The Cost of Egypt

Lyndsey posted this entry on 17 December 2011.  She then started a blog on her own website at http://www.lyndseyshepherd.com/blog.  She passed away on 25 October 2012.

Tourists and expats alike are often taken for a lot of extra money when they buy anything in Egypt.  Most of the small supermarkets do not put prices on anything and the customer is expected to know the approximate price.  This is a price guide for those markets.

Water: Large bottle	2.5LE
Small bottle	1.5LE
Bread: Egyptian	4 for 1LE
Fino	5 for 1LE
Normal loaf (called toast here)	7LE
Soda:  Large bottle	7LE
Small bottle	2.5LE
Can	2.5LE
Candy bars like Snickers, Twix	3.5LE
Chips like Doritos: Small bag	1LE
Ful sandwich	1.5LE
Batteries (Energizer)	12LE for pack of 4
Souvenirs:
small statues	20LE
scarf	10 – 20LE
“Handmade” bags	about 30-40LE depending on the details and such
Fresh fruit: Banana	5 – 10LE per kilo
Orange	3LE per kilo
Apple	15LE per kilo
Fresh vegetables: tomatoes	2 – 8LE per kilo
potatoes	4LE per kilo
onions	4LE per kilo
carrots	4LE per kilo
cauliflower	7LE
eggplant	4LE per kilo
Egyptian Dust Tea	6LE
Nescafe – packets	1LE
Tissues:  small pack	50 piaster
box	8LE

The Best Pizza in Cairo

Da Franco

69 El Managem Wel Mahager, From Lebanon Square

Tel: 0233457116 – 0101585738

http://elmenus.com/restaurant.aspx?rid=1209&bid=2212

Since I moved to Cairo, I have been looking for good Italian food.  It has been hard to find – until now.  We followed the suggestion of my husband’s Italian friends and got take out from Da Franco.  It was fantastic and I can’t believe we waited so long to try it.

Da Franco is not a sit-down restaurant.  They only do take-out or delivery.  We’ve tried them twice now and this is the best pizza I’ve had while I’ve been here.  The best gnocchi, too.  The pizzas run on the small side, but the prices are fair.

We ordered it from my husband’s office in Mohandiseen and the order came very quickly and very hot.  Everything tasted fresh, though, and not reheated or too premade.

Pizza Rustica

Both times my husband ordered the Pizza Rustica.  It comes with salami, smoked turkey, and, most surprisingly, hot dogs.  The special thing about Da Franco is the crust of the pizza.  It is thick and not greasy.  The pizzas are also consistent because this pizza was perfect both times he ordered it.

Pizza Margherita

This pizza was classic, but definitely not boring.  The best thing about this pizza was the sauce to cheese ratio.  Too often I have seen this completely wrong at pizza places here.  Many pizzas are overwhelmed by cheese and the sauce is almost forgotten or an afterthought.  This was not a problem here.  I can’t wait to try the other kinds of pizza.  Hopefully, we will slow down enough to take pictures!

Four Cheese Gnocchi

The gnocchi was pretty much perfect.  It was light and not dense at all.  The sauce was also very flavorful.  I was worried that the sauce would be heavy and just basically slightly melted cheese, but this was really nice.  There was a nice balance between the cheeses, too.  They also give you a lot of sauce, which I loved.

All in all, we are adding Da Franco to our list of regulars and I am sure we will slowly work our way through the menu.  There’s a lot to try and ordering from them is so fast and easy.

A Cupcake Guide to Cairo

Cupcakes have been a foodie trend for a while now and Cairo is right on the mark with at least three cupcake bakeries.  As lovers of cupcakes, my husband and I have created a cupcake guide to Cairo detailing the three places we’ve tried and our experiences there.

Devour

19 El Ahrar St.

Mohandiseen

Tel: 0123111901

http://www.devour-cupcakes.com

To be fair we have only tried Devour once, and it might be a bit uneven to compare a home-based business to an actual bakery, but Devour was our least favorite cupcake bakery.  We ordered 12 cupcakes to try some classics and some of their unusual flavors, but in the end we only really liked 2 of our choices.

