The Cairo Food Guide is part of the Trip Report Athens Marathon: The Original Course which includes the following cities:
- Toronto, Canada
- Detroit, Michigan
- London, England
- Athens, Greece
- Giza, Egypt
- Cairo, Egypt
- Luxor, Egypt
- Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
- Abu Dhabi, UAE
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A few things can’t be missed when you are in Cairo. The first is undoubtedly the Pyramids. The second is molokhia. Molokhia is a traditional Egyptian soup which in Arabic means ‘kingly’ or related to kings. According to my Uber driver, in ancient times, molokhia leaves were very expensive which is why the dish was reserved for the pharaohs.
I asked the concierge at Le Meridien where I could try molokhia and they recommended the restaurant Abou El Sid. Upon arriving at the restaurant, I noticed that the the clientele was mostly ex-pats leading me to believe that there is a more authentic place and probably a more affordable place to try Egyptian cuisine. Though this may be true, the atmosphere of Abou El Sid did not disappoint.
Since there was only two of us, I thought it proper to order enough food for four.
The mezzah (traditional Arabic appetizer platter) was spot on. Everything tasted homemade.
The bamieh ooh murga (okra with soup) was just like grandma makes. Given the quality of the other dishes, I was confident that the molokhia which I ordered with a side of rabbit would be top-notch.
The rabbit was fantastic but sadly I wasn’t a fan of the molokhia. The consistency of this green soup was strange. It’s probably a dish that I would have to try a few times before I could appreciate it. My dislike of this traditional Egyptian dish is probably a tell-tale sign that I am not a descendant of royalty. Still, as far as presentation and flavor is concerned, everything I tried at Abou El Sid was delightful.
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