breakfast Archives | Our Voyage

Gastronomy January 21, 2021

Paul restaurant in Cairo: A taste of French cuisine

We went for brunch this time at PAUL restaurant in Cairo. They have many branches around the city. We went for the one in Downtown Katamey Mall (New Cairo), so we could also enjoy the open area.

There is no doubt that French cuisine is one of the best ones in the world. Especially when we talk about bakeries. That’s why for me a French breakfast is always a good choice. So check out how was our experience at PAUL restaurant in Cairo.

PAUL French cuisine

PAUL was created in 1889 and everything there has a French signature. From the decoration to the selection of bread, pâtisserie, sandwiches, soups, and salads.

Picture of breads in a basket on top of a wood table. Besides there is portions of butter and olive paste.

The smell of the bread inside the restaurant is irresistible. That’s why we choose a sandwich for sharing (saving some space for the desert). For the entrance, the place serves some fresh and homemade bread, butter, and olive paste. It was really amazing and we probably enjoyed it more than the dish we choose.

Picture of a white plate with two sandwiches. Lettuce and French fries garnishee the dish. — Our order of Club Chicken Sandwich (with cucumber, avocado, tomato, mustard, and chicken) and Cappuccino, served with Madeline.

Image of a cup of coffee with milk. On the saucer is a small Madeleine. — Our order of Club Chicken Sandwich (with cucumber, avocado, tomato, mustard, and chicken) and Cappuccino, served with Madeline.

Our sandwich came right after, and we got a little disappointed with the bread they served. It was common white sandwich bread, a little toasted. The bread served as an entrance was ten times better. The filling was made with avocado and chicken and was actually tasty, but not spectacular.

They also served french fries and green salad with the sandwich. After the first meal, we also ordered two coffees and a special french toast. And I believe these were the highest from our visit.

Picture of an iron plate over wood. Inside, French toast with berries, banana, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. — French toast with fruits and ice cream.

The French Toast came out to be so big that we almost thought we won’t be able to finish it. The bread was baked in pieces with cream and served with honey, red fruits, bananas, and ice cream. It arrived on the table still hot from the oven. The cappuccino was also big and creamy, served with Madeline.

PAUL, like most of the international restaurants in Cairo, is more expensive than a daily restaurant. But the quality of their bakery products is really good. The plates were nicely done and we will deftly go back to try the other items on the menu.

PAUL Restaurant in cairo

Location: Building 5, Downtown Katameya mall, Area A-City Center, 5th District, Road 90, New Cairo, Egypt

Hours: From 8 AM until 1 AM

Environment: 5/5
Location: 5/5
Flavor: 5/5
Price: 3/5
Cost-benefit: 4/5

Keep Reading

Gastronomy November 25, 2020

Eggspectation: international cuisine in New Cairo

On those lazy days when we wake up late on the weekend, there’s nothing better than brunch to start the day. After a little bit of search, we decided to go for Eggspectation Restaurant. Their egptyan branch is located inside the mall Cairo Festival City Mall, in New Cairo city.

A little bit more about Eggspectation

Eggspectation is a Canadian restaurant. It was one of the first restaurants in downtown Montreal, opened in 1993. Now Eggspectation has branches all across the US, India, Qatar, Dubai and of course Egypt. Mostly, they serve dishes related to breakfast or brunch.

French toast, crepes, waffles, pancakes and everything else you desire in an American brunch. And, of course, lots of egg dishes! More recently, they’ve also included some lunch and dinner dishes on the menu. That includes steak plates and sandwiches.

Our experience at the restaurant

The menu is very complete and has a lot of variety. However, the Southwest Sunrise Omelet with Avocado, Tomato Sauce, Sour Cream and Rustic Potatoes caught our eyes. We asked the size of the plate and it looked huge so we decided to share it. In addition, the restaurant offers slices of homemade bread, butter and jam.

No much left to tell the story. But it was very tasty!

For drinking we asked for natural orange juice and a coffee with milk. Our plate came with some fruits, beside the ommelet and potatos. The egg was still creamy and everything was very fresh. Apart of the flavor, the presentation of the dishes are also good. The dish was ideal for the size of our hunger.

Eggspectation

Address: Cairo Festival City, First New Cairo, Cairo

Opening hours: Open every day from 10 am to 11:30 pm

Ambiance: 5/5
Location: 5/5
Taste: 5/5
Price: 4/5
Value for money: 5/5

Keep Reading

Gastronomy November 24, 2020

Eish & Malh: a piece of Italy in Downtown, Cairo

Located in the heart of Cairo, the restaurant and café Eish & Malh serve from breakfast to dinner daily day. Mostly for the bohemian customers, Egyptians and foreigners. Somedays, the restaurant has live music sessions at night, attracting a young audience.

A little more about Eish & Malh

Although it is only 6 years since its opening, the restaurant still has a historic atmosphere. Located in Downtown Cairo, the decoration brings elements from the forties. Some old pictures of the city can be seen around the walls, as well as paintings.

Specialized in Italian cuisine, their main served plates are thin-crust pizza, house-made pasta, and risotto. Also, they have a really nice international breakfast with french toast, eggs, and pancakes. But for those who want to enjoy only drinks, Eish & Malh has a variety of coffees, frappe, juices, and milkshakes.

Dinner at Eish & Malh:

Picture of a table with 2 pizzas already cutted and displayed over 4 plates. — Pizza and live music are a perfect combination for dinner.

Picture of a men with black t-shirt and jeans sited on a chair. He has his eyes closed while he play his saxophone. — Pizza and live music are a perfect combination for dinner.

