Restaurant review: Relax and consider Max They call it the most interesting restaurant in Maadi. Join the cult, urges Gamal Nkrumah Like wild beasts slaking their thirst at a dry season water hole, we drank South African red wine, a delicious merlot, now bottled in Egypt. Max's is a restaurant like no other in Maadi. The discriminating expatriate community come from all its corners to enjoy its delectable cuisine. Max's is ostensibly Italian, but some might dispute that. What is certain, however, is that it is a pleasant eatery in the heart of the plush leafy southern Cairene suburb of Maadi. Do not expect authentic Italian dishes, but the food is great all the same. My sister and I drank in the ambiance of this eatery's gracious setting. It was obvious that life is a languid affair as far as Max's is concerned. There was something faintly outlandish about the place. The jade green pretty little front garden with exotic plants, flowering shrubs and a tree or two -- at least one was a strange looking palm if I am not mistaken. I cut into the flesh, yanking, grinding, liking and pushing ever deeper into the succulent Australian veal drenched in a delectable rosemary-based gravy. Water holes of Max's calibre are in short supply -- even in Maadi. The proprietor himself is immensely popular with his clientele in Maadi and further afield. He spent his 30s, it is rumoured, philandering and managing a motley of eateries before he settled down to manage his own business -- Max's is in New Maadi, opened with aplomb last summer. One of my least favourite aspects of Max's is the constant needle matches between the waiters. They vie for the clienteles' attention. One Galal came up to me -- he was a fine jolly fellow in his 40s -- and proceeded to fill me in about the history of the man who runs the plush eatery and the story of the place. Ihab Ghali, better known to his fans as Max, mixes effortlessly with his clientele. Everyone seems to know him -- or to quickly warm up to him. He evidently loves his life and the way it has panned out. It appears that Max learnt at an early age that he needed fame to do business in Maadi. Fame is particularly useful for doing deals. Hubris and vanity are all too human vices, and I was having none of this as we settled down for the serious business of eating. "The menu please," I said listlessly when the head waiter arrived. He couldn't make up his mind whether to speak to me in English or Arabic. After some initial hesitation he decided to use both languages with some dexterity. He was the type that is always snapping and snarling at his subordinates, but is quite capable of throwing the clientele lots of plastic smiles. He clearly thinks he's the bee's knees. I was not especially enthused by his honeyed words, and neither was my sister. However, in the end we took his advice about the seductiveness of the dish of the day. My sister opted for gamberi alla Siciliana, Sicilian prawns, doused in a creamy white wine and garlic sauce. I tasted one of her plump prawns -- it was quite simply divine. The gnocchi alla pesto was mouthwateringly good. I must say, I have not tasted such tasty gnocchi in all Cairo. The salads, however, were a bit of a disappointment -- or rather the cheese in the salad. The mozzarella, tomato and basil salad was not up to par. My sister, being married to an Italian, pointed out that the best mozzarella is made in Naples; even Romans concede that. "Fresh mozzarella is out of this world," she explained. "I cannot cope with this rubbery stuff." She shoved the offending mozzarella to a far corner of her plate and did not touch the cheese. In sharp contrast, the mixed salad, insalata mista, was perfection itself. I glanced at the black wooden chairs, ebony perhaps? The warm russet table cloths matched perfectly with the ebony seatings. But what really caught my eye was the profusion of oil paintings hanging on the walls. They were absolutely riveting and most were either sold or for sale. Max's apparently doubles as an exhibition hall. We admired an especially beautiful tableau, Sunset on the Nile, by one Maya Patel. It encapsulates everything that is so magical about Egypt and its eternal River. Max's 17 Road 263, New Maadi Tel: 516 3242 Dinner for two: LE259
