I've always wanted to do this..

A bit naughty, but there is something tremendously satisfying about naming and shaming the places I DON'T like.. at the moment, there's only one..

I once read an excellent and entertaining review by an American food critic. From what I hazily recall, she went to a classy New York restaurant, the first occasion having informed the restaurant in advance, and a second time incognito. On the occasion that she announced her presence in advance, she was shown to the best table in the establishment, given the royal treatment, and she greatly enjoyed the experience (and the food).

A while later, the same critic made a reservation under a different name, and was this time given one of the worst tables, and treated shabbily throughout, and I think (if I'm not embellishing) that the food may even not have tasted quite so good. So it is with that in mind that I write up my review of Abou El Sid, by reputation one of the best restaurants in Cairo.

The first time I dined here in the evening was with a prominent Egyptian activist, well known to the staff. We were treated like minor celebrities - delightful and deferential staff, amazing food (we shared a number of courses), so good that it was the obvious choice to treat my parents (well, perhaps they treated me) when they came to Egypt for a holiday.

So the second experience. Despite having a reservation, we were directed to a table in a dark corner away from the body of the restaurant, and served by a waiter whose manner bordered on surly. He banged our food on the table, marched off before we had a chance to ask him anything, took away our bottle of wine still a quarter full (and never returned it), and left us all feeling a bit frazzled by the experience. And yet we still couldn't quite abandon our social conditioning and deny the man a tip..

Anyway, the food's quite good. Just avoid the stuffed pigeon if you're expecting any meat on the bird. I enjoyed my fettah with lamb - a creamy rice dish with bits of soft broken bread. The various veal dishes were also very good.

Abou el Sid, Mohammed Mazhar (off July 26 Street), Zamalek, Cairo. +20 101 00 8500; 150-200 L.E. per person. Alcohol served

Beginnings

It's slightly scary starting a blog. I have no idea if anybody will ever read this, or if I am merely writing this for my own amusement. Actually, part of it is that I feel compelled to set myself a challenge or two in a bid to become better acquainted with Cairo, the city to which my husband, baby daughter and I moved three months ago.

Cairo is a wonderful city. We moved here from Jerusalem, where we lived three years. The two cities couldn't be more different. Cairo is a teeming Middle Eastern metropolis with a vibrant social and cultural scene, and a fascinating history. Jerusalem, by contrast, felt at times stifled by the weight of history and conflict.

But back to the point of this blog. We live in Zamalek, the area populated by the British during colonial times, and now home to embassies, consulates and a large expatriate community. As such, it is something of a bubble, and it is all too easy to spend one's days here, exploring the galleries, whiling away hours in atmospheric little cafes, sitting on our terrace... but it's not the real Cairo, and so I set myself a challenge of exploring the city's cuisine, Egyptian and everything else. Where I can, I will take photos, where I can, I will avoid posting about the humdrum, the chains... and if you should ever chance upon this blog, I hope you might draw some inspiration for fun dining in Cairo.