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Khulkhal

Khulkhal: Low-Key Sohour on Zamalek’s Nile Maxim Boat

reviewed by
Alicia Yassin
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Khulkhal: Low-Key Sohour on Zamalek’s Nile Maxim Boat

Stepping away from the usual crowded spots on a Ramadan evening, and hoping to enjoy a light and easygoing sohour outdoors, we made our way to the Nile Maxim boat for a little bit of a munch at Khulkhal.

On the top floor of the boat, the cool evening air made for a relaxed setting with view of the city all around. Usually filled with pumped-up party-goers, the boat has effortlessly adapted to Ramadan with fawanees and other festive decorations hung about.

There is a minimum charge of 100LE on weekdays and 125LE on weekends. We started with a watermelon shisha (22LE, plus 8LE for the hose) and found it to be pleasantly flavoured, though the shisha itself could have been smoother and longer-lasting.

The hommos el sham (25LE) was well balanced in spice and tartness, as well as generously filled with whole chickpeas. Soft drinks (12LE) were served with a big glass full of ice, while mint tea (18LE), which was served on the tepid side, in rather boring glass mugs.

Trying to keep things nice and light, we order a tehina (18LE) and hommos shawerma (20LE), alongside cheese goulash (25LE) and a plate of watermelon (32LE). The cheese goulash – which looked a lot like spring rolls – were delicious, stuffed with a mix of cottage and mozzarella cheeses that melted into a wonderfully soft and gooey centre.  The hommos was a little on the grainy side, but the meat on top was tasty and generous in portion; the tehina on the other hand was smooth and tangy – just as a good tehina should be. The plate of watermelon is made for two and the perfectly cut triangles came chilled and fresh.

To end our sohour on a sweet note, we opted for the rice pudding (25LE) and a sahlab (25LE). The former came in a small wine glass, in a reasonable portion. While the consistency was good, we found the dessert to be a little too sweet. The sahlab, though, was a little scarce on the nuts, but was perfectly balanced in terms of texture, flavour and sweetness.

Although we stuck to smaller dishes, Khulkhal does offer a range of grills (65LE-98LE), eggs (22LE), foul (22LE) and taameya (25LE), as well as other lighter options such as yoghurt with fruit (18LE).

If a relaxed, non-commercialised sohour is what you’re looking for, where a minimum charge won’t dig too deeply into your wallet, Khulkhal is a great option with its simple dishes and outdoor setting.

360 Tip

For Ramadan, Khulkhal has spread out to also include Outdoors as extra space.

Best Bit

No large crowds.

Worst Bit

The service was a bit slow.

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