A 20-minute drive outside Cairo at Seasons Resort and Country Club (Kilometer 18 of the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road) is a gem of a restaurant, where you can finally get some decent fondue. The laidback club is built on eight acres of extended greenery, surprisingly with a view of the Giza Pyramids. During the day in good weather, you can go swimming or play tennis but on a cold winter's night, head straight to Alto's Bistro. The bistro is the baby of Seasons Executive Chef Andrew Mitchell. Canada-born Mitchell gets his inspiration from years of traveling through Australia and France. Tucked away in the club house, the restaurant is a medium-size venue decorated in mahogany and wood with beige stripy walls and black and white framed pictures of Downtown Cairo of the 1940s and 1950s. The open kitchen design and comfortable plush leather seats make you feel right at home. Unpretentious and welcoming, Alto's is exactly what a classic bistro should be, with the music featuring a mix of brand new dance tunes like Mika with classics like Queen. You can order from a selection of local or imported wines to accompany dinner. A full-blown in-house bar is also available, offering drinks such as cognac and baileys. The menu is especially appealing to meat-lovers, although a selection of salads is available. Start with Alto's salad, made up of roasted beetroot, goats cheese, rocket, fresh oranges topped with a balsamic coriander pine nut dressing. For appetizers, choose from a selection of New Zealand green shell mussels offered with various sauces, including béchamel and tomato sauce. Also recommended is the Coquille St. Jacques, scallops imported from France. For a main dish options include steak (imported Australian meat) and seafood varieties, but both the cheese and meet fondues are highly recommended. When the boiling hot pots come sizzling you are given two sticks. The one with the longer fork is for the meat, the shorter for the cheese. The Swiss communal dishes come over a small flame to keep it hot throughout dinner and keep the cheese mix in an almost liquid form. The cheese consists of Mitchell s own blend of Swiss cheeses, garlic and his own secret ingredients. "Egyptians don't like dry things... They would rather have something sweet so I found a way to balance the white wine, keeping its taste but not so harsh, he explains. The meat fondue is simply delectable. The chopped-up beef fillet comes with a selection of pepper sauce, Roquefort and mustard sauce. Extra non-traditional sauces include coconut green curry (Thai style), spicy peanut and sweet chili. Each piece of meat can be dipped into a whole new spectrum of flavors making the meal rather eclectic. With meat fondue, be sure to remove the meat from the dipping fork before biting it off. Not only is it bad etiquette, but you'll likely burn your lip with the hot metal if you're not careful. Be sure to leave room for the delicious dessert menu. Banana cream pie, blueberry cheesecake, konafa, nougat, fudge brownies and Apple crumble cake are equally good options. A three course meal, excluding alcohol, will cost about LE 150-200 per person. It's definitely worth it. Seasons Resort & Country ClubKm. 18, Cairo - Alexandria Desert Road.Behind Oasis Hotel, Giza. Tel: (02) 3838 7268 www.seasonscountryclub.com
