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

Chili’s isn’t as popular in Cairo as it once was and for the past few years the chain has been going through a rough time in terms of quality. However, the words ‘new menu’ got us rather excited to revisit the Mohandiseen branch with high hopes for what was once the best Tex-Mex restaurant in Egypt.

Usually when Chili’s announce a new menu, it contains 4-8 items for a limited time, but this one is set for good. From Southwest Chicken Soup (20LE) and Tableside Guacamole (45LE), to Ancho Salmon (170LE) and Avocado Sirloin (150LE), there are new items is in almost every single section – besides the desserts – on the menu.

We started our meal with White Spinach Queso (40LE) as an appetiser. Served with tostada chips and fresh salsa, the dish had rich flavours from the Monterey jack and white cheeses that were complemented by the lighter spinach, pico de gallo and chopped cilantro, while the occasional heat from the diced jalapeno in the guacamole was great. Besides the slightly lumpy consistency, the white spinach queso had a well-balanced flavours and it’s perfect to share with a group

The hype was very much real for the mains after the fantastic appetiser, as we kicked things off with Smoked Chicken Quesadillas (58LE). Supposedly, the flour tortillas are filled with house-smoked chicken, sautéed red and green bell pepper, caramelised onion, melted Monterey jack cheese and jalapeno aioli sauce – but that’s far from what we were served. Aside from the no-show of the red bell pepper and jalapeno aioli sauce, the chicken was just plain grilled and not smoked as promised, while the presentation was sloppy and the tortillas were tough, making this dish a complete disaster.

It didn’t get much better with the second main, the Sweet & Smoky Burger (66LE). The patty was super dry, chewy and flavourless, the pepper jack cheese wasn’t melted and the supposedly mango-infused BBQ sauce lacked flavour and was watery, making the bun very soggy.

We thought things couldn’t get any worse, but the Spicy Grilled Shrimp Tacos (70LE) proved us wrong. The dish sees three tortillas filled with a mixture cilantro slaw, pico de gallo, sliced avocado and grilled spicy chilli-lime shrimp. Besides the fact that the shrimp was bland in taste, overcooked and chewy, the horrible cut of the avocado – is this an avocado or a cantaloupe? – and the shrimp-to-toppings ratio was way off and made us feel like we’re eating a taco salad.

Despite the strong start, our experience at Chili’s might well be our worst to-date. Despite the initial enthusiasm of finding so many new items, the carelessly presented food, the stream of cooking and service errors and the number of missing ingredients made for a woeful introduction to the new menu.