Restaurant review: Ravishing in red Deck the halls with boughs of holly... it is Christmas time and Gamal Nkrumah feels jolly when the culinary experience morphs into a cultural event Electric lights strung over the tree. Festive frippery to brighten up the darkest days of the year. Globe trotting celebrities, glitzy fun. Where does one dine on Christmas Eve? In Egypt, the Coptic Christians fast in preparation for their 7 January Christmas. Special prayers are chanted, vesper praises and liturgical hymns are sung. Ka is spirit both in Coptic and in the language of the ancient Egyptians. And Kiahk is the Coptic month that roughly coincides with December. They say sabahak misak, tahdur fitarak, tahdur ashak (your morning soon becomes your evening, prepare your breakfast and then immediately prepare your supper). So the rebel in me decided to paint the town red. After all, was not the original meaning of Kiahk, Kahaka in the ancient Egyptian tongue? "The Gathering of Spirits", or the month in which kindred spirits congregate. And it was the warmth of The Grill, and the bright lights and the whiff of the traditional, contemporary and brasserie creations of French Chef Eric Heurtel that drew me to that very special restaurant on the third floor of the Semiramis InterContinental. And, yes there was a gathering of sorts -- The Grill has, thanks to the foresight of General Manager Jurgen Baumhoff, been organising a bi-monthly literary salon. "Where the cultural interacts with the culinary," explains Baumhoff. Fairy tale princesses one day and Father Christmas-like professors the next. Princess Nevine Halim reminisced about the trials and tribulation of royalty. And, professor Galal Amin pontificated about the problematic of being Egyptian. Then, there she was like the poinsettia -- the flower of holy night -- the lady in red was no Santa Claus. Lesley Lababidi, holding her Cairo's Street Stories close to her heart. The author is the first to admit that she is unconventional. She's off to Lebanon for Christmas and the New Year, her husband being Lebanese. The crimson of her top was a glittery reminder of festivities of Christmas and her pet subject, exploring Cairo's statues, squares, bridges, gardens and sidewalk cafés, were recounted in the fashion of the myths and legends surrounding Christmas. She stood tall, the platinum blonde, like a Christmas tree, her elegant gown and sparkling eyes twinkling like fancy baubles. And, she had a story to tell. "I miss West Africa -- Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea. I spent two years in Ghana. Gen Acheampong was in power, then," she smiled as if she was looking at the stars shining among the tropical forests' trees. Another storyteller, Nabila Samak, director of marketing and communications at the Semiramis InterContinental, was equally welcoming. She kindly handed me the Christmas Eve and Day menu, and spoke of the No�l sur le Nil gala dinner in hushed tones -- saumon mariné, marinated salmon with saffron, green lemon tagliatelles and blinis flavoured with bacon. Coquilles Saint Jacques à l'étuvée -- braised sea scallop with compote of leek and truffles, carrot caviar style and fennel butter sauce. Or, filet de biche -- pan-fried doe fillet with poppy seeds, cranberry shampoo and poivrade sauce. Between the mirrors, chandeliers and glass ornaments sparkles the Nile. And, the iconography of modern Egypt to cheer up the winter solstice, an evocative painting of Umm Kolthoum, or Kawkab Al-Sharq (Star of the Orient), a modern take on the most resonate voice of the Arab world. "All the statues on the streets of Cairo are of men except for one, Umm Kolthoum," Lababidi reminded her audience. "She is a fragrant memory that never loses its perfume," the celebrated musician Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, a contemporary of Umm Kolthoum's, mused. One could almost hear the sweet strains of her musical interpretation of poetry. Behind the shadows of the Bucher dining room, another iconic figure, Soad Hosni, beckoned. Her beguiling smile as sweet as ever. No statue, though, for the Cinderella of Egyptian cinema. The Grill, famous for its posh private dining booths, enticingly named Muscade (French for nutmeg), Girofle (cloves) and Safran (saffron) spices up Semiramis. As for the wine cellar, fine vintages of over 130 references, it takes pride of place. The Grill Semiramis InterContinental Corniche Al-Nile, Cairo Tel: 2795 7171 Christmas Eve and Day menu: LE295 per person
