The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

If you’re anything like this
reviewer, food has a unique and uncanny ability of riling up the sense of
memory like nothing else. And Cairo is full of it; with the wide array of cuisines on offer in the Capital, we have plenty of possibilities for food to remind us of our fondest or not-so-fondest memories.

This little Cairo fiteer place took us
back to the glory days of AUC’s Downtown campus; so we couldn’t help ourselves
from stopping by for a little sentimental (albeit greasy) fiteer. Situated on Falaki Street in
Bab El Louk, across from the AUC library is quite possibly some of the best and
cheapest sandwich treats in the area.  

While there are always a few
customers in line, the street stand is definitely a come-and-go-kind of place,
selling fresh fiteer and mouth-watering hawashi.

The bread used for the fiteer comes
piping hot, flaky and soft with just enough substance to hold your chosen,
mainly sweet toppings. We have a major sweet tooth, so the powdered
sugar and honey combination for 0.75LE is a perfect mix to satisfy our taste
buds. Although it is a messy treat, the fiteer comes delicately wrapped in
paper to ensure less of a disaster.

The pizza fiteer (approx. 1LE) comes
with olives, peppers and tomatoes as well as onion; but the veggies never seem
to be as fresh as we’d like them to be. Nonetheless, it’s a completely doable option when
sweet isn’t your thing and you’re looking for a little more substance.

Lately, the hawashi has seemed to
take the reins. For 1.50LE, the baked flat bread encases a spicy yet
mouth-watering mix of seasoned meat and neatly diced tomatoes, onion and
peppers. The coriander adds an extra kick, while the bread tends to even out the
robust flavours. It’s greasy, filling and oh-so tasty.   

Although the archaic looks of the fiteer
shop and its kitchen utensils could easily make one wonder how on earth it’s
actually functioning; there’s some serious and historical love wrapped up in
the deliciousness.