28 July 2010

The Red Sea Restaurant
85 Camberwell Road, SE5
Tel: 0207 277 4494

I was intrigued when I was given my mission to review the Red Sea Restaurant, listed as Eritrean and Italian cuisine!

One country in the Med and the other on the shores of the Red Sea. What on earth could this fusion be like?
I took Jessica along, as she is willing to try anything once. In fact, Jessica is known as the Rampant Rabbit for some reason, although I can’t think why. Yes I can.

So, along went Jessica and I not knowing what to expect. What we found was a tidy, bright little place fronted by Giorgio who gave us a warm welcome, brought me a cold Italian beer and talked Jessica through the white wine selection; smooth-talking her into a Chardonnay. I was liking it already.

As I washed down the dust that had been kicking up in the Walworth Road the chef and owner, Elena, came to the table to say hello and discuss choices. She made sure to tell me that there is no fridge in Red Sea as they buy fresh every day. I told Elena I wanted to try traditional Eritrean dishes and Jessica, usually a fusspot around food, came along for that adventure with me.

Giorgio soon came back with Rice al Freddo to open up the palate. This was a dish of rice and finely chopped olives, mushrooms and tiny cherry tomatoes with a good coating of excellent olive oil that was so full of flavour I could quite easily have had it as a main course.

Jessica and I both enjoyed that dish and then discussed the Italian connection. Giorgio and Elena are both Italian though from Eritrean backgrounds, and a selection of Italian dishes can be found on the menu. But if I want Italian food I will go to a place where the chef is called Luigi, or at least looks like a Luigi.

If a restaurant is called the Red Sea then I want to experience dishes from that neck of the woods, cooked by someone who hails from that area, and so it was down the Red Sea with Elena that I went sailing.

Two large enjerras were brought first as this is the pancake-like bread that you use to eat everything else, tearing off bits of the enjerra to use to pick up the food before wrapping it and eating it. Giorgio came to give us a demonstration and made it look easy, but I’ve eaten like this before in African restaurants and I know that it is a skill to be learnt and practised. Eritrean dining is kind of messy for novices like myself but kind of good too.

We had Alicha Beghie, a mildly seasoned lamb and onion dish, the gravy of which was ideal for mopping up with the enjerra, and Zighni, lamb again but in thicker, more spicier sauce; probably my favourite of the day.

These traditional tastes of Eritrea were very nicely accompanied by Shiro, a chickpea puree, and Timtimo, a spiced lentil paste that was very much like a dhal; an extremely agreeable melange of vegetables that went by the name of Alicha, and a really good dish called Hamley that was a triumphal combination of steamed kale, spring onions and garlic, which I will definitely be trying at home.

Getting stuck in to all that was a joy and very soon I had Timtimo on my fingers, Shiro on my trousers and the Beghie gravy all down my shirt.

Heaven.  Jessica, who has dined with me before, pulled out some wet wipes and Giorgio rushed over and coated the damp spot with salt to soak up the juice.  It was like being a kid again and there’s nothing wrong with that.  Add in the delight of sharing dishes with a friend whilst amongst diners in traditional dress, and you have a real cultural feel that is often attempted but notoriously difficult to recreate.

You will not find uber-trendy drizzles and foams in Red Sea, just good, fresh home cooking that brings the tastes of North East Africa to South East London.

There are combos to be had on the menu that are a selection of traditional dishes, much like what myself and Jessica Rabbit had, and a separate room for private parties. There was one going on as we ate and we could not take our eyes off all the serving dishes piled high that went past us.

Our time there was very interesting and we had a pleasant meal in pleasant surroundings. Red Sea sits among many African restaurants in Camberwell but stands out a little from others I have tried there.