For a country of more than 100 million, Egypt’s culinary scene is still in its infancy.
But that is slowly starting to change, as shown by the four Cairo restaurants that earned spots on the inaugural Middle East and North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants list. One even made it to the top five.
From Egyptian street food to high-end Japanese, here is a closer look at the venues:
Sachi
Mena's 50 Best Restaurants ranking: No 5
Entrepreneur Ayman Baky is a pioneer in Egypt’s restaurant industry, starting his Baky Hospitality Group in 2013 and opening Sachi in 2014.
The group’s seven eateries include Kazoku and the recently launched Cairo branch of Reif Kushiyaki, which was also ranked on the Mena 50 Best list.
Baky started his career in the nightlife business before deciding to “focus on the food”, he tells The National.
His first restaurant Sachi is a Japanese word that means “child of joy” and combines Sasha and Chris, the names of his first two children.
“I didn’t expect Sachi to be number five at all,” Baky says of the competition that encompassed 19 countries in the region, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.
He credits the fact that it is a home-grown brand with “a marvellous impact on the Egyptian market, over and above the strategic alliances we made with international chefs”.
The curated Mediterranean-Asian menu, widely praised by its patrons, sets Sachi apart from Cairo’s other upscale spots
These include Greek chef Athanasios Kargatzidis, known as “Chef Tommy”, who worked with Sachi in its first few years.
Now with two branches at opposite ends of the Egyptian capital and one on the North Coast, Sachi has garnered a well-deserved reputation as one of Cairo’s quintessential date spots.
Decorated in a modern, maximalist style that utilises a warm colour palette, clean lines and reflective surfaces, the dimly lit eatery looks like somewhere you might find Carrie Bradshaw having a romantic night out.
The curated Mediterranean-Asian menu, widely praised by its patrons, sets Sachi apart from Cairo’s other upscale spots. While the sushi selection is perfectly fine, it is actually Sachi’s simpler dishes such as the mushroom risotto, their house fries and the mouth-watering Chateaubriand steak that patrons can’t get enough of. For anyone with a sweet tooth, the sticky date pudding deserves an honourable mention.
One of the pricier eateries in Cairo, an appetiser, a main dish and a dessert cost about 900-1,200 Egyptian pounds ($57-$76).
Open Saturday-Wednesday 2pm-12am, Thursday and Friday 2pm-1am; 3 Cleopatra St, Korba El Montaza, Heliopolis; +201280902028; sachirestaurant.com
Kazoku
Mena's 50 Best Restaurants ranking: No 19
Looking for high-end Japanese food in a sophisticated setting? Kazoku, nestled in the lush Swan Lake compound of east Cairo, is the place to be.
Launched in 2015, the restaurant has received praise from industry experts and proved popular, despite its high price point.
It is best to go in a big group and share, as patrons will have a hard time choosing between cold starters such as salmon tataki, signature sushi rolls, ceviches, Japanese tacos and gyoza.
That is not to mention the signature main dishes that include miso glazed black cod and oven-roasted Chilean sea bass, ranging between 820-1,125 Egyptian pounds each.
For dessert, the bento box is the way to go to get samplings of the matcha brulee, dark chocolate fondant with caramel and yuzu lemon curd.
Behind the scenes is Tarek Alameddine, the kitchen director who joined the Baky Hospitality Group last year after working as a sous chef at the world’s No 1 restaurant in 2021, Noma in Copenhagen.
To create the right ambience at both Kazoku and Sachi, Baky Hospitality signed a contract with Spanish DJ Jordi Carreras in 2019 for curated playlists.
Open Saturday-Wednesday 2pm-12am, Thursday and Friday 2pm-1am; Naguib Mahfouz axis, Swan Lake compound, Second New Cairo; +201270004877; kazokuegypt.com
Zooba
Mena's 50 Best Restaurants ranking: No 38
Zooba started in 2012 “on the very simple premise that Egypt has fantastic food, but no one in the world knew about it”, founder Chris Khalifa tells The National.
Khalifa, along with head chef and co-founder Moustafa El Refaey, sought to get innovative with traditional Egyptian street food. The cheap staples of the masses — such as foul, taameya and koshari — are prepared with top-quality ingredients and a bit of a twist.
For example, fresh foul, or fava beans, are soaked overnight, slow-cooked for 12 hours daily and then mashed with a special spice blend.
But perhaps Zooba is best known for its taameya, the Egyptian version of falafel made with fava beans. Try it paired with fried aubergine and beetroot-hibiscus tahini, or fried cauliflower and a spicy harissa-raisin sauce.
[Having] a very simple Egyptian concept be amongst the restaurants on that list is incredible
Chris Khalifa,
Zooba founder
As an added bonus, a meal at Zooba is probably the cheapest you will find on the Mena top 50 list. A foul sandwich costs 10 Egyptian pounds (less than a dollar) and the most expensive item on the menu, the newly launched shrimp fereek, tops out at 145 pounds ($10).
