Things I Find Overrated – Part 1

Cupcakes in Cairo

The Cupcake storm doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon. Anyone who owns a spatula and an oven thinks they can become cupcake masters. Newsflash: baking can be more than your average cupcakes.

For now, we have several cupcake options that have turned into well-known brands. And at the end of the day, I really think cupcake brands are highly overrated. Yes, they’re delicious and are a perfect sugary treat to make up for a bad day. But do I really need to be eating cupcakes this much?

I might get hate e-mails for this but let’s take a look at Nola for example, the top cupcake brand in Cairo with its own store in Zamalek. I’ve tried Nola several times and I must say her efforts to build a creative store like that and a successful business should not go unnoticed. Some of Nola’s other flavours are delicious. The peanut butter cupcake, which I like to call the 'calorie bomb' is a must-try. As well as the Oreo one and Apple. The rather over-priced cupcakes should be tried at least once. Just for curiosity. But some of Nola's best-selling flavours aren’t that… yummy. I’m a huge fan of anything that has the words ‘red velvet’ in it but is it just me who thinks the cream-cheese frosting on Nola’s Red Velvet tastes nothing like cream cheese? It tastes rather ‘eggy’ or zifer if you catch my drift. I’m not an expert on baking but I’ve baked my share of cakes and brownies (and ate more home-made cakes than I should have) to know what frosting should taste like.

Which is such a shame. It's my favourite flavour. Then again, Nola did save me extra calories.

Tivoli Dome

I usually love Tivoli in the mornings. Weekday mornings that is when all you meet are couple of college students and trendy mothers and be sure of not running into your friendly-neighborhood douche!

I feel I'm getting old. My radar for tween hipsters is too high for me to be at a place like this.

While Tivoli has many options to dine and enjoy a good laugh with friends, the fact that they're solely interested in raising the average minimum for customers is a major turn off. Why would I pay 75LE at Coffee Bean or Coffee Shop Company for coffee? Yes lounging by the river is fun, the view from Chilli's terrace is beautiful but parking is a disaster, crowds are intolerable, especially if they're 12-year curly haired girls screaming at every hello they get. Okay, I'm rambling. I am getting old.

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Coffee

There are several options for coffee in Zamalek. (Yet how there is not one SINGLE Starbucks is beyond me.) I was a bit pleased when Coffee Bean opened a new branch right across the street from my office. I later regretted that when I tried their coffee. For a whole month I've been drinking it just to get the morning buzz. Then I realised it was pointless. Too strong and utterly bitter, not to mention the value does not weigh in the quality whatsoever. I might as well walk the two blocks to Cilantro to get decent coffee. And yes, I do enjoy Cilantro's coffee.

For me, Coffee Bean now remains the place to go to get Red Velvet Cakes. Which are not available in Zamalek. Thankfully for my protruding behind.

Being in Cairo for too long, these are not the only things that are overrated. I'm sure several other things will join the list soon.

Grizzly's Hefty Portions!

There are days when I feel like a tourist in my own city. With regards to the fact that I reside in Heliopolis, used to work in Heliopolis and only met friends in Heliopolis, suddenly being thrown into a cultural hub such as Zamalek is both a blessing and a curse. There’s no denying that driving is no fun. But the endless dining and artistic outlets surely make up for it. Add that to my overbearing curiosity and spirit of exploring new places, a move to Zamalek might be in the works! (If I could ever afford it!)

One place I have been to several times was the Grizzly Diner, it’s my go-to lunch spot when I’m in the mood for a delicious burger and catching up with good friends. Situated on the famous Aboul Feda St. by the Nile, Grizzly includes an outdoor seating with red booths stacked up against the Nile and a higher, all-glass panoramic indoor one. While Grizzly prides itself in being a diner, I felt rather disappointed in the restaurant atmosphere. Upon hearing the word “diner” I instantly figured it would take the form of a real American diner. The only “American” aspect about Grizzly was the delicious food options with a menu ranging from sandwiches, pastas, salads, steak and burgers. Warning: you might get a little lost in the menu.

