Dragging the dragon

By Injy El-Kashef
We approve. They don't exactly play Ravi Shankar at Wok 'n Roll, but the music is one of the only two things I will be able to tease them about in this review (the other being the eons it takes them to bring the food). I saw the sign what seems like ages ago (although they only just opened last May), and ignored it like I shouldn't if I knew what was good for me.
It was a crazy, rainy night. Exhausted, a little tense, famished and, generally, not in the best of moods, we ended up in Wok 'n Roll by pure chance. However, as soon as we entered we were greeted by a heart-warming sight, albeit unintentionally so: on the wall was a mosaic of a Chinese dragon with such sweet -- bovine -- eyes that it seemed to be saying "you can stroke me; I won't spit fire or anything." Its twin dragon is on the top floor where we took our seats. The decor is actually quite nice, different and subtle for an Asian restaurant. The straw blinds give a particular cosy effect with the dim lighting and the tiny paper parasols overhead.
My Bali cocktail (coconut, lime, orange and grenadine) was absolutely HUGE and simply delicious. We suddenly snapped out of our misery and began to relax. My Tom Kha Gai chicken soup with coconut and lemongrass was, honestly, not so great. Too too subtle, no real presence. I considered pleading with my husband to swap as his Tom Yum soup with seafood was, well, yum; then the idea struck me as terrifyingly reminiscent of my mother's classic restaurant act. I will eat my Tom Kha Gai, and I will like it.
What really got us rolling was our appetiser (Hormock: steamed chicken in banana leaves, topped with coconut). It wasn't just its tastiness that did the trick, but its presentation. From then on, dish after dish just looked neater and neater, and we were happier and happier. No wonder blobs of ink make teachers mad. The Thai (cold) beef salad with mixed vegetables and lemon dressing was made even tastier when they got us the oyster sauce we requested to dip it in. OK, the table was already a mess (what with chop sticks travelling from dish to sauce to mouth, with several emergency transits on the table along the way) but it was fun and delicious. No wonder the blobs of ink.
Next came several works of art: the stir fry traditional Chinese noodles with vegetables and the Pht Thai fried noodles with bean sprouts, green onions, peanuts and chicken accompanying an order of duck stir fry with spring onions and ginger and one of Sotong calamari sautéed in "a special turmeric sauce." Heaven, we're in heaven -- except for the calamari: a way overpriced tiny portion that distinctly tasted of curry, not of turmeric (I know they're relatives on some level, but still).
For dessert we had fantastic fried ice cream with honey and cinnamon -- sure I can make it at home, just like chicken pané. This delicious meal cost us LE165 and above two hours.
Wok 'n Roll, 21, Gamaet Al-Dowal Al-Arabiya St, Mohandessin.
Tel: 794 0092
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