Weekly Dinner Club at El Aurassi Hotel - Algiers

Earlier this week Douglas and I received an invitation to attend the weekly dinner club with a group of people who work at the embassy. The dinner location is selected and organized by a gentleman who has been in Algeria for about six months. Every week he picks a different restaurant and then sends a mass email out to the embassy staff. He kindly requested that anyone who would like to participate reply immediately. Since the event has become so popular there is a limit of twelve people who can attend. This week’s dining choice was at El Aurassi Hotel – Algiers. Without hesitation I told Douglas to reply letting him know we would love to attend.

I want to take advantage of every opportunity I have to explore this city, whether it’s with my husband, a group tour or with friends. Despite the fact that we are in a country that was not of our choosing, nor is it an ideal place to live, I do believe that every place has something to offer that may enhance your life in some capacity. But the key is you have to be open-minded to see it or else it will pass you by and you’ll be left always thinking that nothing was ever there.

Wednesday arrived, and I was so excited. The day started off slow since my French lessons were cancelled for the morning. My teacher was feeling very ill and decided to go home. As much as I was looking forward to learning more French that day, I am glad she didn’t try to stay and fight her sickness. Germs can easily be transferred and the last thing I wanted to do was become sick. I was already working hard at not getting the “Algerian Stomach Flu,” also known as food poisoning.

I spent most of the day entertaining the maintenance crew as they came in and out of my home to address various repairs. I also attended training for family members held at the embassy and then caught up on replying to several emails and visiting my husband in his office. Before I knew it the afternoon had flown by, and it was time to get ready to meet the group for dinner. I got so caught up in the day I forgot to eat lunch. By now it was 5 p.m. and the group was scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. I was going to just fight the growling sound coming from my stomach, but Douglas firmly told me that I was to go home and eat something. After a few back of forth replies of me saying, “No, I don’t want to.” Douglas replies, “Would you go home and get something to eat please?” I said, “No, I think I can hold out until dinner.” He replies, “Your eyes are red and you look like you’re about to pass out.” Finally I say, “Fine, I’ll go get something to eat.” Although I was being stubborn, I knew he was right.

After the extremely short two minute walk it took me to go home I looked in my refrigerator to see what I could put together very quickly. Nothing felt like it called my name. Then I remembered that we received a package earlier in the day. One of the items in the package was my gluten free Pamela’s Pancake Mix. I had been waiting weeks for it to get here and was eager to have those delicious pancakes. However, I pondered whether or not this was a good idea because I knew we were about to meet up with the group in less than an hour. After mentally having another back and forth conversation with myself, I was convinced that pancakes would be okay because it would most likely be almost 8 p.m. by the time we received our dinner. I quickly whipped up a batch of my favorite pancake mix, pulled out my syrup and finally quieted the rumbling sound coming from my stomach every five minutes. I was full and satisfied.

Soon after Douglas got home we went back out to meet the group in front of the embassy. We were both so excited about the new experience we were going to have. Douglas was especially excited because he hasn’t had much opportunity to get off compound as I have over the past three weeks. This was sure to be a grand time for us both. After twenty minutes passed the entire group was present and we were all ready to get this evening started.

The drive was not very long and fortunately there wasn’t much traffic. Rush hour was over since it was after 7 p.m. There were pockets of congestion, but it was nothing that affected our travel. The van turned into an open-gated entrance and drove up a hill surrounded by a range of beautiful trees. Immediately following was one of the most beautiful hotels I had ever seen. El Aurassi is a five star hotel that could easily be a 5 star resort.  It was a perfect place to take pictures. Douglas and I took a few directly in front of the hotel sign, slightly capturing the waters of the Mediterranean Sea in the background. Time started to get away from us and we were called to join the rest of the group. We entered the large revolving doorway - that without difficulty could fit seven or eight people in each section. The first thing we had to do was go through a security check. It was similar to that of an airport. First all bags were required to be placed on the belt for screening. Then we had to empty our pockets of everything; including jewelry, cell phones and keys. Afterwards we simply walked through the metal detector and now had full ability to explore the significantly large hotel.

El Aurassi is located in the center of Algiers and towers above the city. I was informed that the hotel had undergone extreme renovations. Approximately $22 million dollars was spent on reconstruction to give the hotel a brand new look. With little examination it was quite obvious they did not spare a penny regarding the decor. There was such beautiful architecture, furniture and designs. Each room had a very modern yet retro feel inside. We walked pass an enormous lamp situated in the middle of the hotel. Then we passed a large bar that had blue light shining all around it. To top it off, every staff member greeted us with a smile.

