Steph Haw excites her taste buds by eating her way around Egypt.
By some stroke of luck, I found myself packing my things for a week-long business trip to the land of the Great Pyramids and I was definitely excited to savor the local cuisine. With a six-hour time difference and acres of desert-covered land, I hoped that Egypt would offer a whole new world outside my Asian boundaries. And it sure did.
Cook Door: A hearty meal for a healthy appetite
Just a stone's throw away from Conrad Hotel was Arkadia Mall, which housed Cook Door where I got my very first taste of Egyptian food. I was immediately intrigued what the mix grill had to offer since I overheard the locals order it. It came wrapped in an aluminum container which resembled a meal fit for a very hungry traveler. Seeing the feast before me, I immediately sliced into the “longganisa-style” beef and found an herb-infused flavor that leaves a distinct aftertaste. It was a perfect pair to the long grain yellow rice and side coleslaw. Underneath the beef were two grilled chicken pieces that easily fell off their bones. The chicken was so tender and aromatic that I wouldn't mind eating this dish for the entire week I'd be there. Besides, a hearty and popular meal like this came at such a reasonable price (LE 27 or P216.00).
Hardee’s: A well-loved fast food place
As I have always believed, short lunch breaks do not equate to uneventful meals. Therefore, despite work and quick lunches, I found and fell in love with Hardee’s.
Hardee’s is an American fast food chain that has gained quite a wide following in Egypt. It is the place where I enjoyed my very first Frisco burger meal (LE 20 or P160.00). The Frisco burger is a juicy burger filled with cheese and tomatoes stuffed in between two grilled loaf breads. You can choose either a burger or a chicken filling. Another great find is the Spicy Chicken Santa Fe sandwich meal (LE 22 or P176.00). It is made up of slightly spicy juicy chicken fillet in between garnishes of tomatoes, lettuce and cheese.
Hardee’s can be found almost anywhere in Cairo and thank heavens for that as it definitely made me look forward to lunch breaks, wherever I was.
Casper & Gambini’s: The after work destination
If lunch breaks consisted of Hardee’s and McDonald’s McArabia burgers (grilled chicken fillet wrapped in warm Arabic flatbread and garnished with fresh tomatoes and lettuce), after work dinner is a totally different ball game. Over the course of my week, I often wondered where the locals would unwind after work (many went to the football stadium to watch the final match between Egypt and Algeria for the 2010 World Cup). So one night, I strolled along the Nile City Towers, a mall situated alongside the Nile River, and went to Casper & Gambini's, an inviting restaurant-café decked with soft leather couches and classic lounge interiors, and of course, crowded with local people.
I was amazed by the wide selection they had to offer. The first thing I ordered was their White Pear Iced Tea (LE 15 or P120) which was served in a cocktail shaker and delicately poured into my glass. Given that Egypt was a tea-drinking country, I did not have any doubts that this drink would be delicious. And it sure did. I enjoyed the sweet and refreshing mix of lemon slices with white pear tea. It’s simple and straightforward which was a perfect way to cap my evening.
Wanting to try more than one dish, I sampled their tapas selection (LE 45 or P360) which consisted of beef skewers, crispy calamari and zesty satay. Every order of tapas is accompanied by a soy-sesame dip flavored with spring onion and red chili and their homemade citrus spice marinated olives. Being the Filipina that I am, I requested for a side order of Basmati rice to complete my meal.
The beef skewers looked and tasted very much like the herb-infused beef dish I first had in Cook Door. Beef dishes have a different blend and flavor in this country and I'm still totally clueless as to what spices were rubbed on it. (My wild guess is cumin and paprika). The calamari was perfectly deep fried and tender inside which delighted my palate in every bite. The zesty satay came in skewers of chicken fillet marinated and grilled with a mix of spices and served with peanut sauce.
A warm and friendly staff, guaranteed delicious meals and a truly relaxing atmosphere--no wonder why Casper & Gambini’s is a popular choice among the locals and business travelers like me to unwind in.
Fattoush: A Lebanese Experience in Cairo
During my trip to the Great Pyramids, I recalled a fellow traveler recommending a visit to the CityStars Mall in Heliopolis Cairo. Therefore, I made sure to include it in my itinerary. It is undoubtedly one of the largest malls I have seen in Cairo and I could not wait to see what stores and restaurant had inside.
With a hungry tummy in tow, I went straight up to Level 4 and 5 where rows of restaurants and food stalls greeted me, including well-known American chains such as Chili’s, Ruby Tuesday, and Rainforest Café. As I surveyed the food stalls and took advantage of the free samplers they were giving out, I found myself rounding the corner and lured over to Fattoush.
It only has twelve dishes to offer and I was quite thankful for it as it made decision-making a lot easier. I was thinking of getting the Feta Bel Moza (LE 43.95 or P351.6) but my mind wasn't set on it yet. However, once the server mentioned that it was one of their best sellers, I didn't think twice any longer and immediately placed my order.
Upon my first bite, I found a surprise hidden within my savory rice--fried wanton flakes mixed right in! What a treat! It added a crunch to the meal and it mixed well with the strips of sliced beef and tangy tomato sauce. Needless to say, I felt like a kid with snack food on my rice and I happily enjoyed this unexpected treat.
My visit to Egypt proved to be one great adventure, made more exciting and memorable with the restaurants I got to visit and the food I got to eat. And I can't help but look forward to my next visit.
