Saladero: New Salad Bar in Zamalek

In a city like Cairo, where every little thing is at your doorstep, Italian food is not a lacking commodity. The amount of pizzerias in Cairo alone is a daunting thought. La Trattoria on Marashly St in Zamalek does a fine job, and holds its own in claiming to offer the best Italian in Cairo.    After being seated our table was set and breadsticks as well as warm sliced bread was served. The only things left wanting were perhaps less stale bread sticks and something to top the warm bread with. La Trattoria’s menu begins with a selection of about two or three soups and salads each, respectively. The caprese salad (35LE) is served with balsamic vinaigrette, and in a strange turn of fate the lettuce – not usually seen on a caprese salad – comes on a bed of thinly sliced tomatoes and mozzarella. Finely chopped, sprinkled basil completes the small plate. The mozzarella was soft and at room temperature, making it a delightful one-up to those who keep their mozzarella too cold. The lettuce and vinaigrette, a nice touch and a good way to make the plate look fuller, were unnecessary. Main courses begin with prices around 30LE-40LE, for say spaghetti aglio e olio, and then jump the bracket into the 70LE-120LE range for pastas with meat and seafood, as well as pork and fish dishes. The menu is short and sweet, with enough options to allow something for everyone, and not so many that it becomes overwhelming. A nice pasta was what we were looking for, and so we ordered the fettuccine with pesto (43LE) and the spinach and ricotta ravioli with ’herb sauce‘ (50LE). The pasta at La Trattoria is made fresh. Some chefs argue that fresh pasta is more appetizing while others believe that dry pasta holds the flavour of sauces better. The slightly thick fettuccine held together well enough, still allowing the pesto to make the dish, which we found very flavourful, as well as too oily. The ravioli, a dish that many will inevitably get wrong when attempting to make, was also good. Ravioli needs not to have too thick a pasta shell, yet still not be too thin, while also having enough filling to make it taste like you are actually getting some in every bite. Our only concerns were that the amount of ravioli could have been more, and the herbs in the ’herb sauce’  were indistinguishable, leaving a flavourless sauce instead. La Trattoria, with its up-scale yet casual feel, has a relaxing atmosphere, with large photos and drawings of pastas and Campari donning the walls, something we like to see in our restaurants. Once the dining room is full there is the buzz of conversation mixed with laughter as people eat their comfort food and drink their wine; and this, really, is what Italian restaurants are about.

Recently opened, Lettuceat in Zamalek is already proving itself to be a real contender in the realm of healthy eating in Cairo. Banishing the notions of bland salads, Lettuceat aims to combine succulent meats to fresh greens and delectable vinaigrettes, creating masterpiece meals from fresh ingredients.

The small restaurant’s sparkling glass front shows off the white, sterile interior while a single dining table invites patrons to eat in –although take-away or delivery may be the preferred option.

An open-fronted refrigerator shows off Lettuceat’s own brand of healthy spreads, ready-mixed vinaigrettes (15LE-22LE) and fresh, sweetened juices. Perfect as either dips or sandwich spreads, the potted flavours include tomato bruscetta (20LE), tuna paste (30LE), foie de volaille – or chicken liver pate (35LE) - baba ghanouj (20LE) and more. A range of unusual fresh loaves of bread are also available; from standard white French baguettes to multigrain loaves (8LE-11LE) as well as different types of olive bread (3.5LE-13LE).

Using fresh ingredients, the juices include strawberry, mango, guava and orange (8LE-8.5LE). We went for one bottle of strawberry and one guava juice, both of which were delicious, perfectly sweetened and sporting real fruit pieces without the drink being too thick.

The menu is a colourful representation of their exotic salad dishes. As well as an ‘authentic’ Greek Salad and both chicken and shrimp variations of the  Caesar salad (46LE-54LE) there are also some more unusual concoctions, such as the smoked duck treat (57LE) and a 'rich tuna' Nicoise (52LE). They even offer a pasta salad –Italy's Finest (38LE).

After much deliberation, we opted for one Delish Tuscan (49LE) – a salad of watercress, cherry tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, parmesan and cashews, topped with balsamic dressing. We also chose a tomato, cucumber and lettuce based Mexican Delight (49LE); a tropical-sounding mixture of marinated grilled chicken, carrot, onion, sweet corn, red kidney beans, cheddar cheese and red peppers with a zesty ‘Mehico’ dressing. 

Expecting a small side-dish of sorts, we were pleasantly surprised at the generously sized salads we were presented with moments later. Each one was presented with a personal sized loaf of flavourful, wholemeal bread which were crispy and covered with seeds on the outside but brilliantly soft on the inside. The Delish Tuscan was served with a side of crispy croutons whilst the Mexican Delight came with a small handful of crunchy tortilla chips.

As Lettuceat’s slogan suggests; both our salads were fresh and ‘delish’. The interesting choice of ingredients complimented one another perfectly and presented a palette of different flavours whilst the vinaigrettes remained delicious but subtle, so as not to overpower the salads themselves. The balsamico dressing was a perfect blend of oil and vinegar, seasoned with a small amount of herbs and although we couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was in the ‘Zesty Mehico’ dressing, it was surprisingly sweet and tangy, just as it’s name inferred. The sliced chicken chunks in the Mexican salad were generous, well-sized, moist and excellently cooked; delicately flavoured by the tikka-style marinade. 

Not wanting to ruin our healthy meal, we had difficulty not ordering one of their delicious-looking pavlovas (21LE) or smooth granola desire (25LE) complete with fresh fruit, yoghurt and granola. If their salads were anything to go by, we’d dare to suggest that either of these desserts would be equally as - if not more - scrumptious.