The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Umami is a Japanese restaurant inside Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel in Remaya Square. It typically serves sushi and Teppanyaki combos. Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cuisine where a flat iron griddle is used for cooking food. This idea originated after World War Two; however, in more recent years, it’s been transformed to be more of a live-cooking performance for the diners.

As soon as we went inside the hotel, we found Umami’s entrance on our right; striking red designs on the pathway, with Asian-style lanterns and ornaments decorating the walls. We went in and straight away sat at the Teppanyaki shared table; the atmosphere was inviting and different.

The teppanyaki combos included several dishes per person; Umami salad, miso soup, a main course, hibachi vegetables, fried rice, ice cream for dessert, and Japanese green tea. The first combo we opted for was the Fudo Teppanyaki (430LE) – U.S. beef tenderloin, with the choice of chicken or shrimp. We had the beef cooked well-done along with shrimp as the main course. The second combo we were tempted to try was the Lobster speciality (630LE). As soon as we finished ordering, the two salads were put in front of us. The mixed greens were fresh, and the special ginger sauce on top was very distinct in flavour. Straight after, the miso soups came; the seaweed, tofu, and onions tasted great together, yet the broth was bland, so we added a bit of soya sauce to add more seasoning.

At that point, the Chef came in to start the teppanyaki show; he introduced himself and started preparing the vegetables and other ingredients. Chef Laurence began with the Hibachi Vegetables; large onion rings and zucchini bits cooked with melted butter and oil, then a dash of soy sauce with salt and pepper. The vegetables were cooked perfectly, especially the onions; they were subtly sweet, with a savoury note from the soya sauce.

The chef then began working on the fried rice. He started with adding the eggs on the grill then made his way to the rice with the vegetables. Watching the process was quite entertaining; the rice, the vegetables, garlic, butter, and eggs, all coming together to make perfect bowls of yummy fried rice – we had no negative comments on anything at that point, everything was tasty and faultlessly cooked.

Then the moment of truth; the main course was then making its way on the grill; he started with the lobster alongside more shredded vegetables. Before ordering, we asked if the lobster was fresh, and we were assured it was, however, the one that we were served was not; the meat itself was very tough and unchewable. The staff apologised and replaced it with more shrimp, which tasted fresh. As for the steak, it was tender and juicy.

After we were done with our meal, we got our desserts; the ice cream. The flavours on offer were the basic ones; strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, and mango – so we got vanilla and mango. The sugar levels were on point, and the mango tang shone through.

Our night was quite amazing; Chef Laurence was amusing and made us laugh continuously through the night. He was impressively charismatic, which complemented his striking cooking skills and his ability to engage with the diners. The atmosphere, the staff, and the service were also top-notch; the lobster mishap could be over-looked yet should be explored by their management.