That calls for dessert, so don’t miss out on the Zooba rice pudding topped with angel hair halawa, honey, crushed nuts and orange zest.
Since Zooba first opened in Zamalek in central Cairo with its hip, colourful branding a decade ago, the chain has expanded to seven more outlets across the city. In 2019, it made its international debut in New York’s Nolita neighbourhood, followed by Riyadh last year.
Khalifa says another outlet in Riyadh will open by next month, at least three more in Egypt this year, as well as more in New York and elsewhere in the future.
As for making it to the Mena top 50, Khalifa is beaming with nationalistic pride and says having “a very simple Egyptian concept be among the restaurants on that list is incredible. We’re still pinching ourselves”.
Open 10am-12am everyday; 16 26th of July St, Zamalek; 16082 delivery hotline; zoobaeats.com
Izakaya
Mena's 50 Best Restaurants ranking: No 45
Izakaya sets itself apart as Cairo’s first Nikkei restaurant, blending Japanese and Peruvian cuisines at the helm of Peruvian chef Martin Rodriguez.
It is one of several restaurants under Sanctum Hospitality, founded by brothers Tamer and Taymour Erian in 2015.
As one of the few places that specialise in robatayaki, a Japanese method of cooking meat, where it is barbecued over hot coals at varying speeds and temperatures, Izakaya’s menu is by far its best attribute.
Boasting a specificity that few other Cairene restaurants possess, the menu offers a varied selection of Japanese dishes that first-time patrons may not have tried before in Cairo, making it perfect for adventurous eaters who want to try something new for the night.
While some of the sushi items on offer are also available at other places in Cairo, Izakaya puts a spin on almost every item on the menu, leaving one surprised by what they are tasting every time.
Some of the gems on the menu include the Izakaya ceviche, which features a tangy ponzu sauce you can smell a mile away. The sauce pairs perfectly with the cured sea bass in the dish. The unassuming king crab tacos are also a must-have. Not to mention the matcha fondant, one of the highlights of the dessert menu.
The decor, like the menu, is an undeniable homage to Japanese architecture and design as it features a lot of wooden panels and warm lighting. The overall vibe is chic but cozy.
It is one of those places that is perfect for celebrating a special occasion, and it is definitely worth the splurge.
Open Saturday-Wednesday 2pm-12am, Thursday and Friday 2pm-1am; Palm Hills compound, Sheikh Zayed; +201271116223; izakayacairo.com
1. 3 Fils, Dubai, UAE
2. Zuma, Dubai, UAE
3. OCD Restaurant, Tel Aviv, Israel
4. Tresind Studio, Dubai, UAE (also won Art of Hospitality Award)
5. Sachi, Cairo, Egypt
6. Orfali Bros, Dubai, UAE
7. Fakhreldin, Amman, Jordan
8. LPM Restaurant & Bar, Dubai, UAE
9. George & John, Tel Aviv, Israel
10. Gaia, Dubai, UAE
11. Il Borro Tuscan Bistro, Dubai, UAE
12. Baron, Beirut, Lebanon
13. Coya, Dubai, UAE
14. HaBasta, Tel Aviv, Israel
15. Myazu, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
16. Reif Kushiyaki, Dubai, UAE
17. Animar, Tel Aviv, Israel
18. Tresind, Dubai, UAE
19. Kazoku, Cairo, Egypt
20. Mimi Kakushi, Dubai, UAE
21. Liza, Beirut, Lebanon
22. Em Sherif, Beirut, Lebanon
23. Lowe, Dubai, UAE (also won the Sustainable Restaurant Award)
24. Pescado, Ashdod, Israel
25. Hakkasan, Abu Dhabi, UAE
26. La Grande Table Marocaine, Marrakech, Morocco
27. 13C Bar in the Back, Amman, Jordan
28. Tawlet Mar Mikhael, Beirut, Lebanon
29. Amazonico, Dubai, UAE
30. Marble, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
31. Mirai, Manama, Bahrain
32. Iloli, Casablanca, Morocco
33. BB Social Dining, Dubai, UAE
34. Coya, Abu Dhabi, UAE
35. Indochine, Dubai, UAE
36. Cut by Wolfgang Puck, Doha, Qatar
37. Porterhouse, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
38. Zooba, Cairo, Egypt
39. Fusions by Tala, Manama, Bahrain
40. Milgo Milbar, Tel Aviv, Israel
41. Sufra, Amman, Jordan
42. LPM Restaurant & Cafe, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
43. White Robata, Kuwait City, Kuwait
44. Hoseki, Dubai, UAE
45. Izakaya, Cairo, Egypt
46. La Closerie, La Marsa, Tunisia
47. Clap, Beirut, Lebanon
48. Butcher & Still, Abu Dhabi, UAE
49. Plus61, Marrakech, Morocco
50. Tokyo, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
}Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
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Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
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- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
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