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

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Dishes

Dishes: New International Cuisine in Maadi Degla

reviewed by
Will Roth
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Dishes: New International Cuisine in Maadi Degla

If you
regularly seek out the best food Cairo has to offer, chances are you have been
disappointed with food that is overpriced, underwhelming; or both.  Luckily, new dining spots are opening up
around Cairo, meaning you’re less likely to waste a day’s pay on a mediocre
burger.

The latest
entry to the restaurant market in Maadi Degla is Dishes, a modern spot that can
be hard to find amidst a maze of houses and shops. Outside the restaurant, a group of nice
tables sit under patio umbrellas. On a
nice night, expect to see a handful people enjoying their dinner outside or smoking
a shisha with their cappuccinos.

Inside,
Dishes maintains a coherent modern design, with dark wooden tables scattered
between booths. The entire restaurant is
wrapped with windows connecting the outdoor and indoor seating areas. There is a bar in the back where the staff
makes non-alcoholic drinks like milkshakes (chocolate, vanilla, Oreo or
strawberry for 19LE) and smoothies (20LE). 

Dishes has
an appetiser list featuring crispy chicken strips (34LE) alongside harder-to-find
items like buffalo wings (35LE). The
fried calamari (38LE) is pretty good, but is sloppily thrown over some loose
iceberg lettuce, and comes with tartar sauce but not marinara sauce. 

The real
standout on the menu is the entire page dedicated to fajitas. You can choose between chicken (60LE), beef
(65LE), shrimp (69LE), chicken mushroom (65LE), or a trio of chicken, beef, and
shrimp for 75LE. The chicken option came
with steam still pouring off of the metal serving dish. The fresh pieces of chicken are served over a
mix of sautéed onions and peppers, and each order of fajitas comes with three
tortillas, sour cream and pico de gallo. 

The chicken
and shrimp main course (62LE) is another highlight, and is cooked in a lime
cream sauce. Dishes also offers a
variety of steaks, such as grilled steak (75LE), steak with rosemary (80LE),
and steak quesadillas (48LE). Each of
these can be ordered with chicken instead for about 15LE less. Seafood also plays a prominent role in the
menu.  You can order grilled shrimp
(70LE), grilled fish and shrimp (75LE), or a combination of these with calamari
for 82LE. 

If you want
something more simple; consider ordering pasta or pizza (30LE to 40LE).  There
is nothing extraordinary about your pizza options here; just the basic
margarita, seafood, or hot dog choices.  The
sandwich menu also includes classics like burgers (36LE), cheeseburgers (41LE),
and a Dishes cheese steak (39LE) that comes with onions, bell peppers,
mushrooms and cheese.

Dishes
serves a limited number of desserts to finish off your meal with. During our visit, the restaurant only had two
options: chocolate cake or cheesecake. The chocolate cake was good, but so heavy and rich; it took a whole
bottle of water to wash it down.

Dishes
definitely offers a nice dining experience in a pleasant setting. When the
weather gets a little warmer in the spring, the outdoor seating area should
draw many customers.

360 Tip

Get dinner inside; then move the party to the outdoor tables for a shisha and coffee with some friends.

Best Bit

Generous portions, especially the fajitas.

Worst Bit

Some of the dishes are a little on the pricy side. And the menu was mostly standard with the same dishes you'd find elsewhere.

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