Restaurant review: Lebanon cometh Gamal Nkrumah spots a café that offers distinctive treatment of the genre Time marches on, and 2008 is upon us. This has been a year when many deeply held beliefs have been challenged. However, the conviction that eateries at shopping malls are a winning formula did not wane in 2007. Among the café- restaurants that opened this year in the glitzy Nile City towers, Casper & Gambini's stands out. Waiters bedecked in eau du Nil waistcoats buzz around the bustling restaurant overlooking the Nile. Looks, however, can be deceptive. To write about Casper & Gambini's in less than gastronomic terms would surely be sanctimonious. After all, this is a café that caters for a certain cosmopolitan connoisseur. And so, I set out cheerfully, children in tow, to the plush Nile City shopping mall. Through the portals we passed, and that was when it first dawned on me that the management was Lebanese. The waiters, many with unmistakable Levantine accents, milled about both effortlessly and efficiently. Perfectly palatable, the food was anything but Lebanese, though. It was fusion cooking with Asian overtones. The menu runs the gamut of fusion cooking dishes -- caramel prawns with Asian palm sugar caramel -- I did not take any chances as I am not too fond of sweet and sour. However, "Get Hooked on Salmon" caught my eye. The enterprising Lebanese come in many disguises. What is becoming clear in contemporary Egypt is that Lebanese entrepreneurs and investors are flocking to the country in ever-increasing numbers. They should continue to do so as they invariably tend to add a touch of the proverbial je ne sais quoi. The award-winning international restaurant-café chain based in Beirut first opened in the Lebanese capital in 1996 and soon spread like wildfire across the Middle East and beyond. Mark Khalife, director of operations for the Cairo franchise, concedes that Egypt is an all-important venture. During the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, Casper & Gambini's outlets in the country closed down, but the staff were flown to Egypt to train Egyptians. Loss was gain. The service is superb. "How do you like your salmon, sir? I recommend the medium rare," the waiter ventured sheepishly. I nodded vigorously. "That is exactly how I like my salmon," smiling back in anticipation of a mouthwatering salmon steak. Within 10 minutes, a substantial salmon portion reclining elegantly on a white porcelain plate was plonked down in front of me. The steak sat on a bed of subtly perfumed basmati rice. The spices were indeterminable, but I detected saffron and nutmeg. Large portions of finely chopped tomato and bell peppers, ginger, lemongrass, chives, sesame and chunky aubergine slices that melted in the mouth like butter accompanied the fish. The section on the menu reserved for dessert and aptly entitled "Indulgence" includes cocoa tiramisu, which is a sure delight, but I had to give it a miss -- too rich. The waiter recommended the espresso- flavoured genoise and fresh mascarpone Italian all- time favourite, but I opted instead for the apple and nuts crumble. The oat-roasted apple was amply dusted with cinnamon. Another option was "Casper's Fondue for Two" and Casper's cheesecake "served with a luscious berry" compote. My son Karim, who is very keen on vanilla, chose the white chocolate samosa, a thin crisp pastry stuffed with delectable berries and the whole drenched in vanilla bean ice cream. His brother Youssef is partial to cheesecake, but insisted that I remove the stewed fruit topping when his favourite dish arrived. He gobbled it up with a suitable display of relish. I duly ordered a most refreshing Earl Grey and lavender tea to wash down the fishy aftertaste. Happy New Year. Casper & Gambini's Nile City, 2005 Corniche Al-Nil Ard Al-Agha Khan, Cairo Tel: 2461 9000 Lunch for three: LE250
