Restaurant review It ain't what you do Injy El-Kashef discovers that it's the way that you do it In the morning, for a smoker and a caffeine addict, there usually is not much of an appetite. And on those days when one forgets to eat, it is amazing how the stomach closes with every passing hour until someone mentions the possibility of eating, to which one will immediately answer that one is not hungry. However, the funniest thing is, that should the topic of food be pursued any further, like a good Pavlovian dog, not only will the mouth salivate, but every cell of one's being will suddenly begin to scream for sustenance and one will probably find oneself hysterically trying to get to the nearest possible food outlet. Of course this doesn't happen to me. I never get hysterical about anything. If there ever existed an epitome of grace and composure, it is in this reviewer right here. That is why I can never understand any of those fools who often tell me to get a grip on myself. A grip? Moi? Why, I am the grip itself! And so it was with a perfect grip on myself that I drove around the streets of Maadi like a maniac hysterically seeking to get any food in my system. First we spotted a new Ethiopian restaurant that seemed to have taken existence overnight. We parked, and my friend got off to enquire about whether or not it had opened yet, asking me to try and remain seated. "Of course it opened! All those lights would not be on otherwise, now would they? I'm coming with you -- we need to eat." I had to hold my horses, huffing and puffing, and calling him every abusive name in the book behind his back, when ordered to just stay put for two minutes while he checked. I was right, as usual -- the restaurant is yet to open next week. We ended up in Way Out Sushi. I adore sushi; but I was rather fantasising about incredible amounts of food at that point, so I ordered Beef and Shrimp Tepanyaki. My friends, normal people who eat three meals a day, opted for the Sushi Bar, with a special emphasis on octopus, which was excellent and brought to us in generous amounts. Way Out Sushi has its place in the hearts of Sushi lovers -- and deservedly so. Its subtle but powerful taste is so fresh, so real, so genuine Sushi that it leaves you begging for more (for those of us who beg, ever so gracefully). My Tepanyaki was, let's say, not bad. Other than the size and quantity of the shrimp, my only other complaint was that the sauce seemed to have clashing ingredients. Something was not exactly right. And the flavours clashed even more when combined with the yellow Basmati rice, which itself left something to be desired. Although very well cooked, and beautifully presented, the only component of that plate that I truly relished were the grilled vegetables bathing in the Tepanyaki sauce. My other Tepanyaki-eating friend, who had chosen the fish and shrimp version, was simply raving about her food, which led me to conclude that the beef and shrimp must have created the problem. In this little restaurant, with extremely friendly waiters who offered us complimentary green tea (as well as three complimentary pieces of octopus with the Sushi platter), one felt rather peaceful, despite the 1980s hits humming in the background. With our LE210 bill settled, we walked out full, calm, and a little more composed. Way Out Sushi, 14 Road 218, Degla, Maadi Tel: 754 3202
