Restaurant review: Eastern approach All the secrets lie in the genius of Zhou, notes Gamal Nkrumah A stupendous frieze of Chinese characters ran the length of the restaurant walls. Willows, along the banks of pretty lakes and ponds, bent gently against the wind. Bamboo shoots sprouted, all in striking silver, and the palest, softest pistachio. The faint verdant shimmering combination sharply contrasts with the crimson red of the chairs and carpet. The setting sends one, willy-nilly to the long by-gone days when Chinese food was not yet discovered by Cairenes. The overpowering scent of soy sauce and subtler Chinese spices are everywhere. It is like a little bit of heaven on earth. The journey into Chin Chin was akin to a passage through time, into the world of northern Chinese cuisine. The strange lotus-shaped columns lends it an Egyptian touch. This expensive Chinese eatery is famous for its crystal-clear wan ton soup. Everything that I thought I knew about northern Chinese cuisine was reversed. The man responsible for my enlightening is a Chinese chef named Zhou, a native of the northern Chinese province of Shandong. He oversees the cooking, in addition to training a couple of Egyptian assistants, and waiting for his choice dishes to emerge from the kitchen is almost unbearable. There is a dearth of good Chinese restaurants in Cairo, but Chin Chin is the exception. Whenever I desire an authentic Chinese meal, I make straight for Chin Chin, Zamalek's first, and in my opinion, very finest, Chinese restaurant. Zhou's overriding ambition is to please the clientele of this venerable Chinese restaurant. My sister who resides in Rome was impressed. And, ah! What poetry in that vaguely racist name for a restaurant that creates such elixir as steamed fish with green onion, coriander and the most delectable light soy sauce. Still, Chin Chin, that nasty name, is a bit of an anomaly in that sense. Chin Chin is also well-known for its steamed dumplings. My sister and I opted for stuffed prawn dumpling -- steamed of course. The waiters, all toothy smiles, keep themselves busy, alert and sharp. They come at your every beck and call, raring to serve with a smile. We toyed with the idea of steamed fish with shredded vegetables, ginger and sour vinegar sauce, but the waiter warned us against it. "It is too sharp," he explained in a barely audible whisper. The steamed grouper was heavenly, steamed dumpling, stuffed with plump prawns was mouthwatering and the sweet and sour sea bass was quite simply divine. The fillet sea bass was expertly cut in the shape of a pineapple by chef Zhou. Much of Shandong is a peninsula that protrudes into the East China Sea, jutting eastwards directly towards Korea and Japan. It is famous for its fish dishes. The maritime province's cuisine is influenced somewhat by Korean and Japanese food, even though, the Chinese insist that it is the other way round: it is the Koreans and the Japanese that were historically influenced by the ancient Chinese culinary traditions of Shandong. By diligent listening to Zhou's exaltations of the Shandong kitchen's secrets, I was wondering if I would ever visit that most easterly of Chinese provinces one day. My thoughts wandered off to that fascinated land with its beautiful landscape of mountain, plains and sea. Zhou, however, said that many ingredients cannot be found in Egypt today. Maybe, one day the herbs, mushrooms and special spices of Shandong will be readily available in the country. Still, Zhou has much to work with at the moment over here. His won ton clear soup with stuffed mince meat and fresh spring vegetables. The seventh month of the Coptic calendar Baramhat, ushers in the spring season. Baramhat is the month associated with the ancient Egyptian sun god Montu, the god of war in ancient Egypt. But, Par-Imhotep, the original name of the month, also signifies its ancient identification with Imhotep. Listening to Zhou talk about the timeless traditions of his native Shandong, I thought of Baramhat and Spring. Baramhat is characterised by rising temperatures, and it was a strange coincidence that we first visited Chin Chin in Spring. The freshness and novelty of life was all around us. At the splendid dinner that night, we decided not to have meat and stick to seafood and vegetables. The popular Egyptian saying " Baramhat Ruh al-gheit we hat," In Baramhat, Go to the field and obtain [the harvest], sheds light on Baramhat's original significance. Chin Chin is the perfect place to celebrate Spring. One continues to learn things in life, I suppose. Chin Chin Four Corners 4A Hassan Sabri St, Zamalek Tel: 735 1647 Dinner for two, LE 225
