| rev:text
| - Cairo Time: Tuesday at 5 pm
Our experience at Maha's evoked memories of our trip to Egypt and of Ruba Nadda's beautifully crafted film, "Cairo Time". In the words of Rotten Tomatoes' film critique, "Though potentially too slowly paced for some, Cairo Time lingers long after the closing credits..."
Thanks to Yelpers' comments, we planned our meal for the less-busy and auspicious day of Tuesday at 5 pm. As we arrived at the corner of the quiet residential street, a car pulled out of a spot and we were able to slip in -- right behind a car with the license plate "Maha". A welcoming omen.
Pots of flowers and herbs decorate the restaurant, like the terrace balconies of many local homes in Egypt. A friendly waitress seated us immediately and provided both mint-infused water and menus. There were 2-3 other tables occupied when we arrived.
Of course, we had to have the Mindblowing Chicken Sandwich and the Pharaoh's Po' Boy.,The two of us also ordered the cumin fries and falafels plus the Arnabeet cauliflower sandwich to take home. Everything was mindblowingly delicious. Full of subtle spices and homemade tomeya (Egyptian garlicky mayo) that made me want to lick my fingers!
As previous reviewers have noted, the service was friendly but slow. We didn't mind. We were seated and prepared to enjoy the food and our conversation. Next time, perhaps I'll bring my backgammon board with mother-of-pearl inlay which I bought at the Khan-Al-Kalili Bazaar in Cairo. That's what people do there: go to cafés, order tea, smoke shisha, play backgammon, eat some food and relax.
I love falafels and have tasted my fair share of delicious ones, including those from L'As du Falafel in Paris. I loved Maha's falafel texture and seasoning. The waitress explained that their falafels (pronounced by Maha as "fa-LAY-ful") are made with Fava Bean, not chick pea. I look forward to our next trip when we taste the Falafel Wrap with its falafel mix encasing soft-boiled eggs. A legume version of Scotch eggs.
Also looking forward to the Foul, a Fava Bean purée typically served as street food breakfast in Cairo. Egyptian comfort food.
|