Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
A newly-revamped bakery in Adliya, known for its fine selection of sandwiches and savoury delights, has expanded into the restaurant business and is now also dishing out plates of authentic Egyptian cuisine to hungry diners.
Cairo bakery’s doughy delights have been a feature in the kingdom since 1997 thanks to Al Suwaifi Unite Bakeries and its founder Jamal.
After serving customers from across the kingdom he felt it was time for a change, he explained: “People know what Cairo Bakery has to offer as we have been around for some time.
“I thought it was time for something new and I wanted to spice things up. I believed that by opening a restaurant I could add some zest to the bakery business and what better way than offering authentic traditional Egyptian food.
“This type of fare is always in demand in Bahrain. In fact, many people relish travelling to Egypt to not only see the pyramids but to taste the food.
“We can save them the cost of travelling as they will not have to go far for a taste of Egypt! Although our menu features other dishes we specialise in Egyptian food.”
After expanding his kitchen and bringing Egyptian chef Mustafa Ebrahim on board, Cairo Restaurant was born. Doors opened at the beginning of the month with more than 50 food-lovers attending the launch event, including Egyptian ambassador Mohammed Ashraf Harbi Salama.
The venue is neatly-arranged with the added bonus of smiling, friendly waiters ready to assist and take your orders. Keeping true to the theme of the restaurant the GulfWeekly team sampled only Egyptian meals starting off with one of the country’s most popular dishes, Kushari.
Kushari, often thought of as Egypt’s national dish, consists of pasta and tomato sauce, alongside an array of ingredients including rice, lentils, caramelised onions, garlic and chickpeas.
It is often found served at roadside stalls and in family restaurants all over Egypt, some of which sell only Kushari.
According to food enthusiast Sami Zubaida, an Emeritus Professor of Politics and Sociology at Birkbeck, University of London, Kushari is a variant of Indian Kitchri brought to Egypt by British troops in the early 20th Century.
In fact, the pasta was imported from Italy, the tomatoes from Latin America and the rice from Asia. However, the idea to mix them all together in one extremely delicious and vegetarian meal was conceived by a culinary genius in Egypt.
Not surprisingly, the Kushari with its four sources of carbohydrates was filling.
Hummus followed with some piping hot bread to put the bakery to the test. Unlike in Lebanese restaurants this hummus did not feature olive oil and even its mahshi (stuffed vegetables) tasted somewhat different to my usual experience.
The next order on the menu was the mixed mahshi platter featuring stuffed green peppers, cabbage leaves, grape leaves, eggplant and zucchini.
Again, Lebanese mahshi includes seasoned rice, meat and either a tomato or yogurt sauce.
The Egyptian mahshi we tried was simply stuffed with rice seasoned with herbs and spices topped with lemon or lime, although the recipe can include tomato sauce as well, and there was no meat.
While I’m more accustomed to that Lebanese-twist, again the taste of Egypt proved pleasant.
The shish taouk, which originally heralds from Turkey but can be found in the best eating out venues in Egypt, was recommended by one of the waiters and was the highlight of the dining experience.
The cubes of chicken were skewered and grilled to perfection. Common marinades were yogurt or tomato puree-based, although there were many variations. It was tender and juicy and served on a bed of salad.
Overall, an enjoyable meal, one ideally suited for those occasional long sit downs with friends, accompanied by tea afterwards.
The eatery is open from 11am until midnight, offers a delivery service and the manpower to cater to hotels and private functions.
For more details contact 17716602.
