This coming-of-age novel is surprisingly comedic. Veronica Raimo’s Lost onMe, originally written in Italian, is the story of a young girl in Rome growing up in a neurotic household in a dysfunctional family.

Meet the fam: An anxious mother, who basically needs to be on the phone with her children at all times, a son who is clearly her favorite child, a germaphobe father controlled by hygiene, wiping down his own children with alcohol. And Vero, who we have to discover.

The timeline isn’t linear. Vero jumps back and forth between different times in her childhood and the present, telling each story as though it were part of a comedy bit, as The Guardian describes it.

Whether this is a work of fiction or an autobiography is unclear. There are elements in the story that are common with the author’s real life, like her brother. However, she hints that she may be an unreliable narrator, mentioning that she wrote a fake diary for her mother to read, and that she would often say things and swore she never said them at school. She also said “sometimes we write not to process grief, but to make it up,” when talking about her father’s passing. Perhaps the author is simply warning us not to trust her. But the story is entertaining either way, so does it really matter?

You can find Lost on Me at Diwan.

? HOT AND FRESH OUT OF THE KITCHEN-

Get your tabbouleh fix at Al Hallab: If you haven’t been to Tripoli, Al Hallab has brought it to you. Just next to Mivida at Zia Mall, you’ll find a huge Lebanese restaurant that’ll cater to all your levantine cravings.

Mezze before meals, always: We started strong with a Hot Starter Tray, which included hummus with meat, batata harra (spicy potato), eggplant fatteh, sojouk, waraq enab, chicken shawerma bites, meat kibbeh, and cheese barak. What truly stood out to us was the eggplant fatteh, which had an earthy and smoky taste to it. Paired with the tangy yogurt, we couldn't put our spoons down. Aside from that, there was nothing new to our palate, but sometimes, we just need something familiar.

We ordered the OG dishes, and one new one: We came in with a hearty appetite and ordered three mains to share — a strategy we always recommend. The mankoushe zaatar with cheese deserves a formal introduction — it’s warm, with earthy thyme spread all over. But eat it while it’s warm, or the cheese will get rubbery. The shish tawouk was juicy and tender, without a hint of dryness. It's not overwhelmingly flavorful, but its well-balanced spices let the quality of the chicken shine through. It's a reliable choice that won't disappoint.

Onto new things: Up until then, we’d never heard of the hashweh. But its components are nothing uncommon — lamb, rice, and dried raisins. But it's the spices that make the difference, along with the addition of pistachios. Let us set the scene for what we saw and tried: A bed of fluffy rice, tinged a golden yellow from turmeric and speckled with vibrant green pistachios and raisins. Nestled on top of is the star of the show – the lamb, cooked as perfectly as it was seasoned. We believe this is a must-try.

? Per person: EGP 1.5k to EGP 2k

? Outdoor seating: Yes

? Alcohol: No

? Accessibility friendly: Yes

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