Cairo · New Cairo
Seagull New Cairo
The ice counter and the scales, moved into a proper dining room out in New Cairo.
It begins on your feet, at the ice counter: you point at your fish, it is weighed while you watch, then you say how you want it — grilled, baked or fried. The rest follows the Egyptian pattern: bread, salads, tahina, lemon. This is New Cairo, well away from the centre: you come here on purpose, by car, and rarely as a passing tourist.
The extra bit
Have the total said out loud before the cooking starts: fish is charged by weight, and that is the one precaution worth taking. If you want to taste the fish itself, ask for it grilled rather than fried.
Know before you go
New Cairo is a drive: set off before the evening rush, because the run out from the centre stretches as the day ends. Ask whether cards are taken; if not, a cash machine before you leave beats a second trip. And ring ahead: it is too long a drive to find a closed door.
