Seafood Buffet Heaven at Sofitel’s Le Sud

Most of us are crazy about food, (except those people who will just fill up on anything, no matter the food or taste, and who are never to be trusted). And of course, the ones with the impeccable taste buds among us are the ones who love seafood fanatically. So, when a certain dining experience involves an open seafood buffet, they will be lost, swarming in a heaven of shrimps and valleys of sushi rolls and crab salad. To our delight, such a place actually exists and is just as fantastic as we imagined; Le Sud, located in the elegant and cozy Sofitel Cairo El Gezirah hotel in Zamalek, offers the most epic of seafood-themed open buffets. The restaurant is the rare but perfect merge of royal appeal and inviting relaxed homeliness. As you walk past the spiralling stairs and enter, a wine stand welcomes you. And any time a wine stand welcomes you, you know you're in a good place.After settling down and having light conversations with your friends who have accompanied you (not because they like you; for the epic food) and enjoyed some breadbasket pleasures, it is time now to indulge. And indulge we did. Starters, including strikingly delicious small salmon rolls with cream cheese inside and capers on top, cold shrimp, crab and potato salads and many other plates of vegetables and salads align along two sides of the rectangular square buffet set in the middle of the kitchen. Of course, it goes without saying that a side of the buffet is entirely dedicated to every type of sushi imaginable. The two other sides of the buffet carry a variation of desserts; whether it’s cheesecake you crave, fresh fruits, macaroons, or of course Um Ali, it’s all there!

But let’s cut to the chase; to the meat of the matter, literally. At the back of the buffet, two gigantic glorious platters of fresh seafood, including salmon, crab, and shrimp are placed next to a flat griddle. What could be a more satisfying experience than requesting from the chef to grill whatever you choose from the platter, hearing the pleasant sizzling of the shrimps hitting the heated surface, and waiting for the delicious scent to diffuse into your nose as the shrimp turns a golden colour? The answer is nothing. Nothing could be more satisfying. 

However, it is not only the food that is delicious but the romantic setting of the restaurant. With candles on the table, the Nile extending beyond the converging trees of the patio, and the Oriental mosaic designs of the tables, for a moment you forget where you are while you peel off the skin of a brownish shrimp and take a bite off its perfectly marinated white meat. 

So maybe it’s about time you ditch the generic burgers and pastas that taste the same in almost every single place in the city and go for something more refined and sophisticated - even if only once in a while, since y'know, we're not Oprah; we can't just afford seafood meals every week. But next time you think of shaking up your culinary choices, you know where to go!