Restaurant review: Naughty but nice nachos A crackling good time, Mexican-style? Gamal Nkrumah savours every bite of it My youngest son, Youssef, is infuriatingly fastidious when it comes to food. So it was with trepidation that I decided to introduce him to Mexican cuisine. He insisted that he'll only have French fries since his favourite dish is banned at home. "No junk food," his mother insists. As we stepped into On the Border: Mexican Grill, a newly opened restaurant that is quite simply enchanting, my Youssef tugged at my elbow. "I shall have nothing but fries," he growled. I rolled my eyes in exasperation. "And, what if they don't have fries?" Mercifully, the waiters and waitresses were charming. We were ushered to our table in the non-smoking section. Mexican memorabilia beckons everywhere we turn -- on the shelves above the table, dangling from the ceiling. Alas there were no Mexicans, only Gringos. As soon as we were seated, a delightful waitress presented my sons with two special kids menus with an astonishingly familiar selection of entrées that rivals McDonalds. What a horror, I cringed. Needless to say, Youssef was ecstatic. The entrées included Border fried chicken and fries. Youssef pronounced the dish delicious. There was also hamburger and cheeseburger, but we gave that a miss. Traditional Mexican dishes were on offer, but I dare say that most kids in Egypt would in all probability not be tempted to try. Cheese enchilada served with Mexican rice and refried beans, kids' nachos with cheese or beans, cheese quesadillas. And, every entrée comes with a "free Kiddie Sundae" and free refills of Pepsi, fresh orange juice or milk. Pretty enticing for children, I suppose. Youssef, who loves drawing and painting, was delighted to learn that the kids menu also comes complete with crayons and a drawing pad. The theme is piracy: a monkey pirate to be painted, a puzzle, spotting the difference enigma, a treasure maze, and a pirate parrot paradise. I guess what I am trying to convey is the notion that On The Border is genuinely child friendly. And, last but not least a tongue-twisting rhyme that the child is encouraged to say three times as fast as they can: "Pretty Polly peg- legged pirate parrot with purple patch perched on a pink pencil". The adult menu was equally thrilling. I'll skip the soups, a touch too exotic for my taste. The salads vary considerably. If you crave avocado then you will love these salads. The sauces, including the honey mustard dressing, are a tad too sweet for my liking. The entrées, on the other hand, are alluring. And, the range of food on offer is mind-boggling. How many authentic Mexican dishes there are is debatable, but then we went for the simplest and least complicated ones. Marinated grilled beef that melted in your mouth; plump prawns that were greedily gobbled up by my eldest son, Karim; more avocado; grilled onions and bell peppers -- red, gold and green. The freshly-squeezed orange juice was divine. I have never tasted such zestful orange juice. There was strawberry juice, too. But, Karim complained that his vanilla milkshake was far too creamy and that he could hardly taste the vanilla. There was no room for dessert. The refried beans, a Mexican staple consisting of mashed black beans, does not beat its Egyptian counterpart. Frankly, I prefer the Egyptian. The Mexican black beans, though, are delectable when not mashed. The bean burrito proved popular with my sons. Even the picky Youssef diffidently approved. Karim adored the tortilla chips with coarsely ground beef, Mexican black beans and cheese. They both squealed with laughter when I explained that burrito in Spanish means "little donkey" and that is probably because the burrito resembles the ear of an ass. Next, I had to explain why Spanish is the language of Mexico, just like Arabic is the language of Egypt. "Why don't Mexicans speak Mexican?" Youssef demanded. "That is a long story," I pointed out and thought that perhaps I'll introduce them to Cortés and the Conquistadors, the Maya people and the Aztecs. I say, Borders doesn't disappoint. On the Border: Mexican Grill CityStars Nasr City Lunch for three: LE150
