I will survive

Injy El-Kashef after the earthquake
One of the most powerful and insolent of human endeavours is survival. That's why I was happy to realise recently that I had begun to miss Maadi. Where is the connection, you may wonder. Well, here it is: Maadi is associated in my mind with one of the worst phases of my long, prosperous and exciting life, and feeling ready to go back without sensing awful butterflies in my stomach is probably a good sign. To feel even prouder of myself, I went to Le Memphis Boat on the Corniche, which, in the aforementioned context, can be described as a seismic epicentre.
It was a beautiful day, the sun was setting, I was waiting for one of my favourite people on earth and I was starving to death: the perfect conditions for a lovely meal. I trotted up to The View restaurant on the boat after trying the sun deck and deciding it would best be saved for dinner, when the Nile breeze made the heat more bearable. As I entered the restaurant, I was instantly reminded of an amazing trip I once took down the Nile on a cruising hotel -- the very same carpeted floors, brightly upholstered seats, low ceilings and large windows overlooking the river. The menu was promptly delivered by a charming, smiling waiter and the order placed in a flash.
Because of my nasty cold I ordered a Mushroom Soup, which, I am afraid, set the standard of most of the food to come. The mushrooms themselves were good, but that was not the chef's doing, unless they have a cellar or a dark bathroom somewhere on the boat where they grow their own, and that is extremely doubtful. The soup itself was thick, gooey and tasteless, and honestly seemed to contain so much gelatin that they might as well have replaced the mushrooms with apples or bananas and given it a shot of red food colouring: voilà, Jello. Next came our Salade Niçoise, which consisted of boiled potatoes, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, olives and green beans in a lemony dressing. It all tasted good -- but not like any salade niçoise I have ever tried. As for our main courses, my friend had Lasagne al Forno, which I personally did not enjoy tasting. Half the plate was left untouched after both of us had already eaten as much as we could. My Beef Entrecôte with Mushrooms was the only dish that I found not only acceptable, but even rather good, although I had long given up hope on any such pleasures. It was tender, well cooked and well seasoned with a thick brown gravy and sautéed mushrooms. Beside it lay small morsels of boiled vegetables with butter. Much better than I had expected, judging by the course the lunch had taken so far.
Well, exceptions are exceptions, after all, as was proven by the desserts. She had an uninteresting bowl of Fresh Fruit Salad swimming in a sweet and tangy sauce that she did not appreciate, while my Petit Puff Rainbow was not puff pastry, as I had expected, but a thin, fried and caramelised edible bowl containing four perfectly unappetising ice-cream scoops and a hint of melted cooking chocolate. Thank goodness we had so much to discuss, or this meal (for LE150, including a diet Pepsi and a shot of Brandy Bouquet) would never have gone down.
The View, Le Memphis Boat, Nile Corniche, Maadi.
Tel: 5240536
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