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THE EXECUTIVE LIFE
DINING OUT	FREQUENT FLYER	TOP PICKS

OPEN SEASON ON CAIRO'S TOP BUFFETS

BY SARAH BROBERG

Over the past month, Business Monthly sampled a few buffet dinners from the heart of the city to the outskirts of town. A few miles and couple of pounds later, here’s a roundup of the ones we enjoyed most.

Felucca Café

The Felucca Café offers a different gastronomical delight each night of the week and a vast seating area with plenty of elbow room, even on the busiest evenings.

A Lebanese theme was on offer the night Business Monthly first visited, and a full buffet was tucked in the corner against the paneled black marble walls. All the typical Lebanese mezze, as well as a few local specialties, were there: creamy tahina; thick and smooth hummus; taboula; artichoke and red pepper salad; and grilled liver with green pepper, soy and peppercorn – all served fresh with crisp vegetables and tangy sauces.

As was to be expected, the entrées stayed true to the Lebanese love of lamb by offering savory rice with cinnamon and diced lamb, juicy lamb kabobs in a fresh red salsa and spicy lamb skewers, to name but a few. A skilled chef served lamb ras asfour – small chunks of lamb sirloin sautéed with diced red peppers and onions with a dollop of hummus on top. For non-red meat lovers, there was a savory whitefish with firey peppers, fluffy potato kofta, and of course what Lebanese meal would be complete without some excellent stuffed vine leaves and garlic-rich fatta with chicken, pine nuts and yoghurt.

Assuming you’ve saved room, a vast dessert selection awaits. This night featured a wide assortment of Middle Eastern delicacies including a surprisingly light but tasty basbousa, sweet and hearty om ali, crunchy sesame and pistachio cookies, as well as three kinds of rice pudding: with rose water, infused with coconut and raisins, and topped with crushed pistachios. The highlight of the treat table was the simply luscious konafa with cream. Warm and buttery, the konafa literally melted in the mouth while the rich cream served to amplify the experience.

Seasons

The luxurious Seasons Restaurant – with breathtaking views of the Nile – has what is reputed to be the best seafood buffet in town every Wednesday evening. Business Monthly put the claim to the test.
Eschewing the more traditional buffet-style setup, Seasons carefully arranges salads, sushi and other dishes in tinted glass platters served on beveled glass tables. On many nights, a string trio plays live music while guests peruse the cold and hot offerings.

Among the cold salads and dips was a truly memorable zesty calamari salad with bell peppers. Sliced in short, thick strips, the calamari was soft and fresh, its subtle taste accentuated by red and yellow peppers, coriander, black peppercorn, and a light dressing of blended mayo and cocktail sauce.

Perennial hot-dish buffet favorites include the creamy shrimp fettuccini, tender baked salmon, seafood chowder, spicy shrimp curry and scallop casserole that literally melts in the mouth. Definitely worth a try is the prawn konafa – fresh large prawns that have been peeled, seasoned and wrapped in a fine layer of konafa, then fried till golden brown. Succulent and tender, they come served with a choice of cocktail, fruity, spicy and hot mustard sauces.

If you’re in the mood for fresh seafood, this is the place – with an impressive array of fresh crab, squid, eel, shrimp, fish and shellfish attractively displayed on a bed of crushed ice. Seasons’ chefs grill your selection in their open kitchen, with herbs and spices upon request.

You’ll also find seafood among the delicious multi-themed buffet offered every Sunday. The so-called “Four Flavors” highlights the finest cuisine of four different countries. On the night of our visit, the selection included French, Italian, Malaysian and Japanese cuisine – but every week brings a different four, so no two visits are the same.

Mirage Café

There’s something good cooking every night of the week at the airy Mirage Café, which boasts floor-to-ceiling windows with a stunning view of the man-made river that lazily winds through the lush garden of the JW Marriott Hotel. The large buffet, tucked between two large seating areas, changes nightly.

When Business Monthly visited, the theme was seafood. A quick tour around the expansive buffet made it difficult to decide where to begin, though the steamed salmon and fried calamari were the obvious stars. The salmon, served moist in a light but rich cream sauce, was seasoned with coriander, black pepper and a twist of lemon. Meanwhile, the fried calamari, prepared with a pinch of seasoning salt, was a deep golden brown and proved hot, soft and slightly chewy – no easy feat considering their size.

To our delight, baked oysters on the half shell – a rarity in Egypt – were available. The medium to small-sized oysters were expertly cleaned and served baked with a dash of pepper, sliding gently out of their shells as they should. For something a bit savory, we sampled the scalloped potatoes au gratin with shrimp – a dish of thinly sliced potatoes covered in a thick, buttery sauce with a generous portion of cheddar cheese, fragrant green onions and ample baby shrimp. Simply delicious.

Among other offerings were a small selection of sushi and sashimi, a variety of cheeses and freshly baked breads, and a chef, we were told, able to prepare grilled seafood dishes with any combination of shrimp, calamari, crab and mixed vegetables.

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