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

Egypt has experienced a serious influx of Syrian cuisine over the last couple of years. But the biggest cultural export we seem to have taken from the Levant is Shawerma, so we decided to stop by a shawerma joint that’s been around since before a shawerma joint opened up on every corner.

Shawermer, opposite the Grand Mall in Maadi, has the same flashy black, red and yellow colours the other branches do. The interior area is relatively small, with two rows on either side where you can dine in, and most of the space is taken up by the kitchen and the vertical spits.

The menu has seen two small additions since Shawermer first opened, the Sogo’ Shawerma and Hot Dog Shawerma, both of which don’t sound particularly appealing, so we stuck to the classics everyone else is likely to order.

Without further hassle we decided we wanted Chicken Shawerma combo (25LE) and a Kabab Shawerma (14LE). Presented in white Styrofoam boxes, the Shawerma comes with a plastic box of pickled cucumbers and thomiya/tehina.

The Chicken Shawerma is just as good as it used to be, with just the right amount of charring on the chicken to give it a bit of flavour and texture. Combined with the toasted saj bread, thomiya and pickled cucumbers, the Chicken Shawerma was a definite success.

The Kabab Shawerma was just as satisfying, featuring Iranian Kabab, which we know in Egypt as Kofta, but with a slight difference in seasoning, the rest of the sandwich features parsley, tomatoes and tehina, similar to a regular meat shawerma. The Kabab was juicy and very flavourful and the side of french fries is actually surprisingly above average, retaining an excellent crunch on the outside and a soft fluffy inside.

Shawermer is a pleasant experience. When it first opened its doors, the prices were above average, which always made you consider why it was so much more expensive than the average shawerma, but now, as everything else’s prices have increased while Shawermer has stayed pretty much the same, it scores much better on value for money. The service is quick and efficient while the restaurant itself is relatively clean. The dine-in experience, however, isn’t one you’ll come back for.