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

Around this time last year, the concept Shawlaki was born. Offering various Levantine dishes and desserts with a twist, Shawlaki attracted many people to its first branch in Rehab. We recently heard that this modern-chic spot decided to come to Sheikh Zayed to open its second branch in Capital Business Park just beside 30 North. After its grand opening a couple of weeks ago, we couldn’t wait to try it, so we decided to head over for an early breakfast and coffee date.

We went there a little past 10 AM and got a table indoors because the weather was quite hot. We were greeted by the staff and ordered our coffee straight away. We noticed that the coffee was from Social Specialty Coffee as we ordered one Spanish Latte (74 LE). Soon after we decided to get our mains of the day, we started with Taamiya Benedict (102 LE) – homemade ta’amiya with poached eggs, pastrami slices, and rocca, topped with a queso tahini sauce and served with a side salad. Even though the dish looked aesthetically appealing, the taste wasn’t up to expectations.

The idea of ta’amiya benedict seemed clever, but it could have been implemented better in terms of taste. The ta’amiya was stuffed with fuul, which was rather heavy and not texturally appealing. Similarly, the poached eggs leaned towards the texture of boiled eggs and didn’t have that silky smooth yolk. The overall experience of the whole dish lacked cohesiveness and harmony, but the patty of the ta’amiya itself was quite tasty.

For our other dish, we ordered the Turkish Eggs (82 LE) – poached eggs on a bed of tzatziki labneh, chilli oil, fried eggplants, and fried beetroots with crunchy potatoes. Unfortunately, we faced the same issue again with the poached eggs, and the overall dish lacked flavour. The labneh tzatziki hybrid was creamy, but perhaps more flavour and texture would have elevated the dish altogether. 

After our meal, we decided to get the Kunafa Sandwich (75 LE) – A signature kunafa sandwich sesame bun filled with kunafa with cheese and honey syrup. This dessert was an absolute hit; the melted stretchy cheese, the sweetness of the kunafa, and the doughiness of the bun resulted in a perfect heavenly bite. It was a great ending to the meal, and the staff’s hospitality certainly improved our experience. Maybe not everything was to our liking, but the staff’s helpfulness made our visit more memorable. After finishing our dessert, the team brought us a complimentary plate of assorted desserts, which was quite delicious. Despite the textural mishaps, we enjoyed our day at Shawlaki and cannot wait to try their pasta and sandwich selection.