Delivery:  I read on their Twitter just last month that delivery is now available all over Cairo, but my husband was told that there is no delivery available with no explanation at all. He went to pick up our order at the apartment that houses Devour instead.  He only dealt with the building’s bowab, and only spoke to the owner by phone.  He was understandably a bit upset to see Devour’s delivery motorcycle sitting outside the apartment and was more upset to see how the cupcakes were packaged.  There are no separators in Devour’s boxes, so the cupcakes run into each other and could flip if you are not careful.  The box also didn’t close all the way and he had to tape it shut.

Price:  The prices are a bit lower than the other cupcake places, but I was upset that we didn’t get a receipt with our order.  I calculated the price from the prices on the website, but our order turned out to be 10LE more and without the receipt we don’t know where the difference is.  10LE is not the end of the world, but it’s nice to know where your money goes.

Coffee, Red Velvet, Peanut Butter Madness, Sweet Potato, Blueberry, Sundae, Strawberry Lemonade, French Toast, White Velvet, Smores

Size:  The cupcakes were really inconsistent in size.  Some cupcakes, like the sweet potato one were so tiny, while others like the strawberry lemonade or sundae one were much bigger.  The sweet potato one also cost more.

Taste: The peanut butter madness cupcake had no discernible peanut butter.  This is usually one of my favorite cupcakes and combinations, so it was a big disappointment.  We tasted more crushed peanut than peanut butter.  Another cupcake that we usually love is the red velvet cupcake.  Unfortunately, this one was a miss, too.  There was too little icing and it was colored with hibiscus which added a strange taste.  If I knew that hibiscus was used as a coloring agent here, I would have gotten something else.  I really don’t like the flavor and didn’t expect it.  Another problem was the cherry on top of the sundae cupcake.  It tasted old or expired.

However, the sundae cupcake itself tasted very nice with a fudgy center.  The cake part was also moist and flavorful.  It was probably my favorite in the box.  I also liked the coffee cupcake. The strawberry lemonade was also delicious with a nice lemony syrup running throughout the cake making it very moist.  The icing here also complemented the cake beautifully.

Availability: You must order at least one day in advance and some cupcakes like the strawberry cheesecake have a minimum order of 6 which is not mentioned on the website.

Crumbs

82 Road 9

Maadi

0223584545

Crumbs actually has two locations, the one listed above and one in Zamalek.  We have only visited the one in Maadi.  We’ve also only visited them during the day and never at night.

Delivery: It’s available, but we haven’t tried it.

Price:  The nice thing about Crumbs is that their prices are a flat 10LE for nearly all the cupcakes, 3.5 for minis and cake pops, and 5 for whoopie pies.

Top row: Pumpkin, Birthday, Red Velvet; Bottom row: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Mint Chocolate

Size: The size is reasonable and it is possible to buy only one mini.  The mini ones are also the perfect bite, not too small at all.  The cupcakes are also pretty consistent in size and with the amount of frosting.

Taste: Their cupcakes are always fresh and moist. The only problem we’ve had with taste is the chocolate cupcake base. It’s a German chocolate cake which is a bit strong.  We also didn’t like the chocolate mint because of this and because there was no hint of mint in the cake itself, only in the frosting.  Strawberry, blueberry and raspberry are standouts.  I also love their chocolate chip cookie dough and birthday cake cupcakes.  You can also find seasonal cupcakes and more unusual flavors like pumpkin and the good thing is that they keep them in stock.  There’s no disappointment in finding something on the menu and never in the store.

You can also find more than cupcakes there.  They have cookies, cake pops, and whoopie pies.  The whoopie pies are really flavorful and the cake pops are the perfect snack.  If you’ve never had a cake pop, it is ball of cake mixed with icing and covered with chocolate.

Décor:  It’s a really bright and cheerful shop in a great location.  When they first opened there, it seemed too crowded inside, but they have really opened it up.  It’s easy to order and see the cupcakes on offer. They also have coffee to go with your cupcakes and it’s a nice place to sit and enjoy both.

Staff:  Everyone we’ve talked to there has been helpful and welcoming.  They are also knowledgeable about the products and can easily answer any questions.  I’ve never seen them get annoyed, even when we add things on at the last minute.

