Restaurant review:
Fast but not furious
Injy El-Kashef seeks the Saudi solution
Boycotting is taking a serious turn. It has almost become the norm now that when I go out with friends I am the only one still drinking Pepsi. They look at me with a mixture of surprise and disappointment followed by "no boycott for you?". Out of shame and embarrassment I try to extrapolate very complex socio-economic notions in an attempt to redeem my image, but to no avail. These explanations make as little sense to me as they do to them, which I would say is to be expected since I formulate them as I speak in an improvisational vein.
Yet, I do have a point about why we should not boycott American fast food restaurants in Egypt. To state it simply, everyone working there, from the management to the floor-sweeping personnel, is Egyptian. Boycotting the establishments could result in lost jobs for Egyptian employees with only minimal harm having been inflicted on the worldwide presence and popularity of the Golden Arches and other fast food franchises. It is self- defeating, and if there is one entity one should avoid defeating in times like these, it is one's self.
In any case, for those of you who choose to boycott American fast food, here is a brilliant alternative: Al-Tazaj Fakieh. This Saudi chain specialises in grilled chicken and its derivatives. Quite honestly, it is really good.
My favourite item is the Chicken Kofta Sandwich (LE3.95), which consists of well-seasoned kofta tucked in a sealed Shami bread rectangle along with pickled cucumbers and tomato slices accompanied by garlic paste. With that, one could order a Corn on the Cob (LE4) or Al-Tazaj (oriental) Rice (LE3.50) for a truly "alternative" fast food experience.
Most would agree that Al-Tazaj Fakieh's two drawbacks are slightly elevated prices and slow delivery. But then again, nobody's perfect. At least you don't feel sick after eating this fast food. It is real grilled chicken and tastes as healthy as it looks. That also applies to their chicken burgers, which, incidentally, also happen to be quite juicy -- none of that rubbery fare one might get elsewhere.
For those of us who like to immediately identify what we are about to eat, I would advise the Al-Kabeer Chicken (LE12.99), which is half of a grilled chicken, again served with a little tub of garlic sauce. With that, one might want to order a Tahina Salad (LE1.25) and leave the Cole Slaw (LE1.75) or Garden Salad (LE2.62) to have with the Deluxe Chicken Burger (LE4.52). No self-respecting fast food chain would fail to include a children's meal in its menu, and Al-Tazaj's version is (listen to this) the Farrojli Kids Meal (LE7.38).
By way of dessert, there is Basbousa (LE2), which is a really cute touch -- a small piece of no-so-great basbousa in a plastic tub with a lid and all. The Saudis did well in providing this version of a fast food meal. No detail was left unattended. They even have something called OK Juice (heaven only knows what that is for), priced at LE2.25, for customers who wish to boycott American soft drinks.
Al-Tazaj Fakieh, Mohandessin: 305 0905/ 302 0645; Nasr City: 404 9717/260 7445; Downtown: 574 4383/5122; Giza: 388 9747/4374; Heliopolis: 644 7038/40/42
