Usually when I choose a holiday destination, I’m thinking about the food first and the sights second. But for Egypt, I reversed these priorities, and only after we’d booked our flights did I start looking into what Egyptian cuisine had to offer.
When Jon and I first arrived in Cairo, we were bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed and excited to eat all that Egypt had to offer. So we started out strong, eating at both divey and high-end Egyptian places during our first four days in Cairo. But I must confess that as we made our way south to Luxor and Aswan, I increasingly craved light, fresh vegetables that were “safe” to eat, as well as dishes that did not involve deep fried fava beans or grilled lamb. We are so lucky to have the variety of cuisines we do in London.
On our first day in Cairo, walking towards the sprawling souk of Khan el-Khalili, we tried out koshari, which I’d read much about in our three guidebooks (Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, and DK Eyewitness). If said books are to be believed, it’s the quintessential comfort food in Egypt, comprised of pasta, chickpeas, lentils, a tomato sauce and fried onions. Having googled it, I learned that debating where to find the best koshari was the Cairene equivalent of New Yorkers arguing over the best slice in town.
In the end, rather than making our way to some much-touted location (Abou Tarek comes up a lot on-line), we just stopped by one of many koshari shops, settling on one that looked busy.
For 2 LE (24p!), we got an enormous plastic takeaway container filled with koshari. On price alone I can see why the dish is so popular. I enjoyed it, but I can’t say I got too excited about eating over-cooked noodles with a protein-heavy topping. I did, however, greatly enjoy the fried onions, which did its fried onion thing and added an appealing sweet crunch.
On more than one occasion, looking for a late-afternoon snack/quick lunch, we sought out tamiyya, the Egyptian falafel. Tamiyya uses fava beans instead of chick peas, so they look a bit greenish and the texture didn’t seem quite as fluffy as chickpea-based falafels, but overall it’s hard to find fault with tamiyya if it’s fresh. Like koshari, tamiyya is everywhere in Cairo, so just look around for tamiyya coming straight out of the fryer.
The tamiyya place we liked best was right on Sayyida Zeinab square, about 90 degrees clockwise from the Sayyida Zeinab mosque. I have no idea what this place was called, but the friendly fellow standing outside frying up the tamiyya in his white rubber wellies is a good way to spot this joint. He happily gave us a tamiyya for free to taste (and let me tell you – getting something for free in Cairo is a rare thing), and Jon and I loved how these tamiyya were cumin-dusted. Folded into a flatbread with some potato (so it’s more filling?) and costing about 3 LE (36 p) a sandwich, these were brilliant.
While we’re on the subject of tamiyya — after going to see the many pyramids in and around Cairo from 8 am to 4 pm one day, we stopped by an Egyptian fast-food place (as in, it’s located inside the run-down Arkadia shopping mall) for a snack. On the menu was something called “tomaya,” which we assumed was the falafel we had come to love. What arrived at our table was essentially mayonnaise on a hotdog bun. We’re not sure what happened, but if our server is to be believed, tomaya is mayonnaise and so a tomaya sandwich is a mayonnaise sandwich. But why offer a mayo sandwich on the menu? We were still charged in full for this bit of grossness, but luckily 10 LE (£1) isn’t too harsh a penalty. But really – annoying.
To try some more elaborate (not streetfood) Egyptian food, we ate at a few “nicer” places that were recommended in our guidebooks and on-line (largely the same restaurants, really). Abu al-Sid, located on the leafy island of Zemalek, is described by guidebooks as the “best” upscale place to try Egyptian food. Our server there told us the molokhiya and the stuffed pigeon were his two favorites on the menu, and I tried them both.
I’ve concluded that molokhiya, a soup/sauce of boiled mallow leaves, is an acquired taste. I found it slimy and too salty, and I was skeptical that the menu described it as “Egypt’s National Dish.”
Stuffed pigeon with rice (55 LE/£6) wasn’t bad, but the pigeon was all skin and no meat, so really it was rice stuffed in a poultry skin — flavorsome and moist, but not very complex or memorable.
Bessara is fava bean and coriander dip. Abu al-Sid’s version tasted kind of sour and seemed to have developed a film on the top, which was unappetizing. Fuul is a thick soup-like dish comprised mostly of boiled fava beans, and normally eaten at breakfast, according to our guidebook. Abu al-Sid’s version tasted like a creamy black bean soup that had gone sour. We weren’t big fans, and the kobeba (fried cracked wheat and lamb) weren’t bad, but I’m not dying to eat them again.
