The apocryphal verbena and similar boundary-breaking beverages — the herbalists tell us mere mortals — used to cure motley ailments. Verbana possesses supernatural forces to protect us from vampires. The heavenly brew is neither inebriating nor spirituous and is also rumoured to be an abortifacient. My companions were not in the least interested, though. The verbana at the Beymen Café is served with a succession of seductive drinks. And, forget for the moment the bewitchment of the Styx. Hades has no power when you put a packet of verbena under your pillow at bedtime — it supposedly protects you from nightmares and other forces of evil. It is also reputed to clear the synapses, so I tested the arresting potion. There was a shot glass of profound Marrakech Mint, full of flavour and mildly mood altering. Next was the magical verbana, a divine drink immortalised in the 1977 novel Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, authored by the Peruvian Nobel laureate, Mario Vargas Llosas, in which one of the key characters, Pedro Camacho, imbibed an egregious elixir — verbana — when everyone was hooked on coffee. But Beymen Café's drink culture is not the real enticement of this curious restaurant. The nutty brews are merely one of many Beymen Café temptations. The other more meaty attractions include the oven-baked salmon tornadoes served with mashed potatoes and the indescribable Pak choi, Chinese cabbage. Mind you, do not indulge in the vitamin-rich Pak choi for it is said to trigger terrible bouts of hypothyroidism leading to, God forbid, myxedema coma. However, in moderation, it is a most nutritional leafy vegetable — a truly delicious decoction. The infusions are divine potions — hypnotic and therapeutic. Beymen Café offers wild blackberry, jasmine green tea and, for the more conservative taste, Earl Grey. The gratifying Moroccan tea surprisingly supersedes the perfect perfumery of the latter. The brown liquid pulp of Beymen Café's chocolate nut drink is extraordinary; a luscious cross between solid and liquid, food and drink — the aromatic hot cocoa compliments the flavoursome almond and soothing coconut milk. Platinum Blonde couldn't resist the coffee caramel melt — espresso, caramel and dollops of whipped cream. Redhead, Queen Tiye and myself stuck with the deliciously nourishing chocolate nut. Beymen Café is not a customary snack shop, but a distinctive blend of traditional and contemporary; Asian and Mediterranean. And, as Egyptian chefs increasingly discover the culinary traditions of East Asia, the possibilities for invention multiply. This elegantly designed restaurant serves equally elegant Japanese fusion food. Redhead had spicy scallop roll — spring onion wasabi tobiko and jalapeno. Queen Tiye had Beymen salad's salmon gravlax, endive, iceberg lettuce, mushroom, avocado, apple and asparagus for starters. Queen Tiye tried Thai red chicken curry with sweet potato and steamed basmati rice as her entrée. Fillet au poivre with potato wedges — beef tenderloin and creamy pepper sauce potato wedges and seasonal vegetables were my choice for main dish. Chewy globs of succulent flesh melted in my mouth. I had a pleasantly springy mouth-feel. Grilled sea bass and curry sauce with organic seasonal vegetables on the wok was Redhead's choice. Platinum Blonde opted for Croque Monsieur — gratinated veal ham and French Gruyère cheese on toasted bread. The lobster shitaake mushrooms pan-seared lobster was particularly delightful. Our feast at the Beymen Café was drawing to a close. Beymen Café Four Seasons Hotel, Nile Plaza Garden City, Cairo
