Restaurant review: Jack of all plates Hanan Radwan explores the mechanics of Italian cuisine Finding a good Italian restaurant in Cairo is like finding a good car mechanic: both are abundant, but very few can do the job right. For some reason, self-professed Italian restaurants that open up in Cairo are usually no more than glorified casual dining outlets. It seems that as long as "the three P's" are in the menu -- pasta, pizza and parmesan cheese -- then it is safe to call the restaurant Italian. But just as German car spare parts cannot be substituted, store-bought spaghetti and canned tomato sauce do not make up an authentic Italian dish. Yet amazingly, Italian restaurants keep sprouting up faster than car repair workshops. Even more amazingly, Egyptians are never too wary to try them out. And I am no exception. Condetti -- named after an up-market street in Rome -- is one of the latest contenders for connoisseurs of Italian cuisine. So of course, I had to try it out. Lured by its elegant white sign, I entered into a spacious dining area furnished in beige and brown and sporting illuminated pictures of Roman statues and paintings of the Italian countryside and mountains. The wooden, glass-top tables are hollowed out and divided into quarters, one of which is filled with coloured glass fragments, another with potpourri, the third with seashells and the fourth with coffee beans. A long counter at the corner showcases an espresso machine, condiment trays and countless glasses and cups. So far so good, I thought. Until I saw the menu. In a word, it has everything including the kitchen sink. In addition to the usual fare there are pizzas and sandwiches; a breakfast and a diet menu; fruit cocktails and smoothies galore; and there is even a cook-it-yourself option with a table grill. It seemed that I had stumbled onto yet another Jack-of-all-plates. Wading through the 17-page menu, I skipped the halloumi pane, vegetable spring rolls and croque monsieur, and tried to find something Italian. My friend winced at my choice of appetiser. Even today, my stomach churns when I recall the eggplant au gratin: three monstrous slices of roasted eggplant smothered with melted mozzarella and sprawling over heaps and heaps of diced tomato. The skin on the edges of the eggplant stuck between my molars and the tomato and cheese were oily I kept thinking to myself: "Is this a starter or a terminator?" For the second starter, my friend put her foot down. Italian or no Italian, if we were going to have ravioli, it would be with any sauce other than tomato. So I sheepishly asked the waiter to substitute cream sauce for the tomato blend that came with the shrimp ravioli. Alas, that made little difference. Although the sauce was acceptable and the ravioli dough well cooked, I simply could not detect the stuffing. "Maybe they should have written 'Ravioli with shrimp molecules," I quipped uneasily as my nose almost touched the plate in my efforts to locate seafood. In despair, we decided to share the main course. However, once we selected pollo gorgonzola, things changed from bleak to blissful. In a huge oval platter, three succulent chicken breasts lounged in a warm pool of creamy gorgonzola cheese sauce speckled with chives. Like slaves fanning the king, two large broccoli florets flanked the chicken, followed by a crowd of cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and zucchini, all lightly sautéed in garlic. If we ever decide to return to Condetti, the chocolate fondant will be the reason. A warm chocolate soufflé oozing with a luscious milk chocolate sauce and dusted with cocoa powder, the dish came with a dollop of creamy vanilla ice cream. Warm, cool and smooth never made a tastier trio. I left Condetti with the same conclusion as when I leave my mechanic's workshop: the job was not excellent, but my car is still running -- and with Condetti my palate is not entirely offended. Condetti 33 Amman Street, Doqqi Tel: 3760 4114 Dinner for two: LE137
