Cymbopogon? Now you espy it, now you don't. The elusive lemongrass enthrals Gamal Nkrumah Chef Tse Yuen Man, who hails from Hong Kong, is something of a satirist and an artist as much as anything else. He has been in Egypt for the past four years and he loves it. He is nomadic, a rare breed of Chinese. He does not look like a living legend, but in Cairo he is something of a celebrity for the connoisseurs of Chinese cuisine. Lemongrass is a Chinese restaurant, disguised as Thai. But then, a considerable percentage of the Thai population is ethnically Chinese. And, they have had a tremendous impact on Thai cuisine. Cymbopogon, more commonly called lemongrass in the West, is a most delectable herb. The lemongrass' tangy citrus flavour intensifies the zest to any dish, especially the most delicate Chinese fish and seafood delicacies. Native to India, cymbopogon soon assumed a choice standing in southeastern Asian and Chinese cuisine. We were whisked away to the Orient, to the world of the King and I -- the Hollywood classic supposedly set in Siam, the ancient name for Thailand. Euphoria all around, and the food hadn't even arrived. We discuss the dishes on the menu and I immediately recommend the dim sum. The peerless Asian-inspired designs are everywhere glittering under the soft sparkling lights. Pure pageantry you might say. We are sitting in the bright airy luminous pistachio restaurant facing an inviting turquoise swimming pool. The emotional unfolding of intimate stories takes place in what appears to be a luxurious fairyland of bamboo and blossoming plants and both seem to dance to the same tune of soft Asian strains. I marvel at the exquisite Asian ambiance because it is hard to tell what is tinsel and what is flowering tree. The floral-patterned interior adds to the Asian ambiance. I catch a glimpse of birds chirping on the edge of the shimmering pool. They look like they might take flight at any moment and they do. The waiter ushers us in and promptly arrives with a refreshing lemongrass drink in pretty little glasses with intricate Asian designs, Thai I presume. It all just chimes right. I am dining with two lovely ladies. The one to my right hand side, loves fish and red meat -- like me. My other companion for the evening, is partial to chicken. Dim sum, "touch heart" in Mandarin Chinese is often accompanied with Yum Cha, green or jasmine tea. The dim sum we had at Lemongrass was served in the traditional bamboo baskets. We had our dim sum stuffed with shark fin and prawn -- both were mouthwateringly divine. My companions were overwhelmed by the allure of Asian indulgence. These most agreeable edibles were interspersed with appetising savouries, including the most delectable vegetable spring rolls I had encountered in Cairo. After their reprieve, these quaint Lilliputian pleasures take on a new intensity. Chinese dim sum requires a certain ritual etiquette. They are consumed balanced delicately between chopsticks. Crispy fried mini crab dumplings were equally delectable. We laid our chopsticks across our plates to signal to the affable and amazingly lissome waiter that we had had our fill of dim sum. Soy glazed chicken skewer, scallop and lobster nest? My companion loved her steamed chicken and vegetables with the bowl of aromatic jasmine rice. I shared the lamb chops, Malaysian-style and marinated with yes, you have guessed correctly -- lemongrass. The meat was absolutely superb. The fish was deliciously succulent and the black Chinese mushrooms that went with it heavenly. We round up the evening sipping the delicious lemongrass tea. My two gorgeous companions preferred theirs with wild honey. I was content to savour the sugarless bitter brew. Lemongrass Ring Road Mirage City, Cairo Tel: 012 225 4231 Dinner for three: LE890
