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Al-Ahram Weekly 28 Jan. - 3 Feb. 1999 Issue No. 414 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 28 Jan. - 3 Feb. 1999 Issue No. 414
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Focus Economy Opinion Culture Features Living Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Street life
By Andrew SteeleThere's nothing quite like a midnight feast, and Ramadan seemed the perfect time to indulge -- suhour being excuse enough for keeping irregular meal times. So, upon leaving a small supper party and feeling rather less than sated, myself and my companion decided to head home via my favourite all-night spit-and-sawdust joint, Al-Amanah, off 26th July Street in Bulaq Abul-Ela. You'll find it opposite the Kursal cinema, but let your nose lead you; the fine scent of choice grilled meats will draw you onward irresistibly.
There are no frills or fripperies to be had here. Simple tables adorn the street outside the restaurant. There's a small indoor area with a washbasin for sprucing up after eating. Empty your bladder before you arrive, as that is where the powder-room facilities end. Chickens galore are piled up to one side of the grill area. Kabab, kufta and chops lurk in a display cabinet. Little stuffed pigeons hide in a nearby oven. And that, more or less, is the menu. No fancy lists in this establishment.
Start with the delicious salad, fresh chunks of very plummy tomato, chivvied along by onion and parsley and swathed in a lemon, salt and chilli dressing. Warm, nutty tahina accompanies, along with hot and puffy baladi bread. All this lusciousness will keep you going until your grilled items come along, and then you'll probably want a bit more of it. You can even partake of a glass of the fiery "whisky" (salad water) if that's the sort of oddball bag you're into, but be warned, it will come back to haunt you the next day.
To the grill then. We chose a pigeon stuffed with cracked wheat, half a steam-rollered chicken, and quarter kilo of kufta; their respective whiffs wafted lasciviously towards our table on the chill night breeze. The pigeon was the first to arrive, its little head looking rather shrunken, its legs skewered through its back parts to hold in the stuffing. Now, your Egyptian pigeon can be a rather scrawny bird, and this one was no exception, but what meat there was proved rich and tender, the skin was suitably crisp and toothsome, and the buckwheat, cumin and black pepper stuffing most marvellously moist and choice. The chicken was similarly fine, rolled so flat it could almost have been hit by a passing lorry and charbroiled to crisp perfection, with none of those unpleasantly alarming pieces of bloody meat close to the bone that one sometimes finds in lesser concerns. As if this was not enough to fill our innards, the kufta soon arrived, hot and glistening from its skewer. It too was a delight, headily spiced, although not overwhelmingly so, and with nary an intimation of gristle. Use your fingers and make a mess. Great fun. We received complimentary menthol-scented tissues after washing.
To sum up: you certainly won't find a better grill in operation in the wee hours this side of the river, perhaps in the whole of Cairo. The service is friendly and efficient and comes with a certain knowing smile, and all for an awe-inspiring LE19. A certain Mr Dastardly would be exceedingly jealous.
Al-Amanah, Shari' Al-Fransawi, off 26th July Street, Bulaq
Tel: 762287
