Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Shout Out
Why so suprised? I've not posted for a while; because I've been too busy giving most of my material to CAMPUS magazine. Soon, though, I'll be hitting the mainstream, contributing reviews for G-Mag as well; so stay tuned.
What's in the pipeline?
Bone Marrow
Buffalo Burger
Site Redesign
Possible new contributor? Stay tuned.
Cooking Time
Nuked, 1 minute on Hi Power.
What's in the pipeline?
Bone Marrow
Buffalo Burger
Site Redesign
Possible new contributor? Stay tuned.
Cooking Time
Nuked, 1 minute on Hi Power.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tamarai - Nile City Towers
I’ve been hearing about Cairo’s latest gastronomical offering, Tamarai, since it opened its doors a few short weeks ago. There are rave reviews abound, published in magazines and dailies like the Daily News Egypt. All of them praised the perfectly cooked and flavorful menu offerings and salivated at its copper and gun-metal gray tinged décor. I had the opportunity to go to Tamarai this past weekend. A friend had made reservations for a small dinner party, and we were all excited to finally sample the fare on offer.
I think we got off on the wrong foot, Tamarai and I. First the bouncer (A Bouncer? Really?!) tried to deny me entry to the restaurant, insisting that I did not, in fact, have a reservation. Moments later, the strangeness of that encounter would only become fully apparent by the empty dining room. There were more wait staff milling about than there were diners. So why deny me entry? Does Tamarai not accept walk-ins?
To offend me further, once I sat down, the waiter came and whispered in my ear, his voice aquiver with panic “Sir, there is a minimum charge.” Excuse me? I suppose the Raymond Wiel Watches, iPhones, Burburry sweaters and Fendi scarves littered about the table did not sell the idea that we were, in fact, not poor. Also, why would they insist on telling me this, when they had to know that I have made reservations, which means that I know what the prices are like, which means I can afford it?!
At the behest of my kinder nature, I decided to be objective, and focus only on the food and service we were about to receive.
Using the review in The Daily News as a guide, I started out with the Beef Carpaccio, which they claimed was sublime. I assure you, it was not. The taste of the wonderfully rare slices of beef was bullied and overpowered by the overly generous helping of tiles of parmesan cheese; Rocket and cracked black pepper. I tasted nothing else. I noticed the chef had drizzled some olive oil and balsamic vinegar as an afterthought, but the quantity was too small to make a difference.
After the dry and peppery ordeal that was the Beef Carpaccio, I waited a further 25 minutes for my main course; Lamb Chops served with Red Wine sauce and confit baby onions and eggplant. As a side, I asked for potato dauphinois. As usual, I ordered the lamb served medium.
When the plate arrived, I thought a rabbit had been freshly slaughtered and its broken ribs left to bathe in the mish mash of its entrails. This accompanying red wine sauce was a crime on many levels – The shallots should have been sieved out, it was too acidic, and the sauce had split giving it an overall greasy unappetizing look. To top it all off, it was everywhere; the sauce covered the plate like white on rice, the plate dominated by bloody diaper diarrhea. Even the confit of onion and eggplant was not spared the chef’s heavy hand. The idea was to present a delicate cylinder, covered on each end by a thin slice of courgette – in theory, divine; in practice, disaster - the courgettes were burnt, and the confit was so acidic, it left blisters on my tongue.
You would think that all this would distract me from any imperfections in the lamb itself. Unfortunately, I was not so lucky. The lamb chops were tiny, and although they were nicely French trimmed, they were barely cooked to medium (some chops were actually rare), and had zero flavor. The quality of the meat was clearly inferior. As an act of mercy, I will stop describing how bad this dish was and simply ask you not to order it, unless you’re the type of person who derives pleasure from being physically harmed.
I did not have any complaints with the potato dauphinois, other than the fact that it was not seasoned enough and served no purpose other than to occupy valuable gastric real estate.