We went to Eish & Malh at the weekend for dinner. The restaurant was crowded but as always we could find a place to stay. We choose two pizzas from the menu. I already tried the pasta and also recommend it. The pizzas are medium size with thin and crunchie bread.

We ordered one spinach and one four cheese flavor and we didn’t regret it. The spinach was fresh, with a garlic touch. In the other one, we could really feel the four kinds of cheese inside the four-cheese pizza (something that doesn’t happen in all places).

But don’t go expecting a real traditional Italian cuisine. The pizza dough is far from being like Italian pizza. In general, is more like a biscuit. But, for my taste is better than the oily fast food ones. We didn’t know, but there was live music that day.

Breakfast at the restaurant:

Picture of two toasted breads over a white plate. Balsamic vinegar and parsley decorate the dish. Over the table there is also a plate of pancakes with strawberry jam and a jar with juice. — The dishes came out beautiful and well served.

Picture of a plate with two toasted breads and a bowl with eggs and parsley. — The dishes came out beautiful and well served.

For an international breakfast, Eish & Malh is one of the best spots in the Downtown area. I went there a couple of times already, so I have tried several items on the menu. Which includes pancakes, French toast, eggs… More recently they are also offering a set menu. For around 160 EGP you can choose a plate, a side, juice, and tea or coffee.

Everything comes well served and with a pretty presentation. My favorite plates are Shakshuka eggs, with tomatoes, onions, chili, garlic, and parsley served with toasted bread, and also their banana bread. The pancakes are also nice, but the French Toast could be more crunchy for my taste.

Prices:

For dinner:

Quattro Formaggi Pizza 64.00 EGP
Spinaci Pizza 60.00 EGP
Pepsi 19EGP

For breakfast:

Strawberry sauce pancake 49.00 EGP
Shakshuka eggs 44.00 EGP
Savory French Toast 53.00 EGP
Cappuccino Single 28.00 EGP
Hibiscus iced tea 32.00 EGP

Our evaluation of EISH & MALH restaurant

Environment: 3/5
Location: 5/5
Flavor: 4/5
Price: 5/5
Cost-benefit: 5/5

EISH & MALH restaurant

Address: 20 Adly, Al Fawalah, Downtown، Cairo Governorate 11121

Hours: Every day from 7 AM to 12h30 AM

Keep Reading

Gastronomy November 4, 2020

The Lebanese Bakery: Oriental breakfast spot in Cairo

Since I saw some advertisements on my Instagram account about the new Lebanese Bakery, I was tempted to visit the place. Cairo’s new bakery is located in the noblest area of Maadi, a haven from life in the desert. The dishes looked delicious and I, a lover of Lebanese cuisine, was dying to miss an authentic Lebanese breakfast.

The Lebanese Bakery is an authentic Lebanese branch, with stores in several places, including Beirut and other cities in Europe. Its most famous dishes are a variety of Lebanese flatbreads (Manousheh) with different toppings and bite-sized bakes (Mouajjanet). Also, they serve the traditional and delicious hummus, baba ganoush, and some sorted types of cookies.

The Lebanese bakery in Cairo:

As I mentioned, the location is one of the special things about Lebanese Bakery. The place is ideal for sunny days, especially when winter arrives. The restaurant has balconies on the second floor and an outdoor area.

Picture of a table in a balcony. On the street we are able to see trees and other building. On the table, a cup of coffee, a glass bottle with orange juice, and Manakeesh. — Breakfast with a view on the balcony.

We were very indecisive looking at the menu. Finally, we chose to order 3 different types of Mouajjanet and a Manousheh with a traditional filling. The Half Half flavor contains creamy white cheese and Za’atar, a spice mix widely used in Middle Eastern countries. The taste reminded me a lot of my breakfasts in Lebanon, while I was working at a hotel. You can check more about my experience here.

Picture of a Manakeesh. On the table, two triangular pieces of slim bread filled with cheese and zaatar. On first plan, we can see better the feeling on the bread as a hand holds the Mouajjanet with a bite. — Manakeesh with Za’atar and cheese.

For the Mouajjanet, we choose to order one Spinach, one Sambousek, and one Nutella. I confess that we were a little disappointed with the size. It’s a real “snack bite”, but the taste was lovely. I love spinach, but we were especially impressed with the Sambousek one. The filling of sweetened minced meat was really incredible.

We got a taste of “want more” after our first order and we decided to try something else from the menu. We choose a Kaak Franji. It is basically made with the same Lebanese bread, this time in two slices placed in the oven with the filling of your choice. We chose the one with turkey and cheese. The order came hot and delicious.

Three different bites of Mouajjanet on a iron plate. Two of the with a shape of half circle, the other one is a triangle. — Three different bites of Mouajjanet and a turkey and cheese Kaak Franji.

Picture of a Kaak Franji. The circle toasted bread is covered by sesame seads, also toasted. — Three different bites of Mouajjanet and a turkey and cheese Kaak Franji.

Price:

The total of our order was:

Mouajjanet Spinach – 8 EGP
Mouajjanet Sambousek – 12 EGP
Sweet Mouajjanet with Nutella – 10 EGP
Orange Juice – 35 EGP
Cafe Latte – 37 EGP
Manakeesh Half Half – 60 EGP
Kaak Franji – 79 EGP

With fees, we paid a total of 275 Egyptian pounds for our breakfast in The Lebanese Bakery. I would say is an experience worth trying once in a while. All products are fresh and high quality, so in the end, we were satisfied.