NOLA

4 Brazil St.

Zamalek
0227366494

http://www.nolabakery.com

They have possibly the best cupcakes with the worst service.  We have probably eaten NOLA’s cupcakes the most.  We only seem to be there in the evening, though, or we get them delivered.  NOLA has done a great job at creating a fun atmosphere with their cupcakes and their store.  It feels special to get their cupcakes.

Delivery:  They always deliver on time and the delivery comes in a nice box and bag. The cupcakes are secure and kept fresh with an ice packet on the bottom of the bag.

Price: They have the most expensive cupcakes with prices ranging from 8.50LE to 13LE.  It does seem like too much compared to the other bakeries, but the product is consistent.

Vanilla, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Blueberry, Red Velvet, Tiramisu, Lemon Raspberry, Banana

Size:  The cupcakes seem to be getting smaller over time. They try to hide this with a lot of icing.  This was particularly noticeable with the vanilla cupcake the last time I ordered it.  The icing was the height as the cupcake itself and was overpowering.

Taste: They always taste delicious, but sometimes they don’t taste so fresh.  The cake can be crumbly instead of moist.  They do have the best chocolate peanut butter, red velvet, and blueberry out of all the cupcake bakeries.  They also do the classic flavors really well. Banana, carrot, and chocolate are spot on.  They always have new flavors and they give their customers a chance to vote on them with cupcake wars. They also have seasonal offerings.  NOLA tends to use a mountain of icing on their cupcakes, and while I enjoy that, it could be off-putting for some.

Décor:  NOLA is in a very pretty shop.  It’s very girly and bright.  We’ve always taken our cupcakes and run, but they do have a small seating area.

Staff: We have had the worst service at NOLA.  Twice we have gone in and been ignored completely while waiting.  The kicker is that the store wasn’t that busy either time; there were only a few people there besides us.  The positive thing is that the owner listens to complaints and tries to improve the store.  After we complained about our last experience in the store, she called us and explained what was happening there and how she was working to change things.  She even sent us a box of cupcakes to make up for this experience.   NOLA also works with charity a lot.  They give away their unsold cupcakes and even have a charity cupcake where all the proceeds go to charity.

Availability: There are some cupcakes on the menu that never seem to be there when I want to try them, specifically the chocolate orange and the pumpkin ones.

Grizzly Diner

Driving through Zamalek, My husband and I noticed a billboard for a new American-style diner called Grizzly.  Being from NJ, the diner capital of the world, I made plans to try it as soon as possible.  The opportunity arose this past week.

Grizzly’s is in a beautiful location at 33 Abou El Feda Street, not far from Sequoia.  It is part of a group of restaurants along the Nile and was a bit hard to find at first.  It is all the way on the left when you walk in off the street, right next to Fish Makan.  They have outdoor seating as well as an indoor area in what can best be described as a glass cube.  The décor was classic diner stuff and the music was American classics.

There were four of everything in the beginning!

The menu is large and can be seen on the website and everyone that we talked to was really lovely.  The first thing that we ordered was the Appetizer Combo.  It included mozzarella sticks, onion rings, chicken wings, and chicken tenders with a marinara sauce and a blue cheese sauce.  Everything was fried, but not really greasy.  We split along vegetarian lines.  He took the two chicken items and I took the onion rings and mozzarella sticks.  I loved the mozzarella sticks with the marinara.  The marinara was thick and well seasoned.  My husband’s favorite was the chicken wings.  He said they were very moist and the flavor carried through the chicken, and wasn’t just on the outside.  The portions were also perfect for two people.  There were four of every item, but the presentation was a little lacking.  The plate was huge, so it made the amount of food seem small.

I ordered the veggie burger with added cheese and fries for the side.  The burger was the strangest thing I have ever eaten and I do not mean that in a positive way.  It looks nothing like it does on the menu and certainly does not match the description.  It was a bunch of shredded vegetables fried together.  The vegetables were mostly shredded potatoes, like what you get with breakfast.  There were a few peppers in there, but not much else.  When the manager came by, he said it was all held together with mashed potatoes and then put on the grill.

That's a lot of potatoes.

