Myriam Market

Cairo Shopping

Cairo 360 Rating

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7B, Intersection of Road 205 with Road 253, Degla, Round the corner from El Shader and Seoudi
Maadi, Cairo, Egypt.

Address

Supermarkets

Type

0225196488
0225165833
0225196499

Telephone

Open

9AM-10PM

Myriam Market: Supermarket with Diverse Imported Goods

Published On: 29/01/2011

Feel like cooking Thai food today? Or do you have a special occasion coming up and need some delicious Pillsbury cake mix? If so, then look no further than Myriam Market in Maadi.

Located in Degla just down the road from the popular El Shader café on a quiet intersection is Myriam Market, one of the neighbourhood’s most famous supermarkets. The supermarket holds a special place in the community, and it is very evident by the myriad of customers’ pictures lining its walls.

Similar to the equally popular Kimo Market, Myriam Market mostly caters to the large expat community living near the Cairo American College. The benefit of this is that the supermarket offers a very diverse offering of international products: from fish sauce and rice noodles to authentic tasting Indian curries. However, the majority of their space seems to be dedicated to one thing: delicious American junk food.

Everything from Oreos to Kool Aid to Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal can be found here. But like all imported goods in Egypt, you will have to pay a very hefty price. Although this reviewer would not recommend Myriam Market for practical, basic grocery shopping, the supermarket is a haven for junk food enthusiasts and those who want feel like treating themselves every once in a while.

They offer a packet of Oreos biscuits at a whopping 49LE; but at least for that price you have a choice between regular, double-stuffed or reduced fat (to ease the guilt). They also have a very large variety of American cereals, most of them starting at 39LE up to 49LE, depending on the size and brand.

However, not everything is expensive. Delicious and easy to make Pillsbury Cake mixes only cost 20LE a box. Myriam deserves some credit for offering the local equivalent of whatever imported item that they have on their shelves: you can choose to buy a large bottle of Ocean Spray for 32LE, or you can opt for the local Juhayna brand for only 6.75LE.

That concept of choice expands into the meat section, where they offer a wide variety of meat, chicken and turkey. Right next door is the cheese section, where you will find a colourful smorgasbord of both local and international brands, either pre-packaged for sliced-to-order.

The produce section is hidden in the back, and few steps below ground level. The grocer there knows his stuff and always seems to stock good-quality vegetables, including asparagus, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and various herbs.

Myriam Market is an excellent choice for Maadi residents looking for that elusive spice ingredient or a delicious imported treat all in one shop.

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Near By

Bellissimo Flower Boutique: Maadi's Solution to Small Gifts and Big Events

24, Road 200, Maadi

Some of the perks of Egypt’s ever more sophisticated economy are shops like Bellissimo Flower Boutique. Bellissimo stocks cute candles and fresh flowers, but it also functions as a comprehensive event planning business. A beacon of style on Maadi’s posh Road 200, Bellissimo’s shop front is bright and inviting. Inside, shelves are stocked with locally-made candles in a variety of shapes and sizes (25LE and up), high-quality plastic house plants (60LE and up), and cut flowers ready to be arranged into pleasing bespoke bouquets. A highlight of the shop is its impressive display of Yankee Candles, an American line of scented candles rarely found in Egypt. Although pricey, with a twelve-pack of votive candles ringing up at 65LE and a column candle going for 165LE, the selection of scents is varied and heavenly, with more traditional vanilla and sandalwood choices complimented by exotic options like black cherry and jasmine. There is also a display of Yankee’s Christmas candles with pungent holiday scents that are enough to induce yuletide nostalgia – we especially liked the vanilla, fig and gingerbread options. Shop employees are friendly and pleasant, helpfully answering questions about Bellissimo’s event planning services and inquiries about the prices of different items in the shop. The shop’s modest inventory belies the event planning power of Bellissimo’s owner, Maha Nagy. A veteran event planner, Nagy has been staging events ranging from private parties to corporate conferences and weddings since 2006. Nagy and the Bellissimo team offer all encompassing and fully tailored event planning services that include everything from researching themes and reserving venues to designing invitations and booking catering as well as decor, including flowers, furniture, lighting, sound and AV. Nagy can even recommend top local DJs and photographers, and she can coordinate ushering, check-in stations and agendas for corporate events. Judging from the portfolio on Bellissimo’s websites, Nagy’s events are tasteful, elegant and understated. A wedding setup featured trendy square dining tables and decor in a subtly chic white and silver colour palette. Creative flower arrangements took centre stage, with white lilies arranged in martini glasses, making for fun and original centrepieces. Candle lovers should definitely pay a visit to this shop, particularly around Christmas time, while those looking to plan seamlessly executed and elegant events will not be sorry if they engage the services of Nagy. So much more than a flower shop; Bellissimo Flower Boutique goes above and beyond what its name suggests.

Related Review

Organic & More: Healthy Ingredients in Zamalek

8, Ahmed Sabry St., Zamalek

Over the past few years, nature-based lifestyle has flourished in Cairo’s shopping scene with health food shops, organic threads, a wider variety of locally produced materials and more. Zamalek is home to many of these shops and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

Located on Ahmed Sabry Street is small grocery shop, Organic & More Supermarket. The supermarket is situated in a narrow outlet with only a small green sign outside, so it’s quite easy to pass by without blinking an eye. Keep a look out for Mobacco Cotton – it’s just next door.

Once inside, you’ll notice what we mean by narrow – there’s not a lot of room for browsing around. At the front of the shop, you’ll find a selection of locally produced essential oils including rare jasmine. On the same shelf are soaps and facemasks by Zoganon. One facemask that caught our eye was, according to the label, primarily composed of basil and mud; neatly wrapped in a glass jar for 35LE, it would bode well for a last minute gift or pick-me-up. Brown rice and pastas can be found in the same area, where two kilos of brown rice cost 10LE and after cooking it back at home we can say that it’s deliciously wholesome.

The stairway leading to the back area of the shop is lined with hand-woven rugs, baskets and clay pots. Once upstairs, you’ll find an array of refrigerated items including organic milks and soy kofta, which was a surprise to us. It didn’t take long for us to be drawn to their assortment of spices, spice mixtures and premade dipping sauces – a decently sized jar of garam masala cost 30LE. The always-tasty sun-dried tomatoes can also be found on the shelf.

Needless to say, their tea selection wasn’t small but contained nothing different than what you’d find at other local supermarket chains. Also available, and up the second flight of stairs, is a variety of children’s clothing made from organic materials.

The two shop attendants on site at the time of our visit were cordial enough, though not overly friendly or helpful.

Overall, Organic & More Supermarket is definitely providing yet another option for healthy eating and body care and for that, we can’t complain.

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Myriam Market: Supermarket with Diverse Imported Goods

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