surpasses that of Dido's, with wood panelling everywhere, acquariums with colorful fish and a small bar that provides a vantage point from which to witness the handiwork of the chefs. There is a nice ambience, and with space for only 23 people, it ensures that the service is fast, efficient and very attentive. At the same time, there is an air of privacy, so taking your significant other there for a nice dinner is not out of the question. This is in direct contrast to Dido's, where you have to strain to hear your partner over the din of the kitchen, loud music and general hubbub of the other patrons.

Hanami, like Dido's, does one thing well - Sushi. While there are other options on the menu, its clearly the sushi that is the star. In addition to mouthwatering Maguro, succulent Sake and excellent Ebi sushi, one can choose to order the Beef or Chicken Teriyaki - but I do not recommend it. Instead, stick to what they do well; and that also happens to include the tempura shrimp and vegetables.

I will not risk overhyping this restaurant; go try it yourself and tell me whether or not you agree!

Casper and Gambini's

No doubt most of Cairo has been to City Stars, and probably a lot of Cairo's youth has hung out, at one time or another, at Casper and Gambini's on the second floor of Phase I.



This Lebanese born establishment sits spatially and gustatorily above another Lebanese export, Crepaway, for whom I have little love and less than no desire to ever try again.

But lets stick with what's good, and C+G certainly has that in spades. The menu is (thankfully) easy to read and offers more than a few intriguing and highly satisfying dishes to choose from.
Although the tag line is "Taste of tradition", I find very little tradition in their food, and that's not a bad thing at all.
There are fluffy fruit pancakes with maple syrup, caramelized onion frittatas and a BLT sandwich for breakfasts (until 12pm noon), complimented fantastically by an selection of fresh juices or a cup of the best French press coffee in Cairo. Yes I know. To Starbuck's zombies, this is blasphemy, but King Buck's got nothing on the C+G.

The rest of the menu features a wide selection of appetizers, salads, soups and sandwiches, main courses (Pastas and meat/seafood) and a page dedicated to the weekly specials (1 new dish from each section). The specials are definitely worth a try, if, like me, you want to be excited and experience an adventure. To borrow Marco Pierre White's words, let C+G "take you by the hand and guide you through" a wonderful meal.

The desserts, however do not shine as brightly as their savory brethren. The chocolate cake is barely passable, and the cheesecake leaves much to be desired. Not that they're bad, but they're just not *as* good as the rest of the fare on offer. Except one thing: The chocolate Fondant. This is a revelation in desserts, and I recommend ordering one for your partner, or else you'll be fighting over the crumbs. The seemingly innocuous mound of dark chocolate cake holds inside it a river of molten chocolate itching to attack the pure white dome of vanilla ice cream sitting centimeters away. I caught myself ready to lick the plate many a time, only to be stopped by breeding, manners and a disapproving look from my fiance.

All ingredients are fresh, and it shows: starting with the complimentary bread basket, through to the crisp, crunchy and oh-so-succulent salads. Even the sauteed vegetables supporting the various grilled meats and pastas, often overlooked or added as an afterthought at other eateries, are brightly colored and cooked to perfection. The cuts of Fish, chicken or beef are expertly trimmed and shaped, and cooked to order. Only once dd they get my fillet of beef wrong, but they were forgiven - even at well done, it was still tender and flavorful.
More importantly, eating a 3 course meal doesn't mean you've broken the bank nor your waist line. The quantity of food seems to be carefully calculated: not too little so it doesn't seem like they're cheating you on the bill, but just enough so they don't have to cart you out in a wheel barrow. The credo of this establishment is "Some people eat to live, some people eat to live longer". God bless them, they *want* me to live!

I feel like Messrs Casper and Gambini really *do* care about me, and it shows even in the attentiveness of their staff. I've found the service to be quite exceptional, and after eating there regularly for the better part of the past year, I can confidently declare that they have never been tardy. The food is timed perfectly depending on the number of courses ordered and are at hand when you need them, and invisible when you don't.
There is, however, a black hole at the City Stars location: underneath the obligatory flat screen TV, there are two comfortable brown leather couches facing each other. If you enjoy being left alone, then sit there. Keep in mind, you could be there till the end of time before a waiter voluntarily notices you.

In truth, all one really needs to enjoy this place to the fullest is good company and a good appetite. Break bread with some close friends and family, or reconnect with old ones. In that, I suppose, is where the taste of tradition is.


RECOMMENDED:

• Salad: Cobb Salad
• Soup: Wild Mushroom Soup
• Sandwiches: Turkey Frontega Press, Grilled Halloumi, Club Sandwich (bread NOT toasted), Philly Cheese steak (focacia bread, untoasted)
• Pasta: Pesto Fusilli, Creamy Tandoori Linguini
• From the Grill/Oven: To Die for Salmon, Grilled Tenderloin, Chicken under a brick
• Appetizers: selection of 3 tapas: Jumbo Prawns, Spring Rolls, Fried Mozzarella
  
• Desserts: Chocolate Fondant
• Breakfast: Pancakes, Fritatta

Lucille's burgers are bust.

A couple of months ago, my older brother called me from New Haven to tell me that, according to Time magazine, the best hamburger in the world resides at Lucille's, a Maadi restaurant that is the closest thing we have here in Cairo to a greasy spoon diner.

Now as far as I am concerned, the best hamburger in the world is at Louis' Lunch in New Haven, CT, where it was invented. But I decided to give Lucille's burgers a try. Their pancakes, hash browns and eggs were fantastic, so there has to be some truth to the claim, right?