I was the unlucky one, it would seem. The rest of the table ordered the Shrimp and Saffron risotto, Mushroom Ravioli and Roast Chicken Breast. The Roast Chicken breast looked fantastic; beautiful white chicken breast fanned out over sautéed vegetables and in a light caramel coloured sauce. I immediately envied my fortunate (and financially prudent) friends. At EGP 75, the chicken breast is the least expensive entrée on the menu. And I was told that it was not dry and in fact, perfectly flavored and seasoned. I tasted the mushroom ravioli, and while it did not offer any complexity of flavor, it was a passable dish tasting of button mushrooms and not much else. Underseasoned for my taste, the Champollion mushrooms would have benefitted from a bit of pepper, to be honest. Maybe even fill the ravioli with a different type of mushroom (porcini, for example), to help the dish escape that one-dimensional taste.
The Shrimp and Saffron Risotto promised to be a star. Arriving in a white bowl with wide edges, the bright orange shrimp sat on….dark brown rice. The risotto was dry, not finished with Parmesan and as a result, lacked the creaminess that is what separates a Risotto from undercooked rice or even "Roz Mo3ammar". I tasted a rice cooked in a chicken stock made from cubes (read: very salty) with a little added Turmeric powder. The expected pepperiness of the divine Saffron was missing; I at least expected to see little threads of Saffron running through the dish, but not a sliver was to be seen. So why use Turmeric instead? Probably because to the untrained palate (Cairo certainly has alot of them), Turmeric can taste alot like Saffron. Probably because the Mr. Lazy Chef assumes that no one can tell the difference. Probably because both can be yellow. Whatever the reason may be, I couldn't help but feel deceived a little.
I do not understand how such a promising dish could be executed so horribly. For a restaurant of this supposed caliber, the risotto should have been made with a fish stock; preferably made from the shells of the shrimp and a nice light miropoix. It’s a seafood risotto and should taste like one. Maybe the "Genius French Chef" should do some web browsing and use this recipe instead of his own.
The dessert round approached, and I was eager to finish on a high note. I wanted so badly to like this place, I really did. I ordered the sweet chocolate shortbread, served with chocolate mousse and confit pineapple. The rest of my party ordered the Apple Tart and the Chocolate Souffle. The desserts were presented nicely enough, on square clear blue plates. The chocolate shortbread and mousse combo I ordered and tasted…nice. Just… Nice. Nothing to write home about, and certainly not meritorious enough to warrant entry to my long term memory, except for the horrible pineapple confit which definitely came straight out of a can, garnished deceptively by a peeled vanilla pod.
The apple tart also did not deliver and the verdict, passed down in a single word, was “Dry”. This was immediately followed by a 5 minute declaration of love for the Tart Tatin at Charwood’s in Mohandessin; currently sitting unchallenged at the top of everyone’s list of favorite desserts. The chocolate soufflé, however, seems to have delivered on a profound level, because my friend who ordered it is still singing its praises. I, however, will take his crooning with a grain of salt; this is a Man who thought that vanilla was supposed to be white, meat is to be eaten well done, and that pineapples were mangos.
Tamarai is not cheap. The service leaves much to be desired. The food, even more so. However, there was one bright spot – the cocktails. The Bartender is the real genius, serving up expertly mixed cocktails with complex and refreshing flavors. I do not remember the exact names of the virgin cocktails I ordered, but a trip to Tamarai would be worth it, if only for the opportunity to sample those wonderful libations again. Not 3 weeks into its life as Cairo’s newest addition to high-end cuisine, I noticed a few couples walk in, sit at the lounge and wave away the food menu in favor of the cocktail menu. Tamarai’s future lies in its bar lounge, it would seem, and not at its dinner table. Even the cardboard flyers announcing Tamarai’s appearance onto the scene make no mention of the food, only who the architect is and what number to call should you want to decorate your living room the same way:
Tamarai is like most restaurants in Cairo, promising a lot more than it can deliver. It will be known for its style and pseudo-exclusivity. It will be remembered for its prices. It will be celebrated for its imaginative and exciting cocktail bar. But will it stand out for it’s expertly cooked and well balanced food?
Not a chance.
Cooking time 115 minutes.
I think we got off on the wrong foot, Tamarai and I. First the bouncer (A Bouncer? Really?!) tried to deny me entry to the restaurant, insisting that I did not, in fact, have a reservation. Moments later, the strangeness of that encounter would only become fully apparent by the empty dining room. There were more wait staff milling about than there were diners. So why deny me entry? Does Tamarai not accept walk-ins?