We managed to find our way to the elevator. To no surprise the hotel even had elevator attendants to make sure we didn’t get lost. We went to the third floor where all three restaurants were located. Due to the language barrier, I didn’t get the exact name of all three. The group organizer had not selected a restaurant in advance. Subsequently we had no reservation. However, this gave the group an opportunity to choose which restaurant we preferred. One of the restaurants catered to the Algerian culture. The Algerian Restaurant sold foods specifically made in Algiers. The décor in the room looked fit for kings and queens, with lavishly decorated tables, sofas, and posh red velour chairs. Another restaurant catered to more of the American culture. I think it was referred to as the American Bar. I was not particularly interested in having Algerian food that night. Thankfully almost everyone else felt the same way and we all agreed to dine at the American Bar.

 The tables were large enough to seat a group of at least fifteen. Some were smaller than others, but all were exquisite. The lustrous chandeliers were beautifully designed. I couldn’t figure out its shape, but it was very unique. The waiter guided us to several tables where we could dine. We selected the one near the back that offered the feel of a private setting. The table was large enough to seat all ten of us more than comfortably.

 

The waiter handed us each a menu as we were seated. There was a part of me that felt like I was back in a regular American hotel dining at a normal American restaurant. It wasn’t until I opened the menu that I entered back into reality, where I found myself in an Algerian Restaurant staring at a menu written in French. I could manage to figure out which items were appetizers, soups and salad, grilled food and desserts. But I could not determine what each dish was under the sections. It appeared everyone else at the table could read the menu just fine. It seemed like I was the only one completely lost. Even my husband looked at the menu as if he dined there a dozen times before. And I knew for certain that he didn’t know what any of those dishes said either. He’s very smooth about it though. I on the other hand had the face of someone who was totally clueless. Luckily, one of the ladies in the group spoke pretty fluent French. I gather she could tell from the perplexed look on my face that I could use some assistance. She asked me if I had an idea of what type of food I was interested in eating. Usually I enjoy reading over the menu like everyone else to choose from the many options available. Since I did not have that luxury tonight I answered her by saying, “I could go for some chicken or fish, preferably chicken.” No real shocker there as I usually stay within the poultry and seafood family when dining out. I did see different types of beef and lamb on the menu, but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with chicken or fish. She began to tell me that the dish labeled “Piccata de volaille au marsala & a la sauge with Riz pilaf” would probably be to my liking. I spotted the word marsala and asked if it was similar to Chicken Marsala. She replied, “Yes.” In the states I rarely heard anyone complain about a Chicken Marsala dish so I decided that would be my selection for the evening. Douglas chose to go with a lamb dish that was served with vegetables. Fantastic! The hard part was out of the way. We were ready to order!

The waiter started on the opposite end of the table from where Douglas and I were sitting. When he got to me I grabbed the menu and pointed to the chicken dish I had chosen. In French, he sadly told me they had no chicken and began to tell me what they did have in stock. This fancy restaurant has no chicken! Are you serious? Now I was back to square one trying to figure out what I was going to order. Of course I couldn’t understand anything the man said to me. But again, the nice lady at the table remembered that I said I could eat chicken or fish. Therefore, while talking in French, she asked the waiter to explain each of the five fish dishes. After hearing the choices, the dish listed as "Rougets de la cote algeroise a la facon provencale" sounded like it would be good. The woman told me it was cooked with tomatoes, green peppers and onions and it should be very good. So I made my second decision and chose that dish. I eat fish a lot; thus, I’m sure I would like it. We placed our orders and could now begin to socialize with the rest of the group.

Before delving into conversation I could not resist going outside to observe the breathtaking view up close and of course take some photos too. Douglas joined me. The view was absolutely stunning! The water was so close it felt like the Atlantic Ocean was right beneath our feet. For a brief moment I felt like I was in New York City, as all the buildings were lit up throughout central Algiers. From a distance, a cluster of buildings and bright lights amidst a clear blue sky can make anything look gorgeous. However, we knew better. The city is really not that beautiful. Most parts look completely opposite, but I was going to revel in the view and pretend that those buildings were the loveliest I had ever seen. The hotel had a gigantic pool down below. I just had to capture a picture of it.  I had never seen a pool that large at a hotel. Swimming one lap in there could count as sufficient exercise for the day. It was so calm and quiet outside. Fortunately, there were also very few people in the restaurant to contribute to any noise. After about ten minutes we went back inside to join the rest of the group. 

