Discussing where to have dinner after a day at the beach with a group of 4 is a tedious activity, I came to know. Options and ideas are thrown on the table (or sand, in this case) at remarkable speed, but making the decision is a painfully long process. But then, in a second, when my friend said "Hadoota Masreya", we all smiled relieved and said yes.



Located on Sheikh Zayed Road close to Safa Park, Hadoota Masreya has been on my try list for quite some time, but somehow it always got postponed. Now was the time. Good things come to those who wait, they say...



We enter the restaurant as a unit, as a squad, and take it all in: big chandeliers and a ceiling with an interesting pattern, large TV screens around the large room showing Arabic music videos, families, girls and many, many tables. All trapped in the sweet shisha smell (lovely tutti-frutti flavour). The size of the restaurant was overwhelming for me, a humble admirer of intimate, cozy dining venues. 



We take our seats at a table in the middle of the restaurant and, with hungry eyes, we scan the menu, looking for a love affair with food. Since my previous experience at an Egyptian restaurant happened during lent, I was the most eager of the group to try as many meat dishes as possible and see, is Egyptian cuisine really as good as I've heard.



To open our appetite, we all ordered risoni soup, which most of you probably know as tiny noodles soup. These noodles are shaped exactly like barley grains and taste exactly like pasta. They are perfect for soups (or salads) because they cook fast (half the time of rice), keep a light coating of starch that makes flavour "stick" to them (if not drained) and add heartiness to dishes that would otherwise be bland. I liked the risoni soup - clear meat broth with a bit of ghee (yum texture and flavour, although a pinch of pepper would have made a world of difference), served with fresh lemon juice on the side to add as much acidity as you need. This soup is light and a good start to any meal. (It's also good for diet, girls).



The debate started again when ordering the mezzeh and the mains. What to order? Will it be enough? Will it be too much? Fact: hungry people always order too much. This being said, we ordered chicken liver, lamb liver, kosari, stuffed vegetables, fatta with lamb shank and meat fiteer. Was is too much? Let's dig in!



I grew up with chicken liver. Cooked in rich tomato sauce, pouring over hot and creamy mashed potatoes.......a dream! This one, however, had no sauce. It had no flavour. It was overcooked. It was dry. It was grey. It was not good. I was sad. 

The lamb liver, on the other hand, that's something to write home about! The cooking of the lamb was neat, the texture was just right and the mix of spices was not overpowering. I never thought I would like lamb liver, but hey, there's a first for everything, right?

​

Koshari - the national dish of Egypt - is something that, when you hear about it, you feel disgusted (raised eyebrows, frowns, odd look, the works), but when you taste it, your mind goes "oh, who would've thought it can be this good?". Rice, macaroni and lentils, all baked together in the oven, and topped with fried onions, spicy tomato sauce and beans. The koshari at Haddota Masreya was not the best I had in Dubai, but it was good enough to fill a hungry stomach. I found the balance of the rice, macaroni and lentils to be off, with too much macaroni and not enough lentils. Also, the tomato sauce was too little for the size of the koshari, therefore it felt dry. 



When we ordered fatta, I expected a hearty, rustic dish. There is nothing fancy about mixing rice with crispy bread, lamb and tomato sauce, right? Hadoota Masreya managed to change the presentation of the dish and "elevate it". The bread was placed between two layers rice, the lamb was still on the bone, with the leg tied with aluminium foil at the end, and the sauce neatly place in a small saucer, on the side. It was a really elaborated process to combine the ingredients and eat. The lamb was good, nothing to say. The sauce was again not enough for the amount of rice that we had and the bread, instead of keeping its crisp, it soaked with the ghee of the rice and became soft. Overall, not the hearty dish I looked forward to. Restaurants, choose your battles when it comes to changing hundreds of years old dishes. With regards to fatta, you lost the battle, in my eyes.



Sausage fiteer...the Egyptian pie...I would devour an entire tray while watching MasterChef or Top Chef in my bed. Yes, it's Heavy and packed with calories, but I'd be willing to commit a crime for Hadoota's fiteer. Balanced filling (good filling to pastry ratio also) and crisp pastry, it was a shame I could not eat more! But no worries! The few pieces left I took them home and ate them cold the next day. You know what? Tasted even better! My action brought me disapproving head shakes and pursed lips from my Arabic friends. "Fiteer is good only when it's hot, habibti".



The stuffed vegetables (zucchini, pepper and eggplant) were interesting, tasty (and vegetarian, wink wink to the fussy diners), but didn't leave a strong expression. I'm a declared carnivore, but next time I'm fasting, I'll order them, just because they're good and filling enough.



Egyptian cuisine is heavy, but tasty. Go with an empty stomach and be ready to unbutton your jeans before main course. P.S. girls: if you like food and you like to eat and you are invited to an Egyptian feast, wear something I like to call the "brunch attire". A loose shirt or a loose dress that will cover your belly is the way to go and will do the trick. Classy and sassy. 



In the spirit of habibi culture, my friend and I concluded the visit with a game of tawla (aka backgammon) which I won (smug look on my face), before walking out and rubbing my victory into everyone's face (I don't win very often).



As with most cuisines, you need one try to establish the love or hate relationship. I love Egyptian cuisine, but Hadoota Masreya doesn't serve my favorite in town and the ambiance is not one I enjoy.  



So now, Hadoota Masreya, where does that leave us? I don't love you, but I won't refuse a second date, if opportunity arises. Be well, Araka fel marrah al muqbilah.

​

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

 - May 2013 -