It was just so greasy and the taste was just bizarre.  Potatoes, bread, cheese, and miscellaneous extras.  The manager offered to swap it for something else, but I had already eaten half and at that point I still couldn’t decide what I thought of it, so I declined.  I would never get it again.  Ever.  I was also a little peeved that they charged 8LE to add a slice of cheese to this mess.

My husband had the completely opposite experience.  He ordered the Juicy Lucy and thoroughly enjoyed it.   All the burgers can be made with imported Australian beef or local Egyptian beef.  My husband chose the Egyptian one.  The Juicy Lucy is a beef burger stuffed with Cheddar cheese, and it’s real Cheddar, not the fake processed kind.  It lived up to its name and was incredibly juicy, well seasoned, and delicious.  The bun also tasted very fresh.  His only negative comment was that he ordered the burger well done and it was still a little pink in the middle.

A closer look.

We both loved the fries.  They were crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle and not greasy at all.  It was also a giant portion that we both couldn’t finish.  If we had known that, we would have gotten different sides to share.

Even though I didn’t like the veggie burger, I would still come back to Grizzly.  My husband still raves about the Juicy Lucy and the staff was really lovely.  The location was also perfect and we actually enjoyed being in the glass cube.  I know that burgers are the star of their menu, but we would both like to try their other options and see how good those are.

Eating at Lan Yuan

What would you do if you walked into a restaurant and were met by a rather chemical/moldy smell?  Well, if you’re either my husband or me, you soldier on and order the spring rolls.

The restaurant was Lan Yuan on Road 9 in Maadi.  It’s located right next to Dragon House.  We looked at both menus and found the same items.  We ended up at Lan Yuan because it was cheaper, but I am certain we are never going back again.

Things got off to an inauspicious start when the water arrived.  The glasses were a bit dirty and everyone knows even a bit is too much.  The waiter poured the water from the bottle without checking the glasses and after we pointed out the dirtiness, we were given new cups, but not new water.  This later turned up on our bill.

For appetizers, we both got spring rolls.  Mine were just vegetable and my husband’s were vegetable and chicken.  They were both rather large, but a bit greasy inside and out.  They were accompanied by what I presume was supposed to be a sweet and sour or sweet chili sauce.  The first thing I noticed about my husband’s order was how very tiny the chicken pieces were.  In fact, they were smaller than the bits of cabbage.  Both rolls tasted all right, but smelled a little weird.

Next, I got a side of rice and the homestyle tofu and my husband got a side of noodles with chicken and barbecued beef.  The rice was only 4.50, but the portion was tiny.  The tofu itself was nice and the sauce was thin, but OK.  The tofu was sliced incredibly thin, which I’m not used to with this dish.

The most puzzling thing about these dishes was the overabundance of zucchini.  It was with the noodles, the tofu, and the barbecued beef.  I’ve never seen so much zucchini mixed with Chinese food.  I can only assume it’s very cheap now and they use it as a filler.  It reminded me of our trip to Peking where tomatoes were the star of every dish.  These are nice vegetables, but not what I associate with Chinese food.

My husband’s noodles were probably the nicest thing on the table.  Again the chicken was comically small, but the flavors were all right.  The beef dish seemed overpriced for what he got, which was mostly zucchini with tiny bits of beef.  It was served in a memorable style though.  Sizzling hot like a fajita.

Overall, the food was actually all right, but the atmosphere at the restaurant is quite depressing.  It all looks a bit dirty and a bit worn out.  The waiter was the only other person in the place and he seemed resigned to the quality of the offerings.  It’s right next to the train tracks, too, so it all comes together in a bad way.  We took most of our food home in doggie bags and enjoyed more away from the restaurant.

Why You Shouldn’t Use Mobinil

Mobinil is one of the three main internet and phone service providers in Egypt.  Of the three, they are undoubtedly the worst.  Admittedly, I have yet to try Vodafone, but I don’t see how they could possibly be worse.

I use Mobinil for both my cell phone and USB modem.  As far as their cell service goes, it’s not too bad.  There have been times when the line is inexplicably down and with no warning, but it could be worse.  Their internet service is extremely poor, though.

I have used Mobinil for about two months now.  I switched from etisalat because etisalat took down the lines for about a week with no notice.  They also couldn’t explain what was happening when we called customer service, and we had no idea when it would come back.

