Restaurant review: Italian with a twist The name rings a bell, and with the repast a tale to tell, drools Gamal Nkrumah These days, despite our much vaunted catholicity and gusto for all things gustatory, the true gamut of palatable comestibles we are prepared to devour ravenously has narrowed considerably. This is especially so as far as fish is concerned. I mention this because there has been a sort of inversion of nutritional value with the denizens of the deep, and in particular the fresh water fish found in the Nile. I can't recall precisely when the scare concerning mercury-saturated riparian creatures first surfaced as a favourite topic of conversation at diplomatic receptions and bombastic banquets. Rossini's seafood specialties, though, are an entirely different kettle of fish. A stylish restaurant in the heart of Heliopolis, Rossini does not particularly stand out for its setting, I hasten to add. Yet it does have a certain intimate ambiance; perhaps it is the Italian ring in Rossini. Also playing their part is Rossini's courteous and amenable staff with their laconic and relaxed, but precise service? And, of course, Rossini's exciting cooking -- a wide range of mouthwatering offerings, not necessarily nor exclusively Italian. "You'll love the fried sole," I ventured. "With plenty of French fries," I dropped the bait. "Are they alive?" muttered Youssef. In our family there was commonly supposed to be something about my son Youssef's palate and physiology that had him cast as contemptuous of fishy stuff. Combined with his air of guardedness he gives an impression of diffidence. Youssef will only eat shelled prawns and he'll never touch crabs. As a rather squeamish Aquarian -- he prefers to define himself as fastidious -- he goes for savoury turkey sizzlers, and as he cannot stomach an undesirable connecting tissue I meticulously trim off any attached unctuous flesh or sinew. Karim, a characteristically creative Cancerian, is fond of fabrication and has no qualms about crabs and other crustaceans being a Crab himself. The Water-Bearer fancies foods quite restrained in flavour: pastas with a light touch, succulent in texture. The Crab, in sharp contrast, favours a pungent sauce with thick consistency and he'll happily toss a knob of butter swirling it in to enrich whatever condiment he adds to his desired dish. The food comes. It is hearty and plentiful. We commence the fiesta with a rich broth that is flavoured with cilantro. Firm-fleshed meaty fish appeals to Karim but Youssef eyes it suspiciously and promptly dismisses it as "cat food". Careful not to appear immodest in my riposte, I concur that I have no great enthusiasm for flavourless fresh water fish, but that the flaky white flesh of the fried sole was a fish to be gobbled up with relish. The waiter reappears making sure that there was no letdown with the mains. He proceeds to describe each dish in some detail. Karim remarks that the vegetables, especially his favourite lightly sautéed broccoli, are flawlessly turned out. He crunches on one himself and proudly pronounces it outstanding, much to his brother's consternation. It is time for the highlight of the meal, the beef stew, Italian style. We feasted off the prime cuts. The chunky lean morsels couldn't have been more tender or to have packed more flavour. A significant proportion of the perfectly cooked meat drenched in rich sauce found its way to Karim's embouchement. He insisted we all had a bite as surely such gratifying flesh was not to be forsaken. A few minutes later, his BlackBerry buzzed with imperceptible recriminations from a girlfriend. It was against this feisty backdrop that I scoured our surroundings. Rossini is chic, but it isn't one of those restaurants that can appear over-decorative. Checking out other guests is a favourite pastime of the family at such outings. The clientele didn't seem so snobbish. I reached out for one last scrap of garlicky bruschetta. The garlic, I am assured, will leave no noxious traces. Tea ordered, we turned to the dessert menu. But alas, there was no room for pudding, even one that sprung out of the kitchen of the most famous celebrity chefs in town. Rossini 66 Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Street Heliopolis, Cairo Tel: 2580 8000 Dinner for three: LE650
