Cairo Marriott's Torii was obviously made to garner rave reviews. The artful presentation of the food coupled with authentic interiors and prompt friendly service make for a comfortable and enjoyable meal. The freshness of the ingredients instantly transports you to Asia, a heaven of exotic tastes. The appetizers, the sushi and the dessert will satisfy Japanese food lovers and are the perfect induction to those new to this Asian cuisine. The small-sized venue offers three different seating arrangements. You can choose between regular wooden dining tables placed around the room, a high barstool arrangement by the bar or a traditional alternative where tables are set low and benches are placed around them. The ceiling looks more like a star-lit sky, with small fairy bulbs faintly lit creating a gentle, relaxing mood. Across from the bar, an uneven stone wall serves as a man-made waterfall, evoking Japan's natural water landscapes, and adding a surreal feel to the interiors of the restaurant. We were seated at a table by the window and instantly handed fresh warm towels, heating up our cold hands from a wintry February night. And along came our waiter with menus. Upon knowing that it was our first time at Torii, our waiter served us with a complimentary appetizer, two servings of soft shredded noodles mixed with miniature crab sticks and shredded carrots, marinated to perfection. As we read through the food section of the menu, it took us about 15 minutes to choose what to feast on. But when it came to drinks, we were quick; it is not often that you start your meal with hot tea, not in Egypt anyway, but since my dinner partner was a novice to Japanese cuisine we decided to do as one would in Japan and order the chaba sencha zen for two (LE 40). And what a fine decision that was. Our tea was served in a classic porcelain pot placed in the centre of a wooden tray with a small cup on each side. We were sipping tea throughout the entire evening, but my dinner partner commented on the fact that it lacked strong flavor and may have needed an extra tea bag. Despite our complementary starters, I decided to start with a classic sashimi salad (LE 85), fresh lettuce served on a bed of seaweed with carefully sliced pieces of squid, tuna and salmon, all drenched in exquisite mint dressing. If you are particular about the texture of your food, stay away from raw squid; it's gooey. My partner settled for osumashi (LE 45), a bowl of clear soap with crab, seaweed and mushrooms, which she said was soothing and adequately warm when served. Just as we were done with our starters, our main course came on a square-shaped porcelain plate. We shared a platter of anago roles (LE 67): crab, eel, cucumber, and avocado tightly rolled in big-bite-sizes, which were complemented by the classic wasabi and coiled pickled ginger placed on each end of the plate. To my dinner partner, it was a great ice-breaker to sushi land as the seaweed often acts as a buffer to those who still fear the idea of raw fish. And to satisfy my nigiri craving, I ordered a serving of ebi (LE 45), or shrimp nigiri. The stickiness of the rice was just right, and the size made it easy for me to dip it in soy sauce and toss into my mouth without making a mess. When it was time for desert, we were quite full but could not resist when the waiter recommended the tempura ice cream (LE 40), fried tempura balls filled with vanilla ice cream served with freshly sliced kiwi, pineapple, apples, oranges and strawberries creating a beautiful ray of colors against the white serving plate. Our spoons dove in breaking the crispy golden crust onto the warm, smooth ice cream. It was mouthwatering and a great end to a delightful dinner, rounding up our meal like perfect punctuation.
