Restaurant review: Sohour on the run Dena Rashed tries a Ramadan meal by the tarmac Food in Ramadan is a delight for many people. Upon Iftar time, many devour as much as they can, go into the dizzy mode, then return to life again after an hour or two. However, for some like myself, Sohour is more important; you are not rushed into it because of hunger, thirst or any other motive. You just want to enjoy a small meal that has a long lasting effect the next day. So it was time to try the usual fuul, eggs and cheese, but at a restaurant instead of at home. A friend suggested going to Konouz, a coffee shop/ restaurant in the parameters of the airport. In fact, the airport once hosted one of the coolest places, called the Stereo, decades ago. Now it hosts a couple of restaurants and shisha hangouts for the avid smokers in the open air, in what is now called the Air Mall. It all starts well with easy parking for LE5 per hour right in front of the restaurant. With the only table available next to the serving fridges and the waiters' station, my friends were not thrilled, but at 1am you can't ask for a better table in a place already crowded. I thought it would make us more visible to the waiters as well, though that is not necessarily true. While the four of us wished for a nice, relaxing Sohour, it appeared the woman on the table next to us was arguing with the waiter. As the manager tried to calm her down, I heard two waiters go head-to-head at the back. It appeared that work conflicts had to be shared by the clients. So we needed the Sohour fast. Forget the nice weather. While the drinks were fast to come with a latte that tasted good enough for a restaurant specialised in food not coffee, the food was not that fast. The fuul tasted delicious and so too the instant made baladi bread. While the eggs were not supposed to be a difficult option, some restaurants can't get them right. Yet both my friends' scrambled eggs and my boiled ones were as good as expected. My shisha friend seemed to prefer the good tobacco they serve -- her favourite is lemon and mint -- which was quite strong. If you were hoping for one fine yoghurt with honey, then it is prayer month. All has to be ordered immediately after you sit down; you cannot simply order a plate or dessert after staying for a while. For a minimum charge of LE50 per person, by far the lowest of Sohour rates, and with the availability of shishas, Konouz seems to be attracting some serious crowds. And yes, we try it again, due to the shisha effect on our friend and being the closest to everyone's house. With a big group of 10, the problem seemed bigger this time. Some got their food, others' orders were forgotten and some were switched. The check had to be revised with a pen to mark out the items that never arrived or that were miscalculated. An exhausted waiter revealed the truth. He believes he can not function well between 12 midnight and 2.30am, the prime time of Sohour, due to the large crowd. He advised us to come an hour or 45 minutes before the dawn prayer. While I opted for the relaxed, timely Sohour at home since then, I know my friend still goes to Konouz, with other avid smokers to enjoy smoking shisha more than eating fuul. Konouz, Air Mall Cairo Airport Tel: 2480 2000 Sohour for two: LE100
