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

One of the most vivid
images we associate with an ideal childhood is mama or grandma’s spotless,
well-equipped kitchen and, more importantly, the legendary treats she would
whip up inside, with their enticing aromas wafting through the house. Who
doesn’t appreciate a bite of warm, home-baked chocolate chip cookie straight
out of the oven, chased by a glass of cold, cold milk? For those of us who were
not as fortunate to have had domestic goddess-like maternal figures when we
were kids, Auntie Loulou from Maadi provides a setting in which we can live out
our fantasy, this time in Zamalek.

Our visit to Auntie
Loulou’s Zamalek home started off strong: a sweet smell drifted out to greet us
before we even entered through the doors, and the décor was something out of a
fairytale—the place was a manifestation of country shabby chic itself, with red
and yellow gingham touches everywhere, including the lampshades, and a
harmonious brick and wood interior decorated with painted pots and a doll-sized
miniature country cottage and garden display located outside the window by the
innermost tables. The setting was something out of a book or a colourful
imagination.

Hoping this
sensitivity and attention to detail would also encompass the food, we excitedly
looked through the menu and decided on the chicken pesto crepe (25LE) and a
waffle (23LE) with half-dark chocolate and half-caramel topping per the
waiter’s suggestion, as we couldn’t decide between the list of options, which
includes Nutella, white chocolate and maple syrup. In addition, we also ordered
a passion fruit smoothie (23LE) and a cappuccino (17LE) to accompany.

The chicken pesto
crepe aroused our suspicion, as it came to us rolled into a shape that resembled
shawerma. But upon first bite, it managed to exceed our expectations; the pesto
marinating the generous amount of chicken inside the crepe was truly delicious
and there was just the right balance between the pesto and the chicken as well
as the cheesy, nutty and basil flavours within the pesto itself. The crepe’s
weak point, sadly enough, was the crepe itself; the shell was very thick,
closer to that of a thin pancake than a crepe, which rendered its overall texture,
as well as the gustatory experience one would expect from a crepe, less
decadent. Apart from the filling, the crepe itself tasted almost old.

We thought there must
be something wrong with the batter that is used, because the waffle similarly
disappointed. The waffle itself was freshly made and immediately brought to us –
one half drizzled in dark chocolate, the other in caramel sauce – but it still managed
to taste somewhat stale and the texture of the waffle was also soggy.

The drinks were the
last straw. The cappuccino was watery and the passion fruit smoothie had
stronger pineapple notes than passion fruit, not to mention that it was
cloyingly, unpleasantly sweet.

Everything is always
better in our imagination and never quite lives up to that which we conjure in
our own minds. Auntie Loulou, in conjuring images of sweet country life and
simple living and food made with butter and mom’s love, was no exception to
this. If you feel like indulging your childhood fantasies in Auntie Loulou’s
beautiful interior, you may want to opt for a reasonably fail-proof item, such
as the banana split (25 LE) assembled with Movenpick ice cream, instead.