The first month with Mobinil we had problems.  The service cut off one day with no warning.  We hadn’t received a bill yet or even a text message through the USB.  We went to the store to see what’s up and immediately noticed that the customer service was lacking.  The young man we spoke to had no idea why the phone stopped and assured us it had nothing to do with our bill or our payment.  He also couldn’t help us with our bill cycle.  We are supposed to pay on the 15^th of the month, but our internet does not reset until the 19^th.  According to him, the only way to fix this so that the internet resets when we pay is to end our contract and start it again.

This past month we used our “unlimited” 7GB quite quickly because I was home a lot and online quite a bit.  We ended up buying extra until our internet reset itself on the 19^th.  Even buying extra GBs was a problem.  With etisalat, there is a number you can text from the USB modem to add extra.  We called Mobinil to ask if they did the same thing and were left hanging on hold.  The customer service rep never came back to tell if that was possible and what the number was.

Yesterday I came home from work and went to go online to check on my family in the states because of the hurricane.  I found that Mobinil had once again cut off the internet.  And again with no warning.  That is the most irritating thing to me.  They send us countless texts on our phones and through the USB with stupid contests and other info, but they don’t say anything about our actual service or any warning that it is about to be cut.

My husband called Mobinil to figure out what happened and we were not happy with the response.  First the customer service rep told us it had nothing to do with our bill, but that we had reached some limit.  We had used the internet too much.  Seriously.

We asked how can we make it work now?  She said pay this past bill and part of the next month’s bill.  Even though the bill isn’t actually due until September 7^th.  We talked in circles with the customer service rep and we still have no idea what policy she is talking about and I bet she didn’t either.  Bottom line is our bill is 311, we must pay 322 to get the internet back.  We have now lost a day in this new cycle and I bet that they won’t reimburse us for it.

At my sister’s suggestion, I took to twitter to complain.  I was surprised to receive a response.  Even this seemed like a half-hearted attempt to ward off bad publicity.  I have yet to receive another reply from them and I look forward to changing companies.  We never had these kinds of problems with etisalat, well before they did work on their lines without telling anyone.  Maybe it’s time to try Vodafone after all.

Shopping and Not Breaking the Bank

Cairo is filled with shopping malls and teeny tiny shops of questionable legitimacy.  As a foreigner living here, I tend to fall back on brands I already know.  However, those brands are usually incredibly expensive here.  This left me in a bit of a quandary lately when I realized that my shoes desperately needed replacing.

Now, I am not a clotheshorse and I don’t shop all that much.  I usually go to City Stars, look around, see the price tags and go home.  I tried shopping downtown before and didn’t feel all that comfortable.  Every shop I went in, I was shadowed to a creepy extent.  You know how it is here.  I would pick up a shirt and turn to talk to my husband and there would be a salesperson’s head in the middle of us.  No privacy and no time to think.

Luckily, my way to and from work changed recently from Faisal St to Pyramid St.  Pyramid St is full of shops for everything and right across from my new bus stop I found a small store called Fango.  Fango is a very clean, nicely arranged shoe and bag shop.  Most of the items are from Club Aldo and everything in the store was 49.99LE.  Everything.

They had a nice selection of flats and heels and a bunch of bags in every style.  I’m not kidding myself when it comes to the quality of the items.  I know they won’t last forever, but I’ll be happy if they last for the summer.  The shoes seemed rather well made for the price, but I would be careful with the bags.  A lot of them looked nice, but just felt so cheap.

I went twice when I was deciding what to buy and both times the shop wasn’t crowded.  It was nice to be able to look around and not bump into anyone.  The staff was also very friendly and non-intrusive.  They let you look and try things on in peace.

In the end, I bought one gold pair of flats, I like my shoes a bit tacky, and one black pair.  Best of all, after spending just 100LE, I had plenty of money left over for important things, like pretzels and books!

Fango

92 Pyramid St

Giza, Cairo

A New Routine in Maadi

Lately, my husband and I have gotten into a new routine.  Every two Fridays or so we take the metro to Maadi before Friday prayers and go to some of our favorite places on Road 9.  This journey is not too bad.  We only have to change once, at Sadat, and it’s a nice time to walk around there.

