Restaurant review: Porto Marina A coincidence may be worth a thousand appointments Of course I had asked about the exact route of the Superjet bus I was offered to get on for LE55 a ticket; and I had been clearly told that it follows the coast after Borg Al-Arab. The next day, however, little one and luggage in hand, I found myself forced into a shouting match with the same employee who suddenly awoke to the fact that the bus's route was actually to Al-Alamein, not Borg Al-Arab. It was one of those situations where you just want to slap the person out of frustration, as you wonder how anyone could be so scrupulous about the information they provide out of sheer carelessness -- and to a woman with a child at that. The good news is, that said woman and child, resolving to get to the sea that day if at all possible, ended up in Porto Marina, a place they had not seen except in video clips. A very pleasant stroll down the yacht-dotted quay, followed by a discovery of Egypt's gondolas floating romantically by in the simulated canalway emulating the Venice experience, all left us with an even larger appetite and I soon began focusing hawk eyes onto the food possibilities. Among the choices were Johnny Carino's, Chilli's, a huge Alain Le Nôtre and Studio Masr, all endowed with café-trottoir seating areas to form a long promenade of multi-coloured parasols. Nicely Mediterranean, clean and orderly, softly yet clearly lit, the delightful setting was very reminiscent of the Maltese islands, with a complimentary twist: the music wafting from central speakers to envelop the entire marina with ageless oldies everyone can hum along to. I eventually opted for the Grand Royal Café & Restaurant. I thought it was a toasted-sandwiches kind of affair, only to discover that the resident chef produces some succulent dishes with a knowledgeable wand. My mother, owing to a nervous stomach that was acting up, had to settle for just a cream of mushroom soup -- and oh how creamy that soup was, not "just" a soup at all. It was the lightest in colour and consistency I had ever sampled, with much real fresh cream and even more mushroom slices balancing the texture. It was a little sweet, a bit like corn soup without the corn. Truly delicious. Meanwhile, the rest of the family was having a blast with spicier treats. My father and I started out sharing a Seafood Salad while the little one went to check the moored yachts until his pizza made it from the oven. A large and well-garnished plate was gracefully placed before us by one of the many smiling waiters of the café. It was a mix of baby shrimps, red and yellow capsicum, calamari slivers and shredded processed crabs sticks, all bathing in a perfectly tangy vinaigrette. It left us more appetised still, and truly ready for the bigger deals about to arrive. The small hot dog pizza (which also came with black olives, green peppers and mushrooms) was actually so big that half of it had to be wrapped for takeaway as the little one's button was ready to burst. My father's Mexican chicken was a mountain of tomato salsa with sweet corn and ground beef, so hot and spicy that he had to snivel his way through the dish he was enjoying too much to abandon. I did not envy him at all, especially with a chicken with mushroom sauce such as the one that lay before me. The sauce, the sauce, the sauce! Rich, creamy, delicate and balanced, flowing over about four pieces of grilled chicken filet and about three tonnes of mushrooms. It easily met the standards followed by many a five-star hotel restaurant, though it was obtained at a venue that humbly calls itself a café. And the sautéed vegetables -- garlicky, buttery, bright and crunchy -- simply make dieting a pleasure. The table is cleared and some ice cream is brought for dessert. Scoops of chocolate and caramel flavours, waffles, tall glasses, long spoons, all comme il faut and absolutely delicious. Highly recommended; perhaps not a royal meal, but most certainly a grand one. Grand Royal Café & Restaurant Porto Marina Marina Mediterranean Coast Reviewed meal: LE248 By Injy El-Kashef
