Restaurant review: Room of the Rat Eastern philosophy and Cairene cuisine are closer to each other than you think, muses Gamal Nkrumah The Chinese Year of the Rat is an especially propitious time. Prospects for business and pleasure are greatly enhanced. I thought I would celebrate with a visit to The Chinese Lounge, at the Karvin Hotel, Heliopolis. It is one of my favourite haunts. This family-run venture is truly uplifting. As soon as you step into the hotel, the professionalism of the employees strikes you. The Karvin is consistently exhilarating, even on a wintry February evening. You are greeted with cheery, blithe faces and genuine smiles. You will not stumble across any rats at the Chinese Lounge. It is spotlessly clean. The only "rats" that you might meet are people born in the Year of the Rat, and I know that these resourceful creatures possess powers of impressive prudence, perception and perspicacity. Officially, the Year of the Rat began on 7 February. Celebrations, however, take place throughout the month. Perpetual Pandemonium is reserved for years like the Dragon, Tiger and Snake. Not so, for the Rat. The little rodent is a busy body, who according to Chinese legend was the first animal to appear before the Buddha when he summoned all the animals. For its swiftness and alacrity, the Rat was rewarded by being the first animal in the cycle of 12 animal signs of the Chinese lunar Zodiac calendar. I am still musing on the Chinese zodiac's Year of the Rat. The proprietor, Kaval Oberoi, is a charming fellow. Oberoi spent the best years of his life marinating in Cairene culture. He is forever making the rounds. He takes his business very seriously. Indeed, I wonder whether he was born in the Year of the Rat. "How do you do, Sir," he beckoned cordially as I bumped into him on the way to the Chinese Lounge. There are numerous Chinese restaurants in Cairo, but few are gastronomic showcases. And, the Chinese Lounge is not one of them. It is pleasant enough, though. Slightly confusing, there was a television set in one corner blaring Indian pop songs -- lots of giggles, shrieks, furious false eyelashes fluttering and winking. Yes, there is no escaping the fact that even though the chefs might be Chinese, the owner is Indian. We opted to have soup for starters. My son Karim, went for the sweet corn and chicken soup. I wondered for a moment whether he will have the Indian or Chinese version of this world-famous soup. Served in what I was assured was a life-enhancing broth, I fancied the spinach soup that turned out to be rather reminiscent of the Egyptian molokheya. It was a tad too garlicky, but I did not mind. The spinach wasn't overcooked, but wonderfully verdant, obviously fresh and very tasty. Fish braised in chili bean sauce followed next. We told our waiter that we had precisely 90 minutes. And, they obliged. The soup came in seconds, the main dishes took a little longer to materialise. The à la carte dishes were delicious, and especially so because the customer could improvise. Explaining how difficult it is to transfer Chinese food faithfully to Egypt, with a touch of India on the way, the waiters were full of good cheer. Brimming with excitement at the prospects of dashing off to Aswan and Luxor for a winter break, Karim gobbled up his noodles as quickly as he could. We had also ordered prawns drenched in a fresh ginger based sauce. The interior design was typically mock Chinese. The Lounge itself is vermilion with huge scarlet lanterns dangling from a crimson ceiling. The centre- piece was, oddly enough, a huge piano. Black fans with traditional southern Chinese huts painted on them completed the Chinese ambiance. Caramalised bananas for dessert pleased Youssef to no end. As the Chinese say: Gung hay fat choy -- Happy New Year. The Chinese Lounge Karvin Hotel Al-Saba Emarat Square Heliopolis, Cairo Tel: 2690 6453 Dinner for three: LE250
