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

The Turkish food scene has been on the rise during the past few years; luckily, with Bosporus serving both the East and West of Cairo, you no longer have to go all the way to turkey to get a taste of that Eastern cuisine which is arguably very similar to Egyptian or Syrian.

Almost turning one, the Mall of Egypt vast branch boasts a contemporary Eastern setting that incorporates wooden and marble elements. The cosy indoors are overlooks Ski Egypt, while the outdoor area is very convenient for those who enjoy the city’s breezy nights. Having been less crowded, as well as quieter at the time of our visit, we opted for the indoor area.

As expected, the menu offers a variety of Turkish dishes that come with a few twists, in addition to a great selection of beverages.What caught our eyes the most were the Sote, which comprises vegetables and meat, baked in tomato sauce under a bread dome,but in the end we settled for the Pide with sausages and cheese (92 LE), Bosporus mixed grill (270 LE), and lastly Kunafe with ice cream (68 LE).

We started off with the cheese and sausages pide,which comes with a dash of black seeds and sesame. The neutral taste of the cheese balanced the flavourful sausages, with a fine boost from the sesame and black seeds. Baked in a stone oven, the pide boasted a nice crust, without compromising its tenderness.

Served on a wooden platter alongside grilled veggies and onions, the Bosporus mixed grill included shish tawook, Kabab, a rib, and kofta. While the tomato-juice-marinated shish tawook wasn’t exactly juicy, it was tender nevertheless and we had no trouble enjoy it.

Relying heavily on the freshness of the beef rather than the blend of the flavours, the tender kebab melted in our mouth. The medium-well grilled rib was juicy, and well marinated, which happens to be the same case with the two kofta pieces that we’ve received; one being the traditional minced beef with onions and parsley, while the other had minced red chili pepper for an extra kick.

As recommended by the service team, we finished off with cheese kunafe, that comes with an ice cream scoop. The outside crust was golden brown and crunchy although it was a little soft and undercooked towards the centre. The cheese was soft and tasty but the ice cream added too much sweetness to the mixture as the kunafe itself is was already soaked in syrup.

All in all, we enjoyed our night out at Bosporus; from the food and the cosy ambience, all the way up to the friendly service. The venue’s known for their delicious pastries, deeming them worthy of a visit perhaps even for breakfast.