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

Having gained many fans in Cairo for its Korean cuisine, this Zamalek
restaurant has been closed for a few months now. Recently, Hana Barbeque has
reopened at a new spot in Zamalek; much to its loyal patrons delight.

The new location is on Hassan Assem Street (Just off of Taha Hussein Street
and Mandarine
Koueidar), which can be easily spotted by the red and white glowing sign
and flashing Open sign on the door. At the time of this reviewer’s visit, Hana
Barbeque was swarming with locals and expats alike; a tell-tale sign that
patrons here appreciate the authentic Korean cuisine and the restaurant’s
quality service.

The restaurant has a bigger space and simple decor; providing more room at
peak dining hours. One of the advantages of this well-established restaurant is
the reasonable prices of the tastes, which has helped earn Hana its position as
a favourite Zamalek dining spot.

As soon as you’re seated, a slew of complimentary side dishes are brought to
the table, including the traditional kimchi, fried and roasted potatoes and a
delicious mixture of marinated octopus and onion. Fresh juices include lemon
and orange for a reasonable price of 8LE per glass.

For an appetiser, four dumplings (12LE) are served freshly fried and stuffed
with minced beef and spices; providing a heavier side to the light
complimentary dishes. If you feel like soup, try their chicken corn soup
(12LE), a warm, creamy and simply satisfying soup. However, we felt morally
inclined to avoid the sharks fin soup (18LE).

Seeking a hot and filling dish, our order of hot noodle dish (45LE) was
disappointing; so much so that we had it sent back to the kitchen after a
sample of the cabbage-heavy broth that the noodles were drenched in.

Famous for their barbeque dishes, Hana Barbeque’s built-in grills at the
table make grilling to your specific taste an easy but sometimes messy
situation.

Grilled options range from around 40LE to 60LE, including shrimp, chicken
and pork rinds. Opting for beef ribs (55LE), our plate was stacked full of
juicy meat marinated in a light teriyaki sauce that was tender after a few
short minutes on the grill, pairing well with the fried rice (18LE).

Also for 55LE, our sweet and sour shrimp came with a hefty amount of tasty
shrimps soaked in the sauce and mixed with carrots, onions and a sweet yellow
apple. However, the sweet and sour chicken (40LE) tasted more like a sweet
dessert such as loqmet el adi than a meat dish: the chicken pieces were dipped
in batter then deep-fried and covered in thick syrup that made it hard to
identify the chicken flavour through all the sweetness.

Hana Barbeque is a great option when you want to satisfy those carnivorous
cravings that attack when you’re least expecting them. However, it’s a case of
hit-and-miss at this restaurant: some walk away swooning, while others vow to
never return; so enter at your own risk!