Injy El-Kashef thinks she is Diana Ross We are big girls now. Big girls are not supposed to do certain things anymore. Yet there are days on which totally unacceptable behaviour is irresistible, behaviour like walking along the Corniche arm in arm while gossiping about significant others. Big girls shouldn't do these things, though of course they do. Not that it is me who ever behaves like that, though I am understanding enough to allow it in my presence. (Well, I walked a good deal ahead of said girls to maintain a proper distance, but I would not have denied our relationship if asked). Sooner or later, though, one needs to put an end to embarrassing public displays of friendship and complicity and push said girls in a car, drive them to a good restaurant and give them an extraordinary meal. So there I was with two adorable giggly women (if we can call them that) at the Bird Cage, Semiramis Hotel's new Thai restaurant. The waiter took a quick look at our trio and decided he was going to trust this reviewer to taste the wine. A graceful, smily nod and out came the ruby-coloured Omar Khayyam in our glasses. While our order was being cooked The Supremes had ample time to conclude that not only were we sitting in very pleasant surroundings indeed but, also, that the place seemed like an exact recreation of an up-scale restaurant in Bangkok, as pointed out by Supreme N. We began with some Thai Satai (chicken and beef) accompanied by an array of different sauces. On their skewers, they were incredibly tender, with that satai melt-in-the mouth sweetness that only our tangy Sea Food Salad could distract us from. We had requested the calamari be removed, as one of the Supremes could not handle the presence of tentacles in her food. Well, she just had to skip that appetiser because tentacles came aplenty -- and a good thing too because I cannot conceive of a sea food salad without delicious, rubbery, ivory-coloured strips. She could compensate for that with her Sea Bass Fillet Cooked in Banana Leaves. That was a work of art. I can't say it was subtle, for the taste was extremely rich; but it was pure, it was real fish. The chunks were soft, thick, unobtrusively seasoned. My Chicken Cashew in Oyster Sauce was the exact opposite of that. The dish was a clever amalgamation of one thousand and one flavours, the whole merging perfectly in a harmonious sauce loaded with a copious amount of cashews. But, being my mother's daughter, I had to think the Beef Fillet with Mushrooms sitting opposite me was better. And so, much to her dismay, I proceeded to pick some off Supreme J's plate. There was not one ingredient out of place, the mushrooms adding that unbeatable palate tickling aftertaste. After squabbling over the choice of desserts, Supreme N was given her totally uninteresting Pumpkin Pie, while Supreme J shared my pick: Fried Bananas with Ice Cream. Delicious, nutritious, inhumanely rich -- just what we needed to top off our LE407 bill for three. Diana Ross is always right. Bird Cage, Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel, Nile Corniche, Tahrir
