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

Tulipe, unbeknownst to many, is a kitchen accessories shop that
has an impressive nine branches across Cairo and Alexandria. A perfect place
for a new bride and groom or anyone who has to have the latest kitchen and household
accessories, Tulipe takes you into a world of domestic bliss. With cooking
channels such as Fatafeat gaining a bigger and bigger audience in Egypt,
everyone wants to do it like the professionals.

Located on the fourth floor of Heliopolis shopping hub, Sun
City Mall, we were immediately overwhelmed as soon as we stepped into the rather
chic shop. The majority of products, a least on a superficial level, look high
in quality. But with high quality comes high prices.

Thankfully, you won’ be stalked by any of the staff; each is
on hand to answer questions and queries and won’t try to sell you the whole
store. They’re knowledgeable about the stock and will offer you advice and
suggestions if you feel out of your depth.

Apart from the obvious cookware and basic accessories, Tulipe
offers a huge range of unique finds. The first of which is a stylish collection
of Bodum mugs, which immediately caught our eye. Known most for their travel mugs, the Danish
brand has adapted the gripped, rubber, heat-protective sleeves to normal
mugs. The smart glasses go for 49LE for a set of two.

There are also examples of more traditional accessories
that have been infused with modern, quirky twists. A playful, thirty-eight-piece,
white and blue polka-dot tea set, for example, goes for 850LE. Tulipe also
stocks a wide range of Tefal pans in a selection of peculiar colours like green,
pink and baby blue at prices between 90LE and 130LE. Other standout items
include a large Presto pressure cooker for the reasonable price 430LE.

Despite the various modern indulgence items and eccentric
adaptations of classics, Tulipe ultimately excels most with the basics.
Everything from peelers to ladles come in all sorts of shapes, colours and
sizes and it becomes easy to get carried away and start piling up your basket –
a dangerous trap to fall into, especially when considering the fact that these
basic items start at 50LE per piece. But Egyptian culture is beginning to
identify cooking as an art instead of a chore. Shops like Tulipe are helping
define cooking enthusiasts’ creativity, regardless of whether or not that
creativity extends beyond matching colours.