We always start our walk at Auntie Anne’s.  It used to be we would go to Jared’s Bagels, but our first trip to Maadi after the revolution revealed that they have moved to another location.  We were pleased to find Auntie Anne’s just a few steps further down the road.

I love Auntie Anne’s because it reminds me of home and the pretzels are so delicious, much better than The Pretzel Factory.  I have tried most of the meatless options and my husband has tried all of the meaty ones.  I usually start my Friday with an original pretzel with cheese dip.  It’s just so classic.  This last time we went, I added an iced coffee drink and it really hit the spot.

My husband usually starts with a pretzel dog or pepperoni pretzel or both.  We tend to eat until the dip runs out!  Also, in this store the stools are rather close to the counter, so to order something else you basically just have to turn around.  The staff is very friendly, too.

With full bellies, we next head up the street to the Bookspot.  It’s a small, but charming bookstore stocking both new and used books.  They also claim to take in used books, but I’ve had varying success in that regard.  I usually fill my tote bag with books and attempt to trade them in.  The Bookspot will always buy back its own books at half price, but they are inconsistent when it comes to accepting other books.  I’ve heard nearly every excuse when it comes to why they won’t take other books.  I am careful about the condition of my books, but it doesn’t seem to matter there.  Last time, they refused a book I had bought new and only read once.  Why?  The pages weren’t white enough.  I suspect that they stopped taking other books because of a post-revolution slow down, but they don’t want to say that just yet.

In any case, they have a great selection of my favorite genre – mysteries.  I always find good mystery books there and usually walk away with five or six to hold me over until our next visit.

Books in hand, we leave and head back to our first stop, Auntie Anne’s.  Since we live in Giza, we don’t have many chances to buy pretzels.  We have had success in making them at home, but it’s still a treat to buy them here.  For our return trip, we usually get two or three pretzels each with the appropriate dip.  My favorites are the chocolate chip pretzel, the original one, and the sour cream and onion one.  My husband loves the cheesy dog and classic pretzel.

After taking our pretzels for the road, we usually walk a bit, pretend to want to take the metro home, and get in a taxi.  We are home by 1 o’clock and usually relax with our remaining pretzels.  It’s almost a shame that we are so blinded by our pretzel love because there are so many nice restaurants in Maadi that we have yet to try.  Well, there’s always next Friday.

Adventures with Sbarro

Sbarro instantly reminds me of being back home.  There is one in Newark airport and it is always one of our stops before boarding a plane to anywhere.  Unfortunately, Sbarro in Egypt leaves much to be desired.

Our first issue with Sbarro came during Ramadan last year.  We ordered it for Iftar and the entire order came wrong.  The entire thing.  My husband had even ordered from their set menu and it was still wrong.  It was also the worst time for something like that to happen.  After my husband had been fasting all day, this was the last thing that he wanted to happen.  But we understood that mistakes can happen, especially when they are busy.

A couple of months ago, we tried Sbarro again.  I ordered the broccoli and spinach stuffed pizza, among other things.  The manager of the restaurant called shortly after we placed our order and said that they were out of spinach and was just broccoli fine or did I want something else.  We told him the broccoli was ok.  The pizza came with broccoli and pepperoni and sausage.  I am a vegetarian.  That’s why I ordered the meatless pizza.  We gave it back and found another plan for dinner.

Last night, we felt like Sbarro again.  Their prices are actually not bad and the food is good when it is right.  We ordered at 6:45.  First, ordering was a bit of a hassle.  I wanted pasta with just plain sauce.  They tell me this does not exist.  Finally, I ordered baked ziti without cheese.  We ask for garlic bread, they don’t know what this is, even though they sell it!  Nevertheless, we check the order and it seems ok.  Then we wait.

At 7:15, the manager calls to review our order.  He says they are preparing it now and it should be there soon.  We wait again.  Keep in mind that the restaurant is on Pyramids St and we are just off of Faisal.   At 8 o’clock, the food still hadn’t arrived.  We call the restaurant to check and the manager says there is a delay because of the rain.  We say okay and stick our heads out the window.  Did we miss the rain?  No.  There is a sprinkle, that’s it.