To offend me further, once I sat down, the waiter came and whispered in my ear, his voice aquiver with panic “Sir, there is a minimum charge.” Excuse me? I suppose the Raymond Wiel Watches, iPhones, Burburry sweaters and Fendi scarves littered about the table did not sell the idea that we were, in fact, not poor. Also, why would they insist on telling me this, when they had to know that I have made reservations, which means that I know what the prices are like, which means I can afford it?!
At the behest of my kinder nature, I decided to be objective, and focus only on the food and service we were about to receive.
After the dry and peppery ordeal that was the Beef Carpaccio, I waited a further 25 minutes for my main course; Lamb Chops served with Red Wine sauce and confit baby onions and eggplant. As a side, I asked for potato dauphinois. As usual, I ordered the lamb served medium.
When the plate arrived, I thought a rabbit had been freshly slaughtered and its broken ribs left to bathe in the mish mash of its entrails. This accompanying red wine sauce was a crime on many levels – The shallots should have been sieved out, it was too acidic, and the sauce had split giving it an overall greasy unappetizing look. To top it all off, it was everywhere; the sauce covered the plate like white on rice, the plate dominated by bloody diaper diarrhea. Even the confit of onion and eggplant was not spared the chef’s heavy hand. The idea was to present a delicate cylinder, covered on each end by a thin slice of courgette – in theory, divine; in practice, disaster - the courgettes were burnt, and the confit was so acidic, it left blisters on my tongue.
You would think that all this would distract me from any imperfections in the lamb itself. Unfortunately, I was not so lucky. The lamb chops were tiny, and although they were nicely French trimmed, they were barely cooked to medium (some chops were actually rare), and had zero flavor. The quality of the meat was clearly inferior. As an act of mercy, I will stop describing how bad this dish was and simply ask you not to order it, unless you’re the type of person who derives pleasure from being physically harmed.
I did not have any complaints with the potato dauphinois, other than the fact that it was not seasoned enough and served no purpose other than to occupy valuable gastric real estate.
I was the unlucky one, it would seem. The rest of the table ordered the Shrimp and Saffron risotto, Mushroom Ravioli and Roast Chicken Breast. The Roast Chicken breast looked fantastic; beautiful white chicken breast fanned out over sautéed vegetables and in a light caramel coloured sauce. I immediately envied my fortunate (and financially prudent) friends. At EGP 75, the chicken breast is the least expensive entrée on the menu. And I was told that it was not dry and in fact, perfectly flavored and seasoned. I tasted the mushroom ravioli, and while it did not offer any complexity of flavor, it was a passable dish tasting of button mushrooms and not much else. Underseasoned for my taste, the Champollion mushrooms would have benefitted from a bit of pepper, to be honest. Maybe even fill the ravioli with a different type of mushroom (porcini, for example), to help the dish escape that one-dimensional taste.
The Shrimp and Saffron Risotto promised to be a star. Arriving in a white bowl with wide edges, the bright orange shrimp sat on….dark brown rice. The risotto was dry, not finished with Parmesan and as a result, lacked the creaminess that is what separates a Risotto from undercooked rice or even "Roz Mo3ammar". I tasted a rice cooked in a chicken stock made from cubes (read: very salty) with a little added Turmeric powder. The expected pepperiness of the divine Saffron was missing; I at least expected to see little threads of Saffron running through the dish, but not a sliver was to be seen. So why use Turmeric instead? Probably because to the untrained palate (Cairo certainly has alot of them), Turmeric can taste alot like Saffron. Probably because the Mr. Lazy Chef assumes that no one can tell the difference. Probably because both can be yellow. Whatever the reason may be, I couldn't help but feel deceived a little.
I do not understand how such a promising dish could be executed so horribly. For a restaurant of this supposed caliber, the risotto should have been made with a fish stock; preferably made from the shells of the shrimp and a nice light miropoix. It’s a seafood risotto and should taste like one. Maybe the "Genius French Chef" should do some web browsing and use this recipe instead of his own.
