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

Ninety Nine is a famous name for a restaurant/pub in the United States, and other countries as well;it certainly has a ring to it. Therefore, it was only sensible for us to go and see what the 99 Restaurant & Lounge here in Cairo is doing. Situated in a calmer area of Sheikh Zayed, 99 certainly spared no expense in getting a spacious area to offer three different seating moods. 

Entering the restaurant, we sensed that it gave off the feel of a high-end atmosphere. But as we continued walking in, the vibe got more casual with dance music and a café ambience. We decided to sit outside in the lounge, where it was clear that it was now leaning towards a more chilled hang-out area, with shisha and a TV in the background. We were handed the menus, and straightway we noticed that it is just the typical menu of a restaurant/café here in Cairo; the usual international dishes and some Egyptian options.

We opted for the Chicken Nachos (60LE) as an appetiser. This dish was well executed; the cheese was light and slightly buttery, the chicken was amazingly soft, and the nachos themselves were tasty, even without the toppings.

We went on to choose our mains; first, we got the Chicken Spinach (115LE), which is spinach-stuffed chicken breasts with creamy sauce, and a side of red-sauce spaghetti. Flawlessly cooked, the chicken breasts were moist, and each bite had a bit of spinach inside. Equally delicious was the pasta; al denté to perfection and the red sauce had a sweet undertone that made the dish simply delicious. 

Our second main was the Beef Fajita Skillet (160LE); grilled beef fajita with vegetables, sour cream, pico de gallo, and cheese, with fries on the side. Even though tortillas as a side wasn’t an option, it didn’t really matter as the sizzling beef strips were quite incredible on their own. The picture-perfect grill on the beef left it tender, and we could tell that the marinade was deliciously acidic; a 5-star fajita dish for sure. 

Honestly, the portions were so big we couldn’t finish them, even though we wanted to. But, this certainly didn’t stop us from ordering the finale to this amazing meal; the popular Egyptian dessert Om Ali (50LE); Phyllo dough/puff pastry with milk and nuts.

It didn’t take long to arrive straight out of the oven, smelling heavenly. The dessert had just the right amount of sugar – not overly sweet – which made the raisin and nut flavours pop out all the more. Obviously, we finished it all – no regrets.

It was quite refreshing and surprising to see this kind of quality with this pricing. It was evident that the chef knew what he was doing; we had no negative comments whatsoever on the food, which is hard to experience these days. Needless to say, we left happy, confident of the restaurant’s culinary capabilities.