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

Some people like to spoil themselves with a weekend getaway in Dahab; others go to the spa, or maybe spend their salary on some retail therapy with a shopping trip. Meanwhile, we here like to treat ourselves to a fancy dinner every once in a while, and this time it was at the one and only JW Steakhouse.

We’ve reached JW Steakhouse after taking a mini trip at Saraya Cafe and let’s just say that we were wowed with the super elegant and very classy ambiance as soon as we arrived to “our destination”. With only three two-person tables placed linearly next to the wall, and around seven large wooden tables that can take up to nine seats, we felt that the seating is more dedicated to big gatherings. However, those three tables get to enjoy the huge black leather chairs. Even though the whole place is heading towards classic, there were small touches that added a great contrast to the place like the electric fireplace, book shelf and the menu on the wood framed chalkboards.

While enjoying our comfy leather chairs and checking the menu, the waiter came with complimentary caramelised onion brown bread, which was very rich and buttery with an occasional smoky-sweet kick from the onions, while an accompanying bowl of herb butter offered more flavours. The outstanding bread and butter and the super friendly and funny –in a professional way – staff were a sign of an amazing meal to come.

We started our meal with a Pan-Fried Fois Gras (350LE) as an appetiser. The dish came as two pieces of toasted brioche topped with rich Fois Gras that had a flawless semi-solid, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Each one was topped with a rich and tangy balsamic reduction that complimented the the fois gras perfectly, and Morello cherries which added a fantastic sweet and sour flavour. Appetisers don’t get any better than this.

Moving to the mains, we were excited for the Wagyu Filet Mignon and dreaming about its beautiful intense marbling; but apparently, nothing is safe from the Dollar crisis, because the waiter informed us that it, as well as the prime angus beef, were unavailable, so we went with the 10oz Certified Angus Filet Mignon (540LE) with a side of Creamed Spinach (35LE). Served with a pepper sauce that had whole peppercorns in them which added its intense heat, the super tender and very juicy filet mignon was well seasoned on its own and came as cooked a perfect medium as requested, with a beautiful pink colour to it. As for the creamed spinach, it was rich and creamy and the melted cheese on top made for an overall denser flavour that was a great match for the filet mignon.

We also ordered the Grilled Lobster (530LE) with a side of mashed potatoes. Although the lobster tail is known for having a firm texture, its meat was very tender. The tail was cut in two halves and brushed with butter-garlic sauce to compliment its distinct flavour and we squeezed some lemon juice on it for an extra citrus kick. The mashed potato was another perfectly executed side with its super smooth consistency and rich buttery, flavours. The lobster was also served with simple steamed broccoli.

One thing was missing previously at Steakhouse’s menu was the dessert section, but not for long because they just added a wide variety of desserts from Apple Pie and Chocolate Fudge Brownies, to Coffee Ice Cream and Peanut Butter Pie (70LE), which was our choice. Served with fresh fruits and a strawberry sauce that tasted like jelly filling, we were thrown off by the pie’s unusual dense-cake-like texture. However, it was bursting with peanut butter flavour which was a perfect match with the strawberry sauce – because peanut butter and jelly. The real star of the show, however, was the caramel ice cream, which, full of chunks of toffee, was perfect in texture and flavour.

All in all, there was little to complain about at the time of our visit to JW Steakhouse. Despite our upset wallet, the ambiance strikes a balance of elegant and cosy, the staff were very professional and friendly, and, of course, the food was worth every penny.