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

As the brainchild of the people behind Café
Mo, Express by Mo in Dandy Mall has presented a new, efficient and interesting
way to dine. Looking more like a fast-food joint or café, the restaurant is an
electric mix of white and lime green, and scripture in the shop window and
along the walls pushes the restaurant’s healthy eating agenda.

Along the open kitchen counters are several
touch-screens that allow you to make your own order via an interactive menu. A staff
member will hand you a card that stores your order and calculates your bill. You
swipe the card through the machine every time you order.

We opted to start the meal with the salmon
bruschetta (10LE) from the list of tapas options; one piece of bruschetta bread
is topped with salmon, small shrimp and seafood sauce. Although it is
diminutive in size, it falls in line with the place’s attention to fresh and
healthy eating.

We also tried the duck salad (25LE); rice
noodles, red and green pepper, baby corn and bean sprouts are thrown together
with large pieces of duck. The chilled salad was light, fresh and spicy, but
the duck didn’t fare too well being cold; it was tough and bland in taste.  To drink, we ordered a thick and delicious
banana milkshake (24LE) and a rather dull mixed berry cocktail (28LE).

A fresh and healthy burger with eggs (22LE)
is right up this cynical reviewer’s alley, and so the decision was easy. The meat
itself did indeed taste incredibly fresh, and was cooked and seasoned to
perfection, but the egg was a bit overdone and there wasn’t very much
mayonnaise as promised on the menu. Each burger is served with a portion of
chunky fries and a small pot of ketchup. The fries are decent, and we noticed
that each portion is made to order and not in batches.

From the grill section, we also went for
the souvlaki mix (30LE). The Greek dish consisted of two skewers of beef and
chicken, fries, Greek pita bread, two large grilled chilli peppers and a small
pot of Greek yoghurt. The large pieces of chicken and beef were cooked to a
good tenderness, and the addition of the bread, the very spicy chillies and the
yoghurt to each mouthful made for a great balance of taste.

For dessert, we gave the mojito cheesecake
a shot – shot being the operative word, as the dessert came in a very small
glass. For your 22LE, you might feel a little short-changed and the name is
completely superfluous as it has nothing to do with mojitos. Despite having
very little of the crumbly base you’d expect, the dessert was creamy and fruity,
but a little warmer than we expected.

The dining experience at Express by Mo is
one of the simplest yet most unique in Cairo. Although some portions may be
small, it’s easy and cheap to balance a multi-course meal into a satisfying and
healthy dinner. You can taste how fresh the ingredients are, and apart from the
60LE steak, every dish costs 35LE or lower.