On the calm Zamalek Street Ahmed heshmat lies a small eatery with a specific cuisine; Jambelaya. At first glance the place looks nice and cozy; two wooden tables with chairs are placed outside for those who appreciated a bite in the open-air.
Once in, you are faced with your first problem; the stairs are the narrowest and most steep staircase I have scene; they lead to a smallish eating area with 5 or 6 tables. The walls are painted a bright and painful yellow and the metal chairs gives off the feel of a food court not a restaurant.
Appetizers were simply ok; the empanadas are a safe choice as they looked and tasted exactly like sambousak. The vine leaves were stuffed with shrimps and risotto and spiced up with what tasted like saffron or another strong aromatic herb.
The food is not great either; the Jambalaya Paella was a disappointment; it was a little dry a tasted basically like ‘roz bel tamatem’. The aroz Negro on the other hand is a better choice; the mixture of saffron with the seafood was done right and tasted good.
The Fresa Limonada is probably the best thing I had that night; the mixture of lemonade and strawberry is perfect; the beverage is refreshing, sweet and creative. In general the eatery needs a lot of work on both the décor and the food quality.
