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

Undoubtedly, sushi remains unmatched as the epitome of cosmopolitan dining among restaurants in Cairo. In Zamalek,  newly opened Goya Sushi breathes fresh life into the city’s obsession. The eatery’s decor is fashionably chic, donning large wall murals done by local artists, with fancy filament light bulbs casually hanging above its wooden tables. The place is spacious, but maintains a sense of cosiness.

Sitting down, we were immediately handed a menu packed full of our favourite sushi varieties including nigiri (9LE–22LE), sashimi (33LE–87LE), temaki (33LE) and a wide variety of mouth-watering rolls. A range of soups, salads and main courses (58LE-95LE) are also available, while their Combo Platters come in 14 (140LE), 28 (250LE), and 40 (370LE) pieces. Unique to Goya, the platters come with one appetizer, a dessert and soft drinks or water.  

We ordered a 40 piece combo mix which included 3 special rolls, 8 nigiri rolls and 8 sashimi pieces, and we also ordered a serving of Hot Goya rolls (69LE). For the appetiser we opted for shrimp vegetable spring rolls (33LE), as well as the Goya Banana Roll for dessert.

Before long, we were served our dish of four spring rolls with a tub of sweet chilli sauce for dipping. Well presented on a bed of shredded carrots, the rolls were both crunchy and fresh; we were particularly impressed by the chef’s choice to keep the pastry thin. These were soon joined by the delicious Hot Goya Rolls – a warm combination of salmon, shrimp, eel, mushrooms, Philadelphia cheese and sesame seeds – with a generous, but not overbearing, lashing of delectable teriyaki sauce.

Our combo platter soon arrived, attractively arranged on a large marble slab. We highly recommend the salmon, unagi, shrimp, and tuna nigiri. The salmon tataki sashimi was generously drenched in flavourful uzu sauce, and served alongside roasted garlic, white sauce. Our selection of Dancing Shrimp, Cairo, Halloween, Crispy, Paradise, and Goya Special rolls transpired to be a fantastic choice.

Although we were a little sceptical about the peculiar combination of shrimp and mint in the Paradise Roll, it was in fact delightfully refreshing. The Crispy roll, meanwhile, was extra crunchy and flavoursome, while the Halloween roll was exceptional in both its imaginative presentation, and exotic mix of shrimp tempura and spicy tuna.

Standard desserts include fried banana (25LE), fried apple (25LE) and the Goya Banana Roll (33LE). The latter consisted of deep fried breaded banana, rolled in crispy rice puffs and smothered with chocolate and cashew sauce. A separate dessert menu features three sweet treats by ‘Ahd’; a Peanut Butter Blondie (50LE), Salted Caramel Chocolate Fondant (38LE) and Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie (50LE). The Peanut Butter Blondie was perfect to say the least. The mysterious vanilla bar – with a texture somwhere between cake and biscuit – was enhanced with peanut butter chips and topped with chocolate hazelnut spread. Both dishes were served with a scoop of incredible Goya Special ice-cream.

To local, established competition, Goya Sushi is definitely a strong contender. All sushi fans in town must give this place a try and if for some odd reason the sushi experience doesn’t satisfy, the desserts are guaranteed to melt the harshest of hearts.