Restaurant review: Spoilt for choice There has been a strange whiff in the heart of Maadi, discovers Gamal Nkrumah Ah, what poetry there is in the name of this particular restaurant, yet the name is something of an anomaly -- quite frankly a misnomer. Between visits to some very much more illustrious restaurants on Maadi's main shopping thoroughfare Road Nine, I sought out Mediterraneo the other day. Two waiters swung the door open. I walked into the otherwise deserted Mediterraneo, and the cool white and pale blue of the walls was refreshing and uplifting. Water paintings of panoramic Mediterranean scenes graced the walls. I slipped into a chair next to a window overlooking Road Nine. This was certainly a restaurant with a difference. And, what a surprise it turned out to be. For starters I was told it doesn't even serve exclusively Mediterranean cuisine. The dishes at Mediterraneo come from all corners of the world -- Asia, the Americas, as well as the Mediterranean. The second notable thing about the curious Mediterraneo, I discovered later, is that those who frequent this eatery regularly praise it to the skies. At first, the clientele appeared to be predominantly Asian: a Filipino couple, and a lone Japanese. I was puzzled. Then on closer inspection of the menu, I discovered that it was mostly Asian cuisine that was on offer. Yes, there were a number of Mediterranean dishes, but the vast majority of dishes displayed on the menu were Asian -- especially Thai and Japanese. The waiters, all too eager Egyptian young men, are at your beck and call. You just have to nod or point an index finger and they are right by your side. The moment you leave the restaurant two or three of them rush to your table and clear everything, leaving it spotless for the next client. And, it is not as if the waiters are too timorous or worried about the tips they might lose if they don't wear a toothy smile. The Filipino couple pleaded to be seated with a window view and the waiters happily obliged. I, too, watched the passers-by on bustling Road Nine. There is an interesting bookstore right across the road, and to save time I popped in to buy a book while the chef prepared the food. Upon my return, Mediterraneo was pretty packed -- a French woman and her teenage daughter, four boisterous American young women, another Southeast Asian and a large and noisy Egyptian family. Apparently, the busiest period of the day is lunch at Mediterraneo. From a restaurateur's perspective this was very good business. Fresh fruit juices and gossip were flowing freely. This particular eatery is an ideal place to go for appetisers and interesting snacks. There were Asian dishes galore: Pad Thai, or rice noodle seafood and Somen vermicelli noodles (wheat-based, Japanese style), the traditional Japanese (wheat flour) tempura Udon. Soba (buckwheat noodles), also Japanese, was tempting. I was at a loss, but opted for the Pad Thai. It was light, delicate and simple. There was a whole section, presumably for children, called Little Japanese. Gomoku Don -- sautéed vegetables, seaweed and seafood, a mouthwatering combination, appealed to me. Among the most curious dishes on offer was the so-called Med sushi (10 pieces, I was told). The tempura set was tempting. Sizzling Japanese or appetising Italian pasta? The main dishes section was eye-dazzlingly cosmopolitan -- chicken Française with mushrooms, chicken Murphy (presumably American and includes capers, chili peppers and onion) and the typically French chicken cordon bleu. Moreover, there were a number of Latin American entrees -- Mexican fajita -- beef, chicken, fish, shrimp and mixed seafood. The sweet and sour options were shrimp, fish or chicken. As I flicked through the pages of the menu, I soon realised that there were a number of Mediterranean dishes. Pasta galore: penne Arabiata; penne Road Nine; fettucine chicken drenched in a rich creamy basil sauce was greedily gulped down by my sons. I toyed with the idea of a pungent Thai seafood salad, which included shrimp and squid, spicy fritters with an even spicier sauce. The main seafood entrees, likewise, did not sound particularly Mediterranean. The blackened fish served with steamed rice, was tempting. The seafood basket, I was told is exceptionally good. Then there was the rather South Asian-sounding shrimp curry. And, of course, there was more Japanese: sushi maki, kappa maki and teriyaki fish maki. The sandwiches are anything but Mediterranean; in actual fact, they sounded decidedly American -- California tuna melt, Philly steak (tenderloin fillet), New Jersey grilled chicken, and the list goes on. I wish everyone would stop by the Mediterraneo. Mediterraneo 76 Road 9, Maadi Tel: 02 2380 5030 Lunch for two: LE150 By Injy El-Kashef
