Restaurant review: Double bill Around the world in 80 seconds and a 20-pound note Some of us have had numerous encounters with Fish and Chips; others are just familiar with the name. But if anyone told you that they remain confined to the realm of the Britons, tell them to take a stroll down Carrefour lane and check that information. Yes, of course: the famed Fish and Chips will always and forever remain an English thing, oily newspaper wrappings and all, but send one Egyptian to make the rounds of the British isles and he will return with his own version in no time. As the school days bring us back to the dreaded 6AM alarm clock and to shopping for juice and biscuits by the carton, you may find yourself back at that hub of goodies called Carrefour. Take a moment before the entrance: notice the stands that continue to multiply, allow your nostrils to lead the way to the fish. In blue uniforms, and sporting fantastic smiles, will be a team of three busy frying fish filets, shrimps and squid under the good old label. The style of the logo is different, granted, yet everything else (short of that oily newspaper wrapping deemed unpalatable to the Egyptian public) is more or less a copy of what English pubs have been frying for decades. Yes there is no seating except the benches by the parking lot, but then again the pace of life has accelerated enough in the past couple of years to make comfort a consideration not requiring too much attention for some entrepreneurs. The chips, which come on the side of any order, are especially good. Fat and slightly greasy, those potato fingers will probably remind many among us of Grandma's. The options offered are in the form of either sandwich or platter, the latter costing about double the former, but worth the investment, especially with an extra bit of tartar sauce on the side to dip in. The only downside: a slight attack of heartburn before you've reached home. It won't kill you though, especially if you stop by the opposite stall for a quick dessert for the benefit of the palate. If you are lucky enough to have watched the Mexican film based on Laura Esquivel's novel of the same title, Like Water for Chocolate, you will know what churros mean for Latin American peoples. Originating in Spain and brought to America with the Conquistadores, churros have remained a favourite to rave about despite decades of existence. It is basic in preparation and simple in its cooking method, consisting of a sweet-dough spiral -- usually leavened with baking powder and shaped into a long twist -- which is deep-fried until golden brown in very hot oil. Once removed, it is left to shed all excess oil and coated with a mixture of cinnamon and granulated sugar while still hot. The funny thing about churros is that they have a very similar counterpart in many cuisines, with minor but significant distinctions: the American doughnut, the Dutch krulle (literally translated as twisted cake), the Egyptian balah al-shaam, and the fextremely light French version made with choux (cream-puff dough) pastry. None of this of course would be at all relevant without a small detail I have yet to mention: (brace yourself) we have churros in Egypt now! How did this come about? Well, a little chitchat with the gloved churro maker at Carrefour revealed the history: apparently, a man lived in Latin America, Mexico to be precise, and fell in love with churros enough to learn the simple recipe; he decided to set up a small stand as a market indicator before taking his venture any further. Clever, clever guy -- for what better place to gauge public reactions than at the very heart of the consumerist machine? So far, there are two available options at the stand: a bag of four thin, plain, churros costing the very reasonable amount of LE4; and a bag of one thick churro stuffed with your choice of chocolate sauce or strawberry jam costing LE4.50. Considering our ways in Egypt of inventing all the alternatives to what history had left intact in one solid version, my bet is that we will have churros filled with everything in the book not before too long. The good news is (and trust the words of a sampler who's spent the larger part of her existence in America Latina) that they have got it just right. Not a minute too long in the oil, nor a sprinkle of cinnamon or sugar too little. Purrrrrrrrfect. Fish and Chips/Churros Carrefour parking lot City Centre By Injy El-Kashef