Not every visit to Grizzly is the same. The first time stood out the most. The diner had just opened and you could tell they paid extra attention to the quality of food. With more and more visits I noticed not a decrease in how everything tasted but it was simply different.

As a rule, you can never have an appetizer before your main course. Grizzly is extremely generous with their portions so unless you’re dining with a large group of people, start with the main course right away.

The Chicken Strips (more like several pieces of large fried chicken, not strips) came in a medium-sized metal bucket with marinara sauce. While the combo platter featuring onion rings, mozzarella sticks, fried mushrooms and chicken strips with blue cheese dip is ideal for a large group. As a huge burger enthusiast, I must admit that I’m not pleased very easily. However, the burgers, which can come in home-grown meat or Australian Angus (which isn’t always available), stole my heart for the night. The BBQ burger with sour-dough bread and its own bucket of wedges was undeniably scrumptious and filling. Only on the first visit did they nail the sour-dough bread. Later on, it was just your average burger bun. The Juicy-Lucy burger stuffed with American cheese is to die for. Just make sure the cheese didn’t melt away from the patty as it has with me one time.

After a meal like this, there is no room for dessert obviously but if you have the stomach for it, Milkshakes, Apple Pies and Brownies are sure enough to get your mouth watering.

One thing that makes Grizzly stand out from the rest of its competitors is their affordable prices. Having lunch or dinner for two including main course, appetizer and drinks can be in the 100-ish LE range. Another perk that comes from Grizzly is their appetizing breakfast menu. Zamalek residents will surely enjoy sinking their teeth into a freshly made stack of panckakes or waffles. However, the burgers are what put Grizzly on the map!

The Unbearable Calmness of Cairo

There’s no need to comment on yesterday. We are all thinking the same thing and feeling almost defeated, indignant or numb.

On Sunday, October 9^th, I had a photoshoot after work in Mohandiseen for the magazine. Before we started shooting, our attention was diverted to the TV screen. Cars were burning, people were running everywhere downtown, and the army was advancing. I blinked. I froze. Was this January 28^th all over again?

After a few minutes of recollecting what day it was and what was actually happening, I started to worry about hundreds of things at once. From heavy ponderings like what will this mean for Egypt’s future? Will people die? (and we already know the answer to that) to little troubles of how will I get myself home. I left my car in Zamalek where the office is as all of the roads heading to Heliopolis were either closed or dangerous to pass through. And so I waited in Mohandiseen for two hours for someone to pick me up, glued to the TV screen as I watch each and every channel tell a different tale of the horrible night. My phone never stopped ringing, worried family members pressured me to find a different route to get home or look for a friend nearby to stay with.

Constant panic was inevitable as Cairo sits on a time-bomb; you never know when things will erupt and lose control.

I was shaken by the time I got home, relieved at arriving safely and eager for news on the situation downtown. But I couldn’t open my TV or check updates online. Instead, I went to sleep and gave into the numbness. It’s sad when you’re used to chaos that it doesn’t shock you anymore and you end up in denial over what went wrong.

I woke up in the middle of the night panic-stricken and couldn’t sleep for two hours after that. I was lying in bed, checking updates on Twitter from people on the scene. It was uglier than before I slept.

The next day, on my way to work with a friend, we noticed the empty streets. People were obviously too scared to cross the Nile. What was once a crowded street every morning is now occupied by a handful of cars.

I continued to be in ‘zoned-out’ for the rest of the day. The show must go on, they say.

As I got into my car, I realized it’s been 24 hours since I’ve driven yet it seemed like a week. I drove myself home wondering which route I should take to avoid potential chaos. But I didn’t need to change routes. I drove through my usual Downtown route. But nothing was ‘usual’ about downtown. Once a bustling area full of life is now deserted. Roads were almost empty during what is known as the mother of all rush hours. Only a handful of people were walking about.

An ominous feeling filled my insides. The calmness was very disturbing. The city seemed broken.