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

“Expect people to disappoint you, then you won’t be disappointed,” is a motto we’ve become accustomed to whenever we here of an international restaurant chain opening in Egypt – yes, we’re talking to you Dunkin’ Donuts, Applebee’s and Burge King. Sometimes, concepts just don’t translate well and other times, the quality is the issue. It was hard not to expect a new disappointment when we paid German Doner Kebab a visit – but we were wrong.

Opening their very first branch in Berlin in 1989, GDK just landed months ago at Palm Strip Mall. As a venue, the place has the same appearance and general mood its other branches; orange and grey colour scheme, black and white posters, simple seats and a glass wall kitchen which shows how the doner is made with so much care.

Moving to food, we started with a Chicken Doner Kebab Combo (52LE). Served with a soft drink and salad or perfectly cooked French fries – you know we picked fries – the chicken doner was a mixture of thinly sliced chicken, lettuce, tomato, onion and red cabbage, drizzled with garlic, spicy and yogurt sauces and stuffed into a pita bread that looks like it was pressed in a waffle maker. The chicken was super moist, the veggies were fresh and of noticeably good quality, the pita bread was outstanding and the sauces were full of flavour – overall, there was nothing to complain about.

As for the Beef Doner (40LE), it was exactly the same as the chicken, but we ordered extra Feta Cheese (2LE) on top, which turned out to be a perfect match for the beef.  Even though the meat had a great texture, it lacked the moistness we found in the chicken doner and the sandwich overall was a bit dry and needed extra sauces.

We also tried the Durum Chicken Doner (45LE). Wrapped in flatbread, the durum doner had the same ingredients of the doner, but in came in the form of a toasted wrap, with a nice crispy exterior. It’s a great option, but nothing beats the pita bread.

All in all, GDK definitely cheered us up with its noticeable high quality ingredients, delicious flavours, fast service, and it’s definitely a lighter choice if you’re craving shawerma. Let’s just hope it keeps up the quality and not fall in the others’ mistakes –yes you Burger King and Dunkin Donuts-.

All in all, GDK delivers on what it promises, thanks to its high quality ingredients, delicious flavours and fast service – a lighter choice if you’re craving shawerma.