I jumped into the conversation my husband started with a gentleman sitting across from us. They were discussing their love of the movie Invictus. I too enjoyed that movie. The man especially loved it because he had a close affiliation to the country. He was South African. I love meeting people from different countries, so when I heard him state that he was South African I was very interested to ask him some questions about the country. Since the primary language in many countries in Africa is French, I asked if that was also the primary language is South Africa. He said, “No, we speak Afrikaans. But in South Africa there are a total of eleven languages.” He proceeded to name all of them. I asked the gentleman if he spoke all eleven and he explained that he used to, but since he left the country he no longer speaks all of them fluently. I assumed they simply spoke French there and maybe one other language. I would have never imagined that South Africans have eleven different official languages. This would further explain why they are referred to as the rainbow nation. The gentleman continued to talk about why he loved the movie Invictus so much. He started playing rugby at the tender age of five. It seems like quite a young age to begin playing such a rough sport. Over the years he became great at it though. And like most rugby players, he has been injured several times, but those injuries have never lessened his love of the sport. He and his wife have a two-year old son. He said as soon as his son turns five, he too will start learning the game of rugby. I think it’s amazing to watch what these men can do with their bodies, but I would much prefer to see them in some type of armor to prevent such frequent visits to the emergency room.

The waiter came around to each of us at the table and asked if we would like water; at least that’s what I assumed he was asking as he held up two different bottles of water. One was sparkling and the other was regular water. I chose the regular water. I have never been able to comfortably digest sparkling water. To me bubbles should remain in soda or sparkling beverages with actual taste.

The first course of dishes started to come out. I noticed that only my husband and I hadn’t ordered a soup or salad. I didn’t even think about it, as I was so fixated on figuring out what I wanted for my entrée. The salads were presented very nicely and looked rather good. At the moment I surely wished I ordered a salad. But it was okay; the entrees would soon follow.

After about twenty minutes dinner was served. There were two waiters that brought the dishes out. They looked neatly plated and very appetizing. People ordered a variety of filet mignon, lamb, veal, and fish. The filet mignon looked especially good. But I couldn’t wait to see my plate. The man began calling the name of each dish and whoever ordered that dish would raise their hand for the waiter to bring it to them. I heard the waiter say something related to lamb and saw Douglas raise his hand. His lamb looked delicious! I don’t even eat lamb chops, but I was tempted to try a bite. Douglas thought the dish looked great too, except he was disappointed by the lack of vegetables on the plate. I thought to myself, “There is no way my husband will be full from eating that.” Later he confirmed that the same thought crossed his mind as soon as the plate was set down in front of him.

Then I heard the waiter say something pertaining to fish and rice. I looked behind me and with a smile I raised my hand. I couldn’t wait to receive my first meal at an Algerian restaurant. I don’t know the last time I was so excited to eat. The man kindly placed my plate in front of me. At this time my facial expression was priceless! Someone should have taken a picture of my reaction because it was worth a thousand words! My jaw dropped, my eyes popped open, and my mouth and chin began to shrivel up as if I just caught a whiff of an extremely terrible smell. On my plate were two scoops of white rice mixed with peas, four small full-bodied fish covered with red scaling and a lemon on the side. All I could see on that plate were the eyes of four little fish staring at me and their mouths left wide open as if it were a still picture from when they were killed.

  
I looked up at my husband, looked down at my plate, looked up at the kind lady who spoke French and helped me choose this meal, looked back down at my plate, looked back up to the waiter, and again looked down at my plate. I did all this with a smile that conveyed the following thoughts, “I’m in a fancy restaurant with people I just met, in a country I don’t know, surrounded by waiters who speak no English, and with a plate of food in front of me that looks terribly disturbing; therefore, I will just smile and not make a scene.” But I’m seriously thinking, “Why the heck are there four small fish on my plate with eyeballs looking up at me! This is NOT what I intended to order!  I would much rather be at Red Lobster in the states right now!”

Beneath the table Douglas placed his hand on my left thigh and gave me a look saying, “Are you going to be okay?” He knew inside I was beside myself. He knows that at every restaurant I typically get the same thing all the time and heads on fish are never a part of my selection. The lady who helped me order this monstrosity of a meal then looked at me with a look that said, “Oh dear, I had no idea that is what Rougets de la cote algeroise a la facon provencale meant.” She quickly asked me if it would help if they removed the heads. I replied, “Sure, I guess, yes, please remove the heads.”