Wrong.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures, but believe you me, the "imported Australian cheddar" is the worst type of cheese you can buy here, not to mention the cheapest. When melted, it leaves behind a waxy yellow glob and sweats a thick slick of vegetable oil.
The beef patty itself was nothing spectacular, in fact, it was short of ordinary, and easily surpassed by the burgers at Amo Hosny, the current wunderkind of Egyptian Fast Food. My burger arrived blackened by the griddle on the outside, and medium rare in the middle, and yet, it was still terribly dry.
As for the bun, it was neither "sweet" nor "nicely toasted" - It had a slathering of mayonnaise and was used to wipe off the grease from the griddle, so I was helped to a double dose of the Fish Sauce that is painted on the burgers as they're cooked.

Lucille's may be a decent American greasy spoon, indeed the only one in Cairo, and their breakfasts are fantastic - but I cannot extend the same compliment to their burgers. I would use the words "disappointment", "colossal" and "failure".

For the best burgers in Cairo, I recommend Route 66 also in Maadi - unfortunately, they're renovating at the moment and should be reopened within the coming months.

Stay tuned.

Using Pastirma

What the hell is Pastirma anyway? And shouldn't I be saying Pastrami?

While both share a very similar origin, and actually taste very similar; they are two seperate types of salted red meat. Pastirma, available in all former Ottoman countries, is stronger tasting and darker in color than the western Pastrami. These former Ottoman countries are for the most part Muslim, and share with the Jewish faith the tenent of eating only Kosher/Halal food - with a special ban on eating Pork products. Muslims also do not drink alchohol, so for a gourmand like myself, cooking with wine is out of the question - more on that later.

Here in Egypt, Pastirma is used in a similar fashion to Bacon - as a breakfast meat, and is commonly seen mixed in with scrambled eggs. But it has almost no use in an egyptian kitchen otherwise.

I've been thinking - why dont we use Pastirma as a substitute for Pork Bacon? The fat content in Pastirma is actually high enough to provide its own cooking oil, and yet it still retains a distinctly beef flavor. It is certainly alot more flavorful than the Breakfast Beef strips available at your local Stop and Shop.

To that end, I've started using Pastirma in my own modified recipe for Chateubriand, as well as using locally made cheese and mint as a stuffing for chicken breasts wrapped in Pastirma. It has worked beautifully. But the fun doesn't stop there: do you want to elevate your mashed potatoes to a new level? Take a few strips of pastrami and put them on a tray in a 350F oven for about 7 minutes. when they come out, just break them into pieces and mix them in with sour cream, butter and chives. Viola! Heavenly creamy mashed potatoes.

Here are some tips for buying Pastirma here in cairo:

1- Make sure your Deli is clean - ideally, the pastirma should be a deep red color, not brown. If possible, ask the man to wipe down the cutting machine before preparing your order.
2- Tell him to cut it thinly. I mean THIN. Paper thin. there's alot of flavor in there, so having a thick slab of pastrami even 3mm thick will overpower anything you wrap it in. Also, cutting it thinly makes it easier to use as a wrap, since thick slices tend to break up along the lines of fat in the meat.
3- If possible, ask for Garlic free pastirma - or just buy the Al-Marai brand. This brand tastes perfect - mild, yet still distinctly pastirma, and without leaving that lingering smell on your fingers. Its texture is also perfect, very smooth. Plus, it actually cuts alot better than the other brands; so the Deli man won't have a problem cutting it thinly.
4- If you live in Nasr City/Heliopolis, just go to Spinney's. The Deli there is fantastic. Tell the man you want Al-Marai Pastirma sliced "like paper", and make sure he shows you a sample. It's not being mean - it's being assertive. While you're there, pick up their Beef Filets cut conveniently into round steaks. They will come in handy very soon!

Reinventing Koshari.

Koshari: Rice, Lentils, Macaroni, fried onions and tomato sauce. Doesn't sound too glamorous, does it?

How about:

Black Lentil Risotto with Caramelised onions on a bed of fresh pasta Al-dente finished with a tomato-garlic sauce. [Description is copyrighted, 2007 - Don't snatch.]

"What's the most important element of cooking?"
"Ingredients"
- Chef!

So the transformation begins with choosing a high quality grain rice and making fresh pasta.

I've got to have something to compare it with, right? As far as I know, the only purveyor of fine traditional egyptian (not lebanese) cuisine is Abu-El Sid. They've got Koshari, so I'm going to try theirs. If anyone can recommend another "fine egyptian food" restaurant, leave me a comment with their fone number and address.

"This is a Chronicling..."

I'm sick of deep fried crap. I want food that excites me - visually, gustatorily and emotionally. Eating is more than just fuel for your body - there's a whole sensory system we neglect. It's called Taste. To quote Gordon Ramsay, our palates "are like cow's backsides." So I've been learning to appreciate tastes, to think about what goes well with what; and when to hold back and realise that 3 or 4 flavors are enough on a dish.

My dilemma here in cairo is that alot of the restaurants here are pretentious and serve absolute shite food - but charge me an arm and a leg for it. I can cook better.

And I have.

So the task I've set myself is as follows: to design a simple menu. 3 starters, 3 mains, 3 puddings. I've also added a curveball: to use egyptian ingredients in new and novel ways. So far, this has led to recent experiments with istambulli cheese and "basturma". I'm glad to say they have been a success; with only minor tweaking needed to get the dishes upto a consistently excellent standard.

We've got some great fresh ingredients here; from the produce down to the spices. It took a bit of doing, but I managed to decipher alot of the arabic names [Guzt el teeb is nutmeg!].

So now the plan is to chronicle my own cooking experiences and ideas, and also get out there and see what Cairo has to offer a 27-year old Male in search of the perfect 3 course meal. I'm not going to try and post recipes here - you can goto AllRecipes for those - I'm just gonna talk food. Comment or don't; read or don't - this site is more for me than it is for you - kind of like my living room :D