Hanan Radwan learns not to be deceived by names "Pick a card. Any card." This infamous call invoked by street hustlers to lure passers-by to indulge in petty gambling comes to mind when I recall my dining experience at Neo Café. Comparing the food and settings to the café's appellation, one cannot help but conclude that the term "Neo" was chosen after a decision to "pick a name. Any name." The reason is simple. There is nothing distinct, new or unique about Neo Café. Now this should not be taken to mean that the enterprise is a flop. But apart from its name, this eatery is no different than the myriad of cafés scattered throughout the city. The quintessential mix of chairs and leather couches, the corner counter loaded with glasses and coffee machines, and the wall paintings of prim gentlemen and ladies sipping cocktails at a bar and other trimmings found in most cafés in Cairo are all there and boringly familiar. And while the menu items are given French and Italian titles and bear names of different European countries, the contents are no more than the proverbial salad, pizza and grilled steak. Enough complaining. No sooner had my friend and I settled down than our spirits were warmed by a basket of freshly toasted pita bread triangles flecked with dried thyme, rosemary and specks of white cheddar. We marvelled at the waiters' ability to manoeuvre their way around the tables carrying up to four platters each and serving us deftly, all with their eyes glued to the football match vibrating on the wall television screens. Nodding his head disapprovingly at a missed goal, one of the waiters plunked down our Cheese Pane appetiser before us: four misshapen pieces of chewy mozzarella sealed in a jacket of light crispy batter. Dipped in the accompanying honey mustard sauce, the cheese tasted better than it looked and made for a satisfying start. We shared a gigantic bowl brimming with milky mushroom soup on which our waiter ground fresh pepper flakes. Teeming with bits of fresh meaty fungus, the soup was rich but did not leave us with a queasy too-much-of- a-good-thing feel that most mushroom soups do. As we ordered our main course, the waiter noticed my gnarled smile turn into a nasty frown after he turned down three of my choices because their ingredients were not available that day. "Madam, we only serve ingredients that we can find fresh in the market," he declared. "So we sent back the seafood consignment we got today and we could not find fresh broccoli and avocado." Tamed by his response, I opted for the Strachetti Alla Romana, which my friend decided to share with me. My frustration was somewhat assuaged. Our beef strips arrived warm and plentiful, marinated in balsamic vinegar and peppered with parmesan flakes and crushed cashew nuts. The platter was a dazzling presentation, with stalks of homemade fries, vegetables sautéed in garlic butter and a lit candle huddling inside a cored tomato encircling the meat. Although some of the beef strips were rather stringy, the dish on the whole was palatable -- and washed with a tart and refreshing lemon/mint cocktail, it left us both satisfied. In fact, the appetiser, soup and entrée filled us adequately enough that although between the two of us we had eaten a one-course meal, we could not stand up to dessert. Neo Café has a separate menu for tea with flamboyant concoctions like Rose Hips, Hawthorns, Marigold Petals and Apricot and Honeydew Melon. Yet, having learned not to be deceived by flashy titles, my friend settled for American coffee which, like the rest of the Café's offerings, reminded me of a comment that a fastidious British friend often made: "good but nothing new to write home about." Neo Café 4 Al-Anab Street, off Abdel-Moneim Riad Street, Mohandessin Tel: 3760 6571/81 Dinner for one: LE120
