Restaurant review: Taste the difference The whining about the quality of the food at Japanese eateries in Egypt abruptly stops at Sapporo, pledges Gamal Nkrumah Sapporo, the metropolis of the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaido, is an enchanting city renowned for its fresh seafood -- salmon, sea urchin and crab. The name Sapporo itself is evocative of the mouthwatering cuisine of Hokkaido. Sapporo, the city and not the Cairene restaurant, was the birthplace of the delectable Miso Ramen, a miso soup with noodles. The Sapporo Ramen is another fabled dish. Indeed, Sapporo is unique in that it has a special theme park in the heart of the city focussed on ramens. The Asahikawa ramen and the Hakodate ramen are two other ramens typical of Hokkaido. But I didn't drop in at Sapporo, in the plush surroundings of the Giza- located Cairo Sheraton, to sample the ramens. As it happens, I was particularly interested in their famously scrumptious sashimi. Neither my companion nor I were disappointed. Sapporo, as my Japanese friends in Cairo vow, has the freshest sushi and sashimi in all of Egypt. I, too, can attest to the excellence of the food at Sapporo. Of course, the fine quality of the dishes there comes at an exorbitant price. The waitresses are bedecked in eloquent kimonos and some even sport Japanese-inspired hairstyles. The chef is a youthful-looking Filipino with a ready smile that immediately puts you on ease. Chef Edwin is a masterful cook, and he prepares his food with much zest and gusto. He has been in Egypt for the past three years and he loves the country. His spiked hair and winning smile are his characteristic trademarks. He blends in perfectly with the fresh cream and tan décor. The sushi bar is pure pleasure, but the seats in the warmest and softest of chestnuts are equally pleasurable. Huge bamboo shoots sprout out of enormous albeit delicately painted Japanese vases. The cool grey marble table tops are a most attractive feature of this upmarket eatery and the black-framed Japanese silk screens give a unique sense of elegance and privacy. The ambiance is tastefully simple, yet deceptively so, like all the finest bounties Japan has to offer. But, it was the food that was truly tantalising. Sapporo, the Japanese city, is renowned for its lamb barbecue, the jingisukan named after the redoubtable Genghis Khan. Soup curry, another celebrated Sapporo specialty, alas, was not on the menu. However, the menu was replete with countless Japanese delicacies. My companion went for the chuma beetroot and carrot roll with sesame seeds for starters. I opted instead for eko cucumber, pickled ginger, Japanese pickled radish and sesame seeds. The Tago, octopus and salmon sashimi were quite simply divine. The salmon was the freshest I have tasted in Egypt and it literally melted in my mouth. It contrasted sharply with the curiously chewy, but equally fresh, octopus. The Unagi eel sushi was heavenly. Unagi Maki is an all-time favourite of mine. I have had it in several Japanese restaurants in Cairo and abroad, but I have not tasted anything quite as palatable as the Sapporo version, except perhaps in Japan. The seaweed generously dusted with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and meticulously wrapped around the rice and eel was tantalising enough. A mouthful of this treat was out of this world. The Temaki, cone-shaped, hand-rolled sushi was equally appetising, and so were the Makimono sushi rolls. We skipped the Moriawaase Nigiri sushi -- far too much to handle, as well as the Yuki sashimi. Suffice us the Unagi eel. And drinks. Well, the northernmost Japanese metropolis is famous for its beer. It even boasts a Sapporo Beer Museum. The beer gardens in Odori Park are one of Sapporo's most famous tourist attractions. At Sapporo, Cairo Sheraton, though one cannot sip the world famous Sapporo beer, the local beer and other Egyptian varieties are readily available. And, one can, at any rate, savour a saki to wash down a sumptuous Japanese meal. Sapporo Cairo Sheraton Towers Galaa Square, Giza Tel: 333 64601/602 Lunch for two: LE300
