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

It’s always nice to hear about a Cairo restaurant putting a new twist on an  done-to-death idea. Bun’z Mini Sandwiches does just that, by grilling mini sandwiches at their modest shop on Hassan Yousry Street in Heliopolis.

The store is more or less a kitchen with just a cash register and a countertop, and space for customers to stand while eating; considering the size of the sandwich though, this is more convenient than uncomfortable. However, there are four plastic tables on the mildly busy street outside.

We were shown how big – or, in this case, how small – the sandwiches were and opted to add a few more to substantiate the order. Sandwiches and burgers are priced between 5 and 6LE, apart from the Smoked Salmon (8LE) and Caviar sandwich (16LE).  Two choices of dessert are also available – waffles (15LE) or crepes (10LE). We ordered a classic burger, a smoked salmon, and a Philly steak sandwich to which we added a large (8LE) – as opposed to a small (5LE) – combo of fries and soda.

The sandwiches are individually wrapped, complete with a sticker clearly indicating which one is which. Although we had seen the size of the sandwich beforehand, it was still surprising and a little disappointing to see that it’s so mini.

None-the-less, we tore into the smoked salmon and a burst of tangy capers, mild, fresh-tasting salmon and creamy Bun’z spread interlaced to make each mouthful pleasantly zesty. What impressed us the most was how well-stacked the sandwiches were so as not to leave any empty bread space around the edges. Of two classic burgers, though very well-seasoned, were somewhat dry and inconsistent as one was juicier and filled with more trimmings than the other.

The Philly steak was the best of the bunch, with bite-sized shreds of incredibly moist steak and flavourful chopped mushrooms, onions and melted Monterey jack cheese that welded everything together brilliantly; we were genuinely disappointed that this one didn’t come in a larger size. The side of fries were by no means extraordinary, but did the job.

Unfortunately just one of Bun’z’ sandwiches is unlikely to satisfy a typical lunchtime appetite, and these little, delicious bite-sized sandwiches would most probably be better suited to catered events.