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

‘It’s where hallawa meets brie’; that’s the
slogan of newly opened sandwich shop Menu. As the slogan suggests, this
delivery-only Mohandiseen shop specialises in both Egyptian and international
sandwich delicacies, offering a large range of creative combinations.

Located around the corner from the Shooting
Club and open from 10AM till 10PM, Menu is already available on Otlob.com, their delivery
charge is just 2LE; and they do not impose a minimum charge.

This is very much in line with their
pricing, as the variety of sandwiches ranges from 3LE to 25LE. There are three
main sandwich sections that you can choose from; sandwiches, toasted
clubs and ‘the end of month’ sandwiches. The first two are available in medium
and large sizes.

Despite its bright green colour, the
chicken mint sandwich is worth a try. The cream sauce is a good foil for the
mint, but the promised sweetcorn is little. A medium size costs 15LE
while the large costs 18LE, which seems a little much considering the
simplicity of the ingredients.

In comparison, a medium-sized oriental
sausage sandwich is good value for 12LE. The sausages aren’t overcooked and
don’t turn into mush as per the usual occurrence. The bread is filled in with
whole sausages, rather than being cut up, but more bell peppers in there would
have made a good sandwich great.

The shrimp cocktail sandwich arrived a
little warmer than expected, assumingly on account of the delivery journey, but
the cocktail sauce was generous without overshadowing the shrimp. The medium
didn’t warrant its 20LE price tag, again because of the simplicity of the
ingredients. Shrimp cocktail platters can also be bought from Menu; a medium-sized
platter will set you back 28LE, while a large one will cot 35LE.

From the toasted club section, the brie
sandwich was a pleasant surprise. Although it too suffered from its time spent
on the road, the brie was plentiful and tasted great with the Dijon mustard. At
14LE, the medium size is only really fit to be a small snack, and so it’s
recommended that you try the large size for 18LE.

The ‘end of the month’ sandwiches are named
as such because they are convenient for when you’re short on cash at the end of
the month, and are made up of a range of cheap and simple options. Hallawa
(sweet sesame paste), jam, white feta cheese and luncheon are all available for
no more than 6LE. Also on offer is cheesecake for 10LE, as well as peanut
butter and Nutella sandwiches for 10LE to 12LE.

Each sandwich is wrapped with care and your
order is delivered in very smart paper bags; all of which have the Menu logo
emblazoned on them. Each sandwich comes with a small packet of crisps, and a
mini-portion of Egyptian-style pickles.

The prices range from the very cheap to the slightly overpriced, but the eclectic menu caters to all palates.
Menu has provided a decent alternative for in-office lunches or late evening
binging.