By: Deyaa Adel
When a restaurant chooses to specialize in Egyptian dishes like okra tagine, kebab and mahshi, it’s essentially putting itself under the microscope. These aren’t just Egyptian dishes, they’re milestones for Egyptian home cooking.
Recently we visited Abdullah, the first restaurant in Guangzhou that serves proper Egyptian cuisine. At the time of our visit the restaurant had quite a few patrons, giving it a notable bustle.
Located only few meters from the Sanyanli metro station, the indoor area takes a simple approach to its Oriental décor. It has a quirky touch, but is pleasantly simple and unassuming, with the wait-staff decked-out in Islamic clothes.
A very pleasant waiter presented us with the two menus, which gave us ample room to decide. We opted for mixed vegetables tagine with meat (RMB78), chicken stuffed with rice (RMB98), kebab sticks (RMB60) and grilled shrimp (RMB98). We also opted for Chinese broccoli (RMB32), the always-delicious Greek salad (RMB32) and lesan asfour soup (RMB28).
.jpg)
Served first was a fresh breadbasket with the salads and soups. Everything was delicious and fresh, and kept us eager for the main courses.
The chicken with rice was spectacular. The chicken was tender and seasoned perfectly. The rice was sandwiched inside the chicken and although things got a little messy, the chicken was full of flavor.
The only sour note on this order would be that we missed a side of sautéed vegetables.
The mix vegetable tagine, however, was the star of the meal for its sheer simplicity. Oven cooked to perfection and oozing with a great aroma – it's definitely worth a try. It was done by the book and the rice with spices complimented it perfectly.
The kebabs didn’t fare as well, though they were pretty good nonetheless. Initially, the smell of the meat and the presentation promised much, but the meat was a little too chewy at times.
The grilled shrimp came boiling in a red soup, we couldn't wait to try it, but unfortunately our expectations went far beyond what was recieved.
Dessert was simply not an option, as we were so full from the main dishes. That being said, we would advise you to try the om ali (RMB30). The popular dish can be found across most Oriental restaurants.
After filling our stomachs with this unforgettable artistic meal, we had a taste of the Egyptian black tea (tea lovers take note).
It’s nearly impossible to live up to anyone’s expectations of home-cooked Egyptian food, but Abdullah made a fine job of it.
// For address, see listing.
0 User Comments