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

What you see is literally what you get at this old-timer Thai restaurant – which is honestly highly essential when you are not really familiar with the SouthEast Asian cuisine. Sabai Sabai first made its name opening in one of Zamalek’s prominent buildings in Abo ElFeda street and soon enough made its way to Sheikh Zayed’s classy mall, Galleria40. Directly translated into English, the word ‘sabai’ means comfortable. In Thai, repeating a word twice will emphasise that word or intensify its meaning, making Sabai Sabai the ultimate place to get your fix of Thai comfort food in Zamalek, Sheikh Zayed, and Nasr City. 

Having tried Sabai Sabai various times in Zamalek and Sheikh Zayed, one thing was always evident: consistency and bright flavours. Like many Asian countries, the Thai palette highlights the exotic taste of spices, sweet and sour, and a particular focus on noodle dishes. We headed to their Zaitouna Food Hall branch one lazy afternoon, and as we passed by to check out the new spots opening, it seemed like Sabai Sabai was the only restuarnt that remained in the same place for years. We browsed through their very long menu, luckily with the help of pictures, and we finally decided on a few exciting dishes. We started our meal with a salad, Som Thum Thai (75 LE) – a traditional Thai papaya salad with a combination of vegetables. This salad was refreshing, spicy, and incredibly seasoned – the papaya was crunchy, and the heat from the chilli peppers went great with the semi-sweet dressing. 

We then decided to try the Kuay Thiaw Pad SI-WI, since it didn’t fair too well the last time we had visited (115 LE) – stir-fried rice noodles with beef and mixed vegetables. This time, the dish was delicious; the meat was tender and seasoned, while the noodles were cooked to perfection – we had no comments there. We also ordered one more noodle dish, the Pud Thai (145 LE) – stir-fried noodles with chicken or beef or shrimp with bean sprouts. However, we had asked to get tofu and eggs instead; this option was available. But we were charged as if it was a seafood order. If you’re a tofu and Thai food fan in general, this dish is your go-to dish for sure; the tofu was tender yet firm, and all the seasoning on the noodles was a flavour party: sweet, sour, salty, and defiantly umami. 

We initially wanted to get the Mango Sticky Rice dessert, but we wanted to give one rice dish a go since mango wasn’t available. We settled on Khow Pud Thale Kee to share (125 LE) – fried rice mixed with basil and seafood. Even though the variety of colours and greens in the menu picture didn’t match the dish served, the flavour did not disappoint. The shrimps were cooked correctly, and the rice was generously seasoned and airy. Undoubtedly, our experience was a good one – what people might forget is that casual Thai food – even in Thailand – can get oily, a bit smelly and a bit heavy on the spice. But this, in fact, is what makes it a unique experience. However, high-end Thai dining is an entirely different situation. What is excellent about Sabai Sabai is that their consistency and flavours really match what you would get in Bangkok’s street food lineup – prices might get a bit high, but the flavours are definitely there.