And since I’m on the topic of Abu al-Sid: the service was bad. We placed our orders and then waited over half an hour for the starters to arrive. And presumably they weren’t making the bessara (fava bean dip) or fuul (fava bean stew) from scratch back there. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if Abu al-Sid really is a shining example of Egyptian dining in Cairo.
While in Cairo, we also ate a lot of kebabs, but of course not all kebabs are created equal. I’ll contrast the much-written about Al Dahan, just off the Midan al-Hussein in the middle of tourist Cairo with the hidden-away El Refay near Sayyida Zeinab mosque.
Al Dahan: No one should be forced to eat these kebabs. Recommended by both our DK and Rough Guides as one of the best kebab places in Cairo, Al Dahan’s primary strength apparently seems to be that they grill the meat only after you order it, so it’s “fresh.” But the kebab meat was tough and at least 1/4 of the the pieces were gristle or fat, and there was little seasoning or spicing. It may have been cheap (28 LE/£3.30) for a quarter kilo, but it wasn’t good value.
El Refay was the exact opposite of Al Dahan, though listed in our Rough Guide. It’s down an alley that’s across the street from Sayyida Zeinab mosque. There’s no menu (not in English, anyway), and you just tell your server how many kilos you want, specifying if you want plain kofte or “wrapped” kofte, too. Turns out the wrapped kofte is wrapped in fat before going on the grill. So in case the kofte meat wasn’t fatty and moist enough, you’re doubly sure of a good outcome with the “wrap.” Our tab for a half kilo of kofte, bottomless bowls of tahini, and two bottles of water totaled 75 LE (£8.80). El Rifay is on Sayyida Zeinab square (midan Sayyida Zeinab), across the street from the Sayyida Zeinab mosque. To know which alley to walk down, look for the sign that says “Mongy Destrict.”
At the end of our fourth day in Cairo, we were dying for uncooked, water-filled vegetables. So we abandoned the idea of seeking out cheap “local” places and ended up at an Oberoi-operated restaurant listed in every Cairo guidebook: the Naguib Mahfouz restaurant/Khan El Khalili Cafe. As the name suggests, the restaurant is inside the Khan El-Khalili souk, so you really run the gauntlet of touts to reach the restaurant. Inside, it’s an oasis of calm, but everyone in there was a tourist. The grilled meats were less than stellar, but we loved being able to eat fresh vegetables (the assumption being that at these prices and given the Oberoi’s luxurious reputation, the veg were “safe” to eat). Our total for three salads and a mixed grill came to the relatively-princely sum of 202 LE (£24).
After loading up on tomatoes and cucumbers at Naguib Mahfouz, we left Cairo and headed south to Luxor and Aswan. More on those dining options in my next post.
As usual, your honest review is something I will keep in mind for when we go to Egypt. I always take guidebook reviews of restaurants with a grain of salt (pun intended?).
Unfortunately, it may be difficult to eat well in Cairo without knowing the locals.
Mayo sandwich? BLEH.
Jen – Thanks. Overall, I wouldn’t travel to Cairo (or Luxor or Aswan) for the food.
Anonymous – Yes, our guidebooks all said it’s a “eat-at-home” culture, so that partly explains what I feel were limited dining options.
Krista – seriously, I’m feeling queasy just thinking about it again.
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Ahhhh food in Cairo. Yes it’s not the best in the world, but remember Egypt is classed as a third world country.
Abu al-Sid is a pretty good restaurant. Bit tacky and one for the tourists but serves good food. If only they could take it as is to Soho it would go down a storm.
The last time I was there, I just hung out in all the 5 star hotels and ate there. Best food ever.
[…] of the city, the meat is almost always dense, dry, and under-seasoned. (For more on this read An American in London’s comparison between the kebabs at Dahan and Refay). Moreover, if your gentle Western palate is resistant to the […]
Thanks for your post. I completely agree with your comparison between the two kebab places. Well done!
