Restaurant review: Café society, Italian style At last Gamal Nkrumah discovers a decent Italian-like restaurant, in the very heart of Zamalek On a beautiful moonlit night, bitterly cold yet enchanting, the happy couple and I stumbled into the Mezza Luna -- Italian for Half Moon. At first, we sat outdoors. However, it turned out to be exceptionally nippy -- the bride-to-be pulled a long face, with the pitiful expression of a damsel in distress. The prospective groom, with more bravado than conviction, declared that he would rather stay outside. An argument ensued, a lovers' tiff, but the night was still young. I stared at the half moon; it was a wonderful evening. Inside, it was wonderfully warm and cosy. The waiters were friendly enough, yet did not respond with alacrity. They were professional no doubt, but with no bravura, and no show. They had that welcoming, ready-to-please expression. The extra-virgin olive oil and piping hot bread soon graced our table. The head waiter brought the bottle of red Egyptian wine, Omar Al-Khayyam, and pulled out a corkscrew from his pocket. He presented us with the menu and a flashing smile. Oddly enough, my eyes first fell on the dolci, or desserts -- date sushi served with coconut sauce. A curious mix but hardly Italian. Then there was the scrumptious fried date and dried mango -- ravioli in creamy caramel sauce with honey nuts, and ice cream. Hardly more Italian, but still tantalizingly enticing. Divine, but wickedly rich and sinful. I leafed through the other sections of the menu -- appetizers, salads, La Mezza Luna pasta, ravioli, tramezzini and panini. I found myself looking at Italian food with more inquisitive, more searching eyes. Mezza Luna, Prodotti Italiani, is no ordinary Italian restaurant. It combines a delectable mix of Italian and Egyptian, even Mediterranean dishes. There was a hint of Japanese, with the Caribbean and Eastern European as well. What an odd mix, we thought. But even by the own reckoning of the Italian residents of Cairo, Mezza Luna is a favourite eatery. We looked up at the swanky bottles of Italian wine, and then sideways at the stylish clientele. Eyes darting left and right, up and down -- the ambiance was exhilarating. Surely 2007 will turn out to be a beautiful year. Gnocchi di Patate or Pasta Fresca, and the sauces to go with it were mouthwatering. Pesto Genovese with basil, parmesan and pinenuts. Red pesto -- sun-dried tomato, onion, roast garlic and parmesan cheese. Bolognese, yummy. And, more -- pomodori secchi and quatro formaggi -- sun-dried tomato and four different types of cheeses. Con Funghi -- mushroom and smoked Provolone cheese in tomato sauce. The list was endless, but I stopped at The Scott; salmon ravioli in salmon-caviar sauce. Then I wavered a little, there was the somewhat improbable Roma- Tokyo; shrimp, ginger and seaweed ravioli. There was more to come; Caboria, crabmeat and leak ravioli in mariniere sauce and the very Egyptian- sounding Le Batarekh, bottarga (smoked cod roe) ravioli in lemon and roast garlic sauce. And, the even more Egyptian sounding L'Egiziano rabbit ravioli in creamy moloukheiya sauce. We were spoilt for choice. In the end, I opted for El Turcolamb; apricot and hazelnut ravioli in yogurt coriander sauce. The bride was torn between The Blue; blue cheese and fig ravioli in creamy walnut sauce; and The Nutty Professor; broccoli and hazelnut in four cheese and sun-dried tomato sauce. I cocked an eyebrow at this. Mezza Luna is an inexpensive and trendy restaurant. The sauces are a triffle too rich and pretentious, but the salads are superb and the ambiance is exceedingly agreeable. Amid the potent odours of cooking, we settled into the buzz and chic atmosphere of Mezza Luna. We turned down Le Curnonski; veal and roast pepper ravioli in mushroom and tomato sauce. And also La Normandie Brie; more sun-dried tomato ravioli in pesto sauce. And Le Budapest; spicy beef sausage ravioli in creamy goulash sauce -- a disastrous recipe for connoisseurs with clogged arteries. And, the exquisite Tartuffi, black truffles. But we could not resist the Toscana; asparagus and beef bacon ravioli in Alfredo sauce. La Specialita della Casa transpired to be something fishy, but the Dolci della Casa was a good old- fashioned pancake drenched in a creamy and syrupy sweet strawberry sauce -- the strawberries tasted more like caramelised dates than the tart berry. Reviewed order for two: LE180 Tel: 7352655 118, 26 of July Street/ Aziz Osman Street, Zamalek, Cairo