The people at the other end of the table did not have the luxury to see my delicacy of a meal. But word quickly spread down the table about what I had been served. I began to receive looks of pity from everyone, although that did not stop them from smiling at their normal looking dish plated in front of them. Out of all ten of us, I was the only one who ordered such a meal. It's times like this I certainly wished I had just followed the crowd. If they only had my Chicken Marsala dish I wouldn’t be in this situation. But no, leave it up to me to be the lucky one at the table to have this experience. The waiter must have known this would make for a great blog entry.

The waiter returned with my plate, only I was no longer making eye to eye contact with dead fish. However, the beheading still did nothing to make me feel any better about this meal. Douglas asked me if I would be able to eat the food. All I really wanted to do was hand this dish back to the waiter and ask for a plate of fries and vegetables. Instead I decided I was going to be a trooper and patiently pick my way through the meal. I started with the rice and peas. I figured despite this fish looking quite suspect, I’m sure the rice and peas would not disappoint. I placed the fork of rice and peas into my mouth, and sadly I was very mistaken. I absolutely love rice and peas. I used to always say that no one could ever serve me a bad dish of it. Well, I had now taken a bite of food from the chef that would prove me wrong. One would have thought I ordered a meal for diabetics.  I had never tasted such lackluster rice and peas. They must have cooked this dish with only water; leaving off any kind of salt, pepper, or butter. I thought the rice would be my saving grace, but now I had to place all my hope into the fish. I hoped that in spite of its disappointing look, maybe it could make a comeback with its taste. I started by first attempting to peel back the red scaling off the fish. In my head I said, “Why is this even still on here in the first place?” Once I removed the scaling, I took the fork and broke off a small piece to only find the fish was filled with bones. Uh, seriously! I always eat boneless fish. I don’t know the last time I ate a fish with bones. But then again I don’t know the last time I ate fish that had just been beheaded before it was re-plated to me. Yet another first for me! I tried to pick as many bones out as possible and finally placed the fork into my mouth in the hopes that I would not be disappointed. After a long and hard swallow, my hope dropped to the bottom of my stomach along with that bland piece of fish. And I still managed to swallow a bone! I usually do not like lemon on my food, but I looked down at that lemon thinking it might be the best thing on this plate. For a dish that I thought I couldn’t go wrong with, it certainly had a lot of problems!

Douglas saw me picking over the food with my fork, taking the smallest bites possible. Since I was in a social setting I wanted it to appear that I was eating the food, while being careful not to put more than a tiny amount on my fork. My husband is wonderful for many reasons, but he got the award that night for not allowing me to suffer through the meal any longer. He let me taste a piece of his lamb. I told him it was pretty good. He then said, “Well you take the rest of my plate, and I’ll take yours because I want you to actually eat tonight.” Thank goodness for a thoughtful and generous husband. I knew he didn’t want that unappealing fish or flat tasting rice and peas any more than I did, but he was willing to sacrifice his food so I could eat. Now that’s love! Although I usually only eat lamb when having a gyro from a Greek restaurant, I was willing to put my preferences aside. The lamb wasn’t great, but in comparison to that fish, it was delicious.

After the meal the waiter asked if we wanted any dessert. Although I had plenty of room for such, I couldn’t fathom ordering anything else. If I ordered ice cream who knows what they would have brought out to me! No one opted for desert, but everyone besides my husband and myself, seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed their meal. The waiter proceeded to bring us the check with all our meals and drinks on one bill. After reviewing the bill we had no idea they would charge for water. Here I thought I was saving money from ordering regular water instead of the sparkling kind. No such luck. Although I should have known we would be charged for water because it’s simply not safe to consume unfiltered water in this country. We then tallied up our portion of the bill. My dish had the nerve to be $25. That would have been fine had the meal at least tasted good. All I could think to myself was that I didn’t pay for the food. I paid for the experience and I definitely got my monies worth!

The best part of the evening was the flawless ambiance El-Aurassi offered and the superb company I was around. The atmosphere leaves nothing to be desired because they have everything you can ever imagine. It’s an ideal venue for a wedding, date night, or even a photo shoot! The fabulous scenery and relaxing feel is most certainly worth the trip. In addition, I thoroughly enjoyed the Dinner Club group and acquired a lot of information from the conversations that took place. I was delighted to hear about their experiences in Algiers, and its surrounding cities and countries. I was especially pleased to learn about some of the culture in South Africa. As for the food:  there is no doubt that I will never again order "Rougets de la cote algeroise a la facon provencale" - otherwise known as whole fish with heads and eyes attached.  If I ever decide to dine there again I will have to either call ahead and confirm that they are fully stocked with chicken, or I will have to do what I did this time which is eat pancakes first to ensure I have a full belly. Thank goodness I listened to my husband.