El Andalous - A Cold Start and Hot Dinners

New Indian Restaurant at Sunrise Romance, Sahl Hasheesh

Unfortunately, January seems to have brought with it a change in weather and it’s been pretty cold (for Egypt) over the last week or so. Today it was even misty. When I say cold, I mean about 19 degrees during the day. And that means it’s really too cold to swim. Disaster!

Two years ago, we had an exceptionally cold winter, but I'm pretty sure all previous  years were sunny and beautiful. However, I went to the hairdresser and she said she keeps on forgetting that Africa can be cold (relatively) in the winter. I’m back in my jeans and thick cardigan today. So, I’m doubting my memories of the earlier years now. Hopefully this cold spell will pass and then my mind will blot this cold phase out from my mental archives, as it's apparently done for the last five years.

Maybe the weather is cold because it’s retaliating to my desire for hot food. This time that I’ve been across, I’ve been trying out several new Indian restaurants that I heard about. The first one was in the Tropitel across the Bay, which I’ve already written about briefly at the end of last year (set menu, good, but expensive).

However, when Nicole and I wandered over to look at the Thai restaurant at the Sunrise Romance hotel, we noticed that it now (after many, many years of having an empty façade) had an operational Indian restaurant as well.

Nicole, Ann and I tried it out one evening – the nights were still warm at this stage, so we sat outside and there was a live singer as well, so it was all very pleasant. I asked for my dish to be made a bit spicier and actually it was very tasty. They also had a peshwari naan, much to my delight. It wasn’t quite like the Indian restaurants in the UK, but still good. I’m delighted it’s there.

Then I bumped into Jo and Ian who said (without any prompting from me) that there was a really good Indian restaurant in Hurghada, so I went there with Stephen and Kathryn to try that one out. The place has had loads of really good reviews, but my own impression was that the Sunrise Romance Indian restaurant was just as good.

I’d really like to go back to the Indian restaurant at the Baron Palace hotel in Sahl Hasheesh. I have memories of that being one of the best curries I’d ever had (although there wasn’t much choice on the menu). Now I’m not sure if it’s got exaggerated in my head (given that my memory doesn't seem to be up to much) or maybe it’s changed hands since then and it’s no longer so good. But I’d like to know. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it; that’s what this cold weather does for you!