The dessert round approached, and I was eager to finish on a high note. I wanted so badly to like this place, I really did. I ordered the sweet chocolate shortbread, served with chocolate mousse and confit pineapple. The rest of my party ordered the Apple Tart and the Chocolate Souffle. The desserts were presented nicely enough, on square clear blue plates. The chocolate shortbread and mousse combo I ordered and tasted…nice. Just… Nice. Nothing to write home about, and certainly not meritorious enough to warrant entry to my long term memory, except for the horrible pineapple confit which definitely came straight out of a can, garnished deceptively by a peeled vanilla pod.
The apple tart also did not deliver and the verdict, passed down in a single word, was “Dry”. This was immediately followed by a 5 minute declaration of love for the Tart Tatin at Charwood’s in Mohandessin; currently sitting unchallenged at the top of everyone’s list of favorite desserts. The chocolate soufflé, however, seems to have delivered on a profound level, because my friend who ordered it is still singing its praises. I, however, will take his crooning with a grain of salt; this is a Man who thought that vanilla was supposed to be white, meat is to be eaten well done, and that pineapples were mangos.
Tamarai is not cheap. The service leaves much to be desired. The food, even more so. However, there was one bright spot – the cocktails. The Bartender is the real genius, serving up expertly mixed cocktails with complex and refreshing flavors. I do not remember the exact names of the virgin cocktails I ordered, but a trip to Tamarai would be worth it, if only for the opportunity to sample those wonderful libations again. Not 3 weeks into its life as Cairo’s newest addition to high-end cuisine, I noticed a few couples walk in, sit at the lounge and wave away the food menu in favor of the cocktail menu. Tamarai’s future lies in its bar lounge, it would seem, and not at its dinner table. Even the cardboard flyers announcing Tamarai’s appearance onto the scene make no mention of the food, only who the architect is and what number to call should you want to decorate your living room the same way:
See what I mean?
Tamarai is like most restaurants in Cairo, promising a lot more than it can deliver. It will be known for its style and pseudo-exclusivity. It will be remembered for its prices. It will be celebrated for its imaginative and exciting cocktail bar. But will it stand out for it’s expertly cooked and well balanced food?
Not a chance.
Cooking time 115 minutes.
Friday, February 6, 2009
The Best Burger in Cairo 2008 - The Results are In!
This took a lot of thought, and even then, my perfectionist nature prevents me from unequivocally declaring an outright winner. So many factors taken into account, and so many voices were heard, each nominating their own favorite restaurants for the bragging rights.
After taking everything into consideration, I stripped each burger down to its bare essentials. I judged only the Burger and not the sides offered, nor did I examine the quality of the service; it came down to the Bun, The Patty and The Toppings.
Without further ado, I give you, my non-existent reader, the Best Burger in Cairo.
After taking everything into consideration, I stripped each burger down to its bare essentials. I judged only the Burger and not the sides offered, nor did I examine the quality of the service; it came down to the Bun, The Patty and The Toppings.
Without further ado, I give you, my non-existent reader, the Best Burger in Cairo.
Granted, it is a bit odd to have the best burger in Cairo come from an operation that has no Dine-In option, but bear with me: We get to eat the burger in the comfort of our homes. That is special. It brings that "comfort food" element back to the hamburger, because let's face it, that's what a Hamburger is for a lot of people. It's a safe choice. A mainstay of our increasingly fast-paced eating habits.
So what makes this burger so good? The soft bun. How it holds the entire ensemble of vegetable, assorted sauces and beef together without getting in the way. The Burger patty, seasoned only minimally with salt and pepper, cooked to perfection (at medium well) and clearly made from good quality meat. The vegetable toppings - crisp fresh lettuce and onions, hearty thick tomato slices, all playing Oscar-worthy supporting roles to that Great Burger Patty. My only caveat is the conspicuous absence of sliced pickles, which would add a nice sharp vinegary note to the burger to cut the richness of the beef.
With the TBK Original, we really can have it our way. This unprecedented even for Burger King, since the toppings come in a separate plastic vessel for hygiene and to allow us to choose what goes where. This appeals to my perfectionist nature, and gives me control over each and every bite.
In second place - a very close second place - is the Gambini Burger from Casper and Gambini's. It is no secret I am a fan of their food, and this burger is no exception. the toppings are just right, a mixture of shredded lettuce, pickles, onion and tomato. The ground beef patty is thick, often cooked medium and is firmly ensconced inside a whole wheat bun.
