Thursday March 28th, 2024
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3al Qahwa: Moroccan or Italian? Who Cares...

We discovered 3al Qahwa, a delicious little gem of a restaurant in Dokki this week. And on Mondays, they really make it worth your while to dine there...

Staff Writer

A French place that offers sushi, a Chinese restaurant that cooks pasta, and an ice cream parlour that serves pizza are among the long list of indefinable places in Egypt where the question 'What food do you serve?' is hard to answer. In this country, kitchens usually don't have to make a decision on what they want to prepare, as authenticity has not been a primary concern for most chefs. Instead, they seem to think that if there are ingredients available to make a lasagna, why not make one? This week, we visited another establishment that offers a menu that is deeply confusing. Creamy cheese pasta, sizzling fajitas, and scrumptious tagines are all to be found on the menu at 3al Qahwa. So where are we? In Italy, South America, or Morocco?

Located on 5 Amer Street in Dokki, 3al Qahwa invites guests to enjoy delicious food from Italy and Morocco, all while hanging out on Bedouin-style tables which will have them believe they are taking a break from shopping at the souks of Marrakesh. Shishas and Arabesque music bring the feel, but what about the food? Can a kitchen pull off offering Italian, Moroccan and Mexican food on top of offering a wide selection of desserts, appetizers and drinks, all coming from one and the same kitchen? Apparently, they can.

Now 3al Qahwa's Pasta Alfredo was probably not prepared by someone called 'monsieur', and their fajitas are more than likely not sizzling because of a 'señor', but 3al Qahwa's servings and taste exceed expectations based on the price. Amongst the dishes we tried are the Chicken and Shrimp Fajitas, Chicken Cheese, Pasta Alfredo and the Chicken Caesar Salad, all of which were freshly prepared and left us wanting to lean back on the comfy couches, cuddle with the many cushions and doze off. Then again, the dessert and shisha menu convinced us to stay awake and dig into some more food.

3al Qahwa truly offers something for all tastes and the huge servings leave nobody hungry. Considering the initial confusion of looking at the menu, prices, taste and servings all make up for the lack of clear definition. In the end, we don't care if this place is Italian, Moroccan, or Papua New Guinean for crying out loud, as long as a small amount of money feeds us with a large plate of tasty goodness. This delicious and relaxing gem in Dokki is an insider tip on all days of the week but tomorrow it will cost you less. Monday is the perfect day to give Algawa a try as they offer 50% off food all day, filling you up at a totally reasonable price.

You can check out their Facebook page here