We wait a little more.  8:30 we try to call again.  We called the number that called us to check about our order the first time.  There is no answer.  We call Sbarro’s general number.  They tell us the order is out and hang up.  We try to call back and there is no answer.  We decide five minutes and that’s it.

Five minutes and nothing happens.  We switch phones and call and cancel the order.  You would think that they would be somewhat apologetic, but instead they cop a bit of an attitude.  Firmly, we say no, that’s it and order from another place.

9 o’clock.  Ding dong!  Sbarro is here!  We tell the delivery guy that we already canceled the order.  He is incredulous.  “Is it because of the wait?”  Hmmmm….

5 minutes later, the phone rings.  It’s the manager that wouldn’t answer us before.  All he says is that his delivery guy is there and is there any hope that we will take the order.  Any hope!  What do you think we said?

It still surprises me sometimes that the idea of customer service is so different here.  We waited over two hours and the restaurant didn’t seem to care.  As a result, we certainly won’t order from them again and I can’t help but wonder how many other people are doing the same thing.

Thai Elephant

Nile Zamalek Hotel,

21 El Maahad El Swesry St.

Sedqy Sq.

Zamalek

Thai Elephant is Miss Havisham’s wedding dress.  My husband and I stumbled upon it by accident last weekend and having heard good things about it, we decided to try it out.  We left with a desire to try more Thai food, just not there.

To start with, the décor is actually quite nice.  The entrance to the restaurant is appropriately flanked by two elephants guiding you to a small staircase.  The staircase opens onto an empty courtyard.  When we got there it was a mass of empty tables and kitschy odds and ends.  There was not a soul in sight, however, and we began to wonder if it was even open or not.

After poking our heads around a bit, a waiter came to greet us and showed us the menu.  He left us to peruse it and we seated ourselves after deciding to stay.  The dining room is quite large and they still had the Christmas decorations up, but the whole place needs a little love.  There are some lovely pieces on the walls, but they are actually in the process of falling down and no one seems to care enough to straighten things out.

One thing I was happy with was the fact that they had a vegetarian menu.  I decided on the pad thai and vegetable spring rolls.  I asked about the Thai Juice, but was told that they had never had it and the waiter did not even know what it was.  They also did not have any hot drinks, not even tea.  After ordering we were brought a large 9LE bottle of water.  I find that quite irritating.  Why would you bring someone something they didn’t order and then expect them to pay for it?

Anyway, the spring rolls were quite nice.  There was nothing remarkable about them, but there was nothing bad about them either.  The sweet chili sauce they came with was quite nice, though, as was the portion size.  They were a touch greasy and, surprisingly, there were no napkins on our table.  We also couldn’t find the waiter to ask for some.  In the end, we scavenged two from another table.

The pad thai was rather mediocre as well.  The bean curd didn’t taste of much and the noodles were a bit rubbery.  Still, the sauce was nice and it was okay.  I asked for it to not be too spicy.  When the plate arrived, the chef had left a small pile of red pepper flakes and a small pile of sugar on the side of my plate.  I still don’t know what the sugar was for.  They also didn’t care enough to wipe the plate and make a clean presentation.  If Top Chef and Gordon Ramsay have taught me anything, it’s that that’s important.  It was still nice to have pad thai again after so long.

My husband ordered a rice dish and a fried chicken dish.  He fared far worse than I did.   His rice dish was supposed to be rice with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables.  Supposed to be.  It actually consisted of rice, chicken, a few shrimp, cashews, and hot dogs, which are not vegetables.  Nonetheless, it apparently tasted all right; it just wasn’t what he expected.

The chicken was its own disaster.  There were small triangles of fried chicken set atop a large bed of cardboard noodles.  The chicken was supposed to be topped with a light lemon sauce, but it was only covered by mayonnaise.  Great big globs of mayonnaise.  We complained to the manager about this, but we were only told that it would be better next time before he ran off.

In the end, Thai Elephant was one of the more bizarre dining experiences we’ve had as of late.  The food was nothing to write home about and the service was pretty abysmal.  The entire meal cost about 150LE and we weren’t happy to pay it.  I’d recommend looking elsewhere to satisfy your Thai craving.