In third place, Crocodile Grill also makes a wonderfully suprising Appearance. While this restaurant fails on so many levels, it beats all expectations and delivers quite handily. I highly recommend trying their 3 cheeses burger, oozing with cheesy goodness, excellent toppings and an almost perfect beef patty; it suffers from the classic Egyptian misconception that all meat should be served Well Done, and as a result, the burger relies heavily on the toppings and accompanying sauces to provide the required moisture.
Every other burger I've tried fades into the background. Ruby Tuesday's has a decent burger, as does Chili's. Burger Joint earns some kudos for their burgers, although the quality of the meat has dropped off significantly since the main owner left to establish Burger Kitchen.
Dubious honors go to Johnny Rocket's, which lost much of its initial steam because my 3rd trip there yielded a burger nowhere near as good as the first two. Contrary to what I had experienced before, the burger was dry, and the bun was stale. I am putting this down to lack of consistency and officially give them their first Yellow Card for crimes against the Burger.
I await your comments, lads and lasses. Sound off!!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Making Pastrami
Around New Year's a friend and I were discussing the finer points of sandwich meats, and we found ourselves extolling the virtues of a well made Pastrami sandwich - which neither of us have had for many years. With nostalgia in our hearts and adventure in our spirits, we set out to recreate those oh-so-wonderful pastrami rueben sandwiches now sitting tantalisingly in our minds.
A quick websearch revealed a series of immensely informative articles on About.com on exactly how to make your own corned beef and pastrami. So now I was armed with the process of Brine, Dry Rub and Smoke, I needed to prepare the meat itself.
My Excellent Butcher, Samara on Hassanein Heikel Street in Nasr City, is a highly educated man. I love going there, because all I need to do is tell him the English name of the cut I want, and he fills me in on the cut's name in Arabic, and adds a little culinary history as well. The cut I was looking for was Brisket, which in Arabic is called "Dosh". The same cut has a different name in Arabic, depending on the animal; the more familiar name of "Neefa" is the brisket from a sheep or goat.
Neefa is typiacally braised slowly, after spending a dy or two marinading in grated tomatoes, onions, green peppers and seasoning. This tenderizes the meat for the slow braising. I've had barbecued "Neefa" before, and I did not enjoy it - it was too touch. The Butcher confirmed my judgement by telling me that any self respecting Kebabgy would never offer broiled/barbecued neefa, since it is a very tough cut of meat.
The reason for its toughness comes from the fact that the Brisket corresponds to the Pectoralis muscles of the animal, near the forelegs. Those muscles may be big, but they're also notoriously fatty and tough, since they do so much work. That's where the brining comes in; it loosens it up and in our case, can be used to impart some extra flavor as well.
The butcher prepared a nice 2Kg slab of brisket for me, with the flat and the point still attached per my request. If anything is worth doing, it's worth doing right, and I wanted the satisfaction of preparing the Pastrami from start to finish. I took the meat home and began work trimming and preparing the flat for pastrami. Another websearch yielded this very informative page on how to trim brisket.
Once the flat was prepared, I got my brine on. Cloves, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Beef Stock cubes, Cardamom, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder and Red Hot Chilli Powder went into about 4 liters of hot water.
It smelled of ambrosia.
I set the flat into the brine, covered it and let it sit in a dark corner of my fridge for 4 days. Thankfully, a trip to warmer climes eased the anticipation anxiety.
Taking the flat out, patting it dry and preparing a dry rub was pure joy, since I could already taste the goodness. The rub was the same as the brine mixture, sans cardamom and water. the final step was then to wrap it in mutiple layers of foil and placing it in a 350 degree oven for an hour and a half.
The result?
Not exactly what I expected, but not a total disaster. In hindsight, I skipped a crucial step - soaking the beef in fresh water overnight to draw out the excess salt and rehydrate the beef a bit. Also, I skipped smoking the meat since #1 I do not have a smoker at home and #2 I could not find wood chips to smoke the meat with.
All in all, it was a proof of concept, and as a good friend of mine said - the 2nd time is always better than the first. I wonder now if she was talking about food...
Cooking Time 1 Week. Ouch.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
