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

Heliopolis is home to a number of neighbourhood street stalls offering
up a fine selection of wallet-friendly food. While shawerma and falafel
sandwiches aren’t hard to come by in Cairo, finding that authentic Syrian flavour
isn’t as common.

Tucked away between
several other food outlets on Nozha Street
near Saint Fatima Square, El Rokn El Shamy is a no-frills takeaway joint that
offers up some delicious Syrian eats. Look for a glowing crown logo; and you
can’t miss it.

Efficient in service and always serving up the freshest ingredients, El
Rokn El Shamy’s staff always get the job done. While delivery is available, we
recommend eating there to insure your sandwiches arrive hot and fresh; but you
may have to sit in your car because of the street’s overbearing noise and
traffic.

For 4LE, a large rolled falafel sandwich comes stuffed with Syrian falafel,
containing hints of sumac and earthy chickpeas. Thinly sliced pickles and tehina
top off the roll created with that flaky-thin, soft flatbread; the result is
quite tasty.

Although El Rokn El Shamy may be the king of Syrian falafel in
Heliopolis, their shawerma doesn’t lag behind either. Using that same delicious
bread, the shawerma’s tender, shredded chicken pieces are seasoned well, light on the
fat and thrown together with an absurd amount of garlic sauce and pickles. One
sandwich will leave you full and content; and it’s a great protein boost for an
acceptable 11LE.

When late-night eats are calling our name, we tend to stick to the
sandwiches, but side dishes are also available including sambousak, kobeba and
stuffed vine leaves, all ranging from 5LE to 15LE. For a more filling meal, expect
to find fatta dishes as well as meat platters.

El Rokn El Shamy is a great option for cheap
Syrian takeout, and seeing as how that Syrian twist isn’t as common as we’d
like it to be, consider this place unique.