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

From the famous Alexandrian Brew & Chew, to El Gouna’s iconic Pier 88, Cairo’s culinary scene has expanded to include not only international names, but also local ones from outside of the capital.

Coming all the way from Tanta, Frisky Restaurant & Café is one such example, and has opened its second Cairo branch this year in Heliopolis near Tivoli Dome.

With a small, country-like, farmhouse indoor seating that has exposed brick walls, hanging frying pans, plant pots and wooden cutting boards, Frisky’s more modern designed outdoor area is just as small..

Boasting all kind of traditional dishes offered by many international venues these days, we opted for Fried Mozzarella sticks (24LE) as our entrée and Chicken Sweet and Sour (55 LE) and Jumbo Cheese burger ((37 L.E) for our mains.

Served with freshly-made and room temperature marinara sauce that had a sweet aftertaste, the mozzarella sticks comprised of five large pieces of deeply fried sticks with a heavenly melted mozzarella cheese – a good start to our meal.

Our chicken sweet and sour main was more of a grilled chicken dish that was comprised of three medium-sized pieces of well-seasoned and tender grilled chicken breasts. With a slightly sweet taste and extremely spicy flavour, the sweet and sour sauce had too much jalapeno in it, which made us abandon the entire dish after two or three bites.

The only perk to the entire ensemble was the two sides of perfectly spiced French fries, as well as crisp and fresh sautéed vegetables.

Unfortunately, the second main was equally disappointing. The Jumbo Cheeseburger’s patty was overcooked, dry and crumbly, while the bun was almost certainly was supermarket-bought. The side of coleslaw was creamy but otherwise bland in flavour, though the French fries were, once again, the only saving grace. 

Hoping to end the evening on a better note with dessert, we were disappointed to find only two desserts available, of which we chose the red velvet cake (29LE).

Boasting a metallic aftertaste – a possible side-effect of sodium carbonate and the lack of an acidic element – the dessert was in fact the worse course of our meal, with the cake being firm and stale.

Washing away this less than average meal which a Blueberry flavoured shisha (42LE), it was small glimmer in an otherwise disappointing  visit, thanks its bold taste that lasted long enough till the end of our evening and was promptly tended to.

Even though the ambiance was extremely ladiback and the service was fast, Frisky’s execution when it came to the food was incredibly disappointing – something that won’t sit well on what is one of the most vibrant and compeitive areas in Heliopolis.