Restaurant review: Red Sea Ramadan Beyond the binge there is the plunge into the midnight waters at a riveting Mövenpick resort, writes Gamal Nkrumah The beachfront at Mövenpick Resort Al-Sokhna is not known for the sleepy down-at-heel charm of some of the other remoter Red Sea resorts. Beyond the chic sheen there is a world of midnight diners, loudmouths who puff away at Marlboro Lights and shishas (hookahs), gorge themselves on Ramadan treats -- syrupy sweet desserts -- and gulp down by the pint-load equally sugary drinks -- luscious fruit juices and the like. If you fancy Iftar (breaking the fast) or Sohour (late night snack) this Ramadan in the wild wonders of the deep blue yonder is the place to be. To get a panoramic view of what this captivating spot holds in store for you this sweltering Ramadan head for Al-Gezeira Restaurant, an island in the middle of the Red Sea off the Mövenpick's seafront. This is Ramadan sticky sweet delights deluxe for sun-bathers and swimmers alike. CataplanA is captivating, but Al-Gezeira is bewitching, especially as the sun goes down, with the enchanting island restaurant's exceptional vistas on all sides. Mövenpick Resort Al-Sokhna is typically a place with hoards of tourists -- happily not in mid-summer -- that attracts crowds with a penchant for inviting beaches along the Red Sea within easy reach from Cairo. Everything is just too pristine. Although also popular with the locals, but not necessarily during Ramadan in seething August, the Mövenpick does not particularly entice those who lean towards the pedantic. This Ramadan might prove to be an exception to that rule. Al-Gezeira's à la carte menu is replete with dozens of seafood dishes -- even the pizzas are peppered with the denizens of the deep. CataplanA serves more traditional Ramadan repasts and the atmosphere is more akin to the hustle and bustle of Cairo than a dreamlike seaside resort restaurant. An ear-splitting argument between a virulent, athletically built waiter delivering a large tray of Ramadan delicacies and a cantankerous and corpulent chef in charge of the day's Iftar only adds to the drama. Not so long ago, Ain Al-Sokhna was an archetypal backwater on the Red Sea's Gulf of Suez. Remote, dirt poor and in the summer months unbearably torrid. It was never, however, impossibly inaccessible from Cairo and today it is booming and teeming with life and leisure. The ambiance of the restaurants of Mövenpick Resort Al-Sokhna during Ramadan in mid-summer automatically feeds a sense of the surreal. At Al-Gezeira, the headwaiter overbearingly takes command of the menu, twiddling it between his fat fingers and suggesting a fishy starter for us. "You should have the fried fish. The sea bass is especially fresh. You like fish? It is very good," he squealed. The family next to my table orders pizza. As the huge portions of pizza arrive they eye my fish with envy. I segue from tales of the unexpected Ramadan soap operas cluttering television screens this season in a desperate bid to explore non-controversial topics. Alas, the conversation swerves suddenly back to the feast of fish and assorted seafood sitting pretty on my plate. Ramadan cooking occupies a distinctive place in the cuisine of restaurant attendants this summer. It is part of a universal craving for what Egyptians, as nationals of other predominantly Muslim countries, perceive as comforting dishes from the past. The connoisseurs of typical Ramadan cooking styles will be a little disappointed at Al-Gezeira and even at CataplanA. It is naïve, however, to expect to sample slow-cooked and elaborate Ramadan dishes with a definite sense of history at a modern Mövenpick seaside resort with a diverse and cosmopolitan clientele. Al-Gezeira is one of the most relaxed and effective combinations of restaurant and resort I have come across in Ain Al-Sokhna during Ramadan. Enlivened by the panoramic surroundings, the restaurant exudes Red Sea charm. In every other respect bar one, Al-Gezeira lives up to the Mövenpick's reputation for etherealness without extravagance. The restaurant's less than elegant crockery fails to add extra lustre to seafood dishes such as the highly recommended fried fish. CataplanA and Al-Gezeira Mövenpick Resort Al-Sokhna Zaafarana Road, Ain Al-Sokhna Tel: 062 339 0800 Iftar for two: LE350
