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

Going shopping in Citystars Mall
always saps our energy, leaving us with an urgent need to refuel. As this mall hosts
a vast collection of fast food joints, choosing a lunch spot is never an easy
task.

Among the ever-growing options is
Smiley’s Grill – an Egyptian fast food chain that serves up a wide variety of
fresh sandwiches. However, the joint’s logo of a smiley face doesn’t exactly
provide a smile-worthy experience. Although the sandwiches are freshly prepared
and served piping hot, they are devoid of any flavour.

Characterised by its friendly and
quick service, Smiley’s Grill offers chicken, meat and seafood sandwiches, in
medium and large sizes. The menu also features Smiley’s meal boxes: a hearty
meal of chicken, prawns or mixed grill served with rice, French fries, salad
and bread, starting at 29.99LE.  

This reviewer ordered the crunchy melt
chicken sandwich (21.99LE), which consists of slices of deep-fried crispy
chicken, a thin slice of smoked turkey, cheddar cheese, pickled cucumbers and
mayonnaise. The sandwich is what you would expect a home-cooked meal to taste
like: fresh, hot and unhealthy, but also bland.

We also tried the chicken pizza sandwich
(16.99LE), which consists of sliced cubes of chicken, molten mozzarella cheese, shredded green
pepper, onion and olive. This sandwich also lacked flavour and zest, and it could
definitely use a lot more seasoning. This was not the only problem with the sandwich: this
reviewer bit into an olive pit while eating, an incident that could have caused
severe dental damage.

For an extra 10LE, you can have the
sandwich combos served with your choice of fries and soda. In addition to
Smiley’s Grill white bread sandwiches, the joint also serves toasted Panini
sandwiches.

As a side, we sampled the potato fritterz
(7.50LE), which the waiter touted as a new tasting experience; but what we got
was a mundane packet of French fries served with Thousand Island dressing. On
the upside, the fries special (5.99LE) was a packet of French fries drenched in
a delicious combination of ketchup and mayonnaise.

Smiley’s Grill also serves up steak
sandwiches, burgers, kofta and shawerma. Prawn and tuna sandwiches are also
available on the menu. Side orders are also abound with options that include coleslaw
salad (3.50LE), spring rolls (5.99LE), potato croquettes (6.99LE), and a
special Chinese cabbage and chilli salad (6.50LE).

Smiley’s Grill is a good choice if
you are looking for a fresh choice of sandwiches; but if you are craving a delicious
well-seasoned meal, you might not find it here.