The Ultimate Fuul Experience!

Anyone who has lived in the Middle East is familiar with fuul, a dish of fava beans which is the staple of the region. There are of course, variations from country to country-the kind that we had in KSA was mashed and creamier. In fact, for a long time, I just did not like the kind of fuul that I found in Cairo. Here, the fava beans are not mashed and it is usually prepared bland, with the tomatoes, onions, and the peppers added later on.

But then I had the fuul at Mahrouz and I can vouch for the fact that it is the best! Located in a lane near the Canandian embassy in Garden City, it is hugely popular. Nothing more than a little 'hole in the wall', there are plastic chairs and tables for ambience. But you come here for the fuul and not the ambience - and the fuul does not disappoint.

There is no menu and you have to pay close attention as the waiter rattles off the fuul dishes available-fuul iskandrany with tomatoes, onions, peppers and tahina (my favourite), fuul with shatta (chilli powder) and hot oil, fuul with butter, fuul with salsa and plain fuul. The eggtarians will just love their omlettes (spanish or regular) and the fried and the boiled eggs that can be ordered along with the fuul.

To mop up the fuul, there is the stack of baladi bread that is plonked on your table. Ask it to be heated and the hot bread enhances the taste of the fuul. You can also order side dishes of salads, white cheese and pickles.

Of course, there is no written cheque at the end and when it is time to pay, one of the waiters comes to your table, throws a cursory glance at the dishes and pronounces an amount. You are so satiated that you will not bother asking for the break-up. Also, the fact that it is not too much to pay for such a delicious meal will have you reaching for your wallet without any qualms.

However, after a couple of visits, just out of curiosity, I did figure out how the pricing works. It is generally, LE 6 for each plate of fuul and omlette, and LE 15 for every helping of salad. The figure is of course, rounded off to make it easier.

During Ramadan, the lane where the eatery is located is brightly lit with lanterns and rows and rows of tables are added to accomodate the hordes of people who arrive there during the suhoor. It can be quite an experience to have a suhoor meal at Mahrouz; however one must go early enough to grab a place.

The place is open from 4 p.m. till 4 a.m. everyday. The address is Haras Street, Garden City. It can take one a couple of wrong turns to find the place. Roughly, take the left near Nile Kempenski from the Corniche street and take the second left (it is more like a U-turn) and then take the first right. When you reach the crossroads, take a left (again it is almost a U-turn) and you are in the lane of Mahrouz.