Thanks much, though I must confess I hit my kebab limit after day 3 in Egypt. : )
Ok, first things first:
Foodwise: Sure there’s Cinnabon, a McDonald’s on every corner, and almost every single Western restaurant you know in Cairo, but that’s not what you’re there for, right? Egyptian food is super, super, super-delicious and here’re a few must-have meals:
1) Kebab, Kofta and Tarb: Super awesome grilled beef like no other. The best place in Cairo is called “Abou Shakra”. Call 19090 for delivery. Make sure you order Baba Ganoog and Tehina (Hummus) if you’re ordering on the phone. I recommend going there yourself, because the Tehina spreads with Pita bread are just unforgivingly amazing. The official website is: http://www.aboushakra.com
2) Koshari: The country’s national dish. A heavy feast of carbohydrates (Rice, pasta, lentils) covered in seasoned tomato sauce. DO NOT FORGET to spill in some garlic-vinegar sauce (called Dakka, or as pronounced in Egyptian Arabic “Da’ah”). Easy on the hot sauce. Use all your tomato sauce. The best place (that tourists seem to like) is Abou-Tarek. His website: http://www.aboutarek.com Located at 16 Maarouf St., Champollion, Cairo, Egypt. My Dad ate there last month and swears by it. I haven’t tried it, and before AbouTarek, the best Koshari was at “Koshary El-Tahrir”. Anyway, if both are too far, then try ANY Koshari in Cairo. I haven’t tasted any Koshari in Cairo which wasn’t sublime.
3) Fiteer (Egyptian pies): It’s like a pizza, but the dough is very thin, soft, buttery and the toppings are all stuffed. It comes in both sweet and non-sweet forms. I recommend sausage fiteer wherever you go. If you don’t like Romano cheese, let the guy use Mozarella instead (like what I do). Like Koshari, any feteer place in Cairo is super tasty, but Tebesty is my favorite. The best sweet feteer is Cream (Eshta) and Honey (’asal), and CHOCOLATE feteer (note: the latter could be addictive)
4) Shawerma: Basically, if you see a shawerma stand, don’t think twice. Like Koshari and Feteer, there is a minimum requirement of quality that all Cairo vendors need to maintain to survive. Egyptian beef shawerma tastes amazing. However, lebanese shawerma also rules (I prefer it), and you’ll find places like “Abou Mazen” and “Yamal El-Sham” who make them best. If you want to take it up a notch, try Yamal El-Sham’s Shawerma Fettah. A fettah is basically a layer of crispy bread, covered by a layer of seasoned rice, covered by a layer of shawerma and (sometimes) tomatoes. This should all be topped by extra-creamy garlic sauce (called “toomeyya”). At some places, you need to order it specifically. I’ve lived in Egypt for 17 years and have never heard of a plain toomeya sandwich. Yuck.
5) Stuffed pigeons: Also an Egyptian exclusive. Everyone’s mom has a different recipe for the rice. Anyway, I can’t remember the name of the famous restaurants who do it, simply because my mom’s was unbeatable. Pigeons are all skin, little meat, so it’s all about the rice recipe.
Of course there are countless cafes, and restaurants in Cairo. You’ll notice that food is dirt cheap. ENJOY
I recommend watching the “No Reservations Egypt” videos on youtube (5 parts) to get a better idea about the city and make the most out of your stay. It’s a 20 million city, but extremely safe (violent crime is way, way below almost all Western cities) and you can feel free to have a walk anytime no matter what time it is. Let me know how it goes for you
T (Halifax, Canada)
[…] areas of the city, the meat is almost always dense, dry, and under-seasoned. (For more on this read An American in London’s comparison between the kebabs at Dahan and […]
[…] and savvy traveler. The Egyptian ruins of Cairo and Luxor were amazing. The food alright, with the highlight being the grill at El Refay in Cairo. But on the whole, our week in Egypt left me ambivalent about independent travel there. In terms […]
I spent one month in Cairo. I also had two meals at Abou el Sid — both were very, very disappointing despite being talked up so much. I did enjoy several meals of Lebanese food however. I also loved the Tamiyya as well as some of the sweets.
I can’t remember the name, but the Lebanese restaurant that we ate at was in Maadi and part of a complex that had a Mexican-ish restaurant (which I avoided), but the lebanese was GREAT.
Otherwise, agreed – food in Cairo leaves much to be desired. Koshari is … interesting.
Mickey, thanks for your comment. I suspect Cairo is one of those cities where the tastiest food is home-cooked, rather than in restaurants, but in any case, it’s nice to hear someone else share my view. I feel immensely sheepish — like I didn’t try hard enough — when I travel somewhere and don’t love the food.
thanks a lot …
Passed by this post!!!! And I absolutely love it…. I badly wanna eat koshari today 😀