Restaurant review: Cataracts and coffee Never mind the food; just smell the coffee and take in the view "That smells good!" The woman nudges her friend by the arm. Both of them turn their heads and raise their noses almost to vertical as they pass our table. Their necks straining under the dead weight of generations of gold jewellery, their eyes glazed over behind solid-crystal sunglasses, they dawdle, trying to absorb as much of the aroma as they can. The waiter smiles to himself, and continues pouring, thickly, slowly. The scent rises up and wraps the passageway in its invisible heady smoke. Catching our eyes, the women giggle and apologise: "We couldn't help looking at your coffee, it smells so good. We hope we haven't spoiled it for you!" It was a bit late for them to cast the evil eye on our meal. We were just about to wrap, and run to the airport. The sun was high in the sky, and on the small terrace below, unprotected by any shade, an elderly woman of unidentified mid-European origin was feeding potato chips to two young Nubian children while engaging their slim dark mothers in intensely stilted conversation. The mothers kept trying to move the party away out of the heat, but in the end they always stayed. We wondered if one of the kids might have to faint, before their benefactress did the sensible thing and authorised a general retreat to the relative cool of the verandah. The Nubian House is mainly terrace. Perched on at least three different levels, it enjoys a stupendous view over the Nile south of Aswan city centre. The islands are laid out at your feet, while the Aga Khan's mausoleum watches serenely over them from the west bank. This is the best view in town: far better than any of the views from the expensive hotels below. The day we visit, we are caught between an American tour group, the mysterious European woman and her unfortunate protégés, and a group of retired upper class Copts who have come to smoke shisha and gossip about old times. Thanks to the Americans, the menu is supplemented by a flat rate buffet. This is made up of four salads, two kinds of soup, three kinds of tajin, plus grilled chicken and fried fish. The main courses are accompanied by rice and shamsi bread -- bread baked in the sun. For dessert, there is a choice of oranges or bananas. The food is unremarkable. Maybe they don't want to compete with the view. Maybe they have toned it down to cater to foreign tastes. Or maybe they just cook it like this, because they know they don't need to make the effort. Among the salads, only the tomatoes stands out, cool and refreshing. The lentil soup is good, but lukewarm, while the mulukhiya, served as a soup too, is watery to a point that is undesirable. Things improve with the main courses: the moussaka, in particular, is perfect -- oily, and intense. The Dawoud Pasha (meatballs in sauce) is also very good, but underspiced. The okra is bland, and a little overcooked. The chicken is dry, and so is the bread. The fried fish is too "fishy", says my friend: but then, who in their right mind would fry a fish which was worth eating in the first place? We order a fish tajin from the menu, in the hope of remedying the situation. But the lemon seems to have overpowered the fish early on in the cooking process, and the fish has never recovered. For dessert, we avoid the budding rice (sic) and head for the basboussa, which is rough and not too sweet, just the way I like it. The decor is simple and unpretentious. The small tables are too low to eat with comfort; the large ones look just right, but are in a minority. Most of the seating is beautifully shaded. The toilets are spacious, clean and airy. And like the women said, the coffee is delicious. The Nubian House offers unexceptional, perfectly edible food at a very reasonable price in a stunning setting. Full buffet lunch (when available) is LE40. Main courses range from LE15 to LE22. All prices exclusive of sales tax and service. Three minutes drive up the road past the Cataract Hotel. By Fredrick Bowie
