Mother’s Day Reads by Diwan

April 1, 2018

Looking for a perfect title to gift your mom on Mother’s Day? Diwan is here for you! Check out these 11 options; a range guaranteed to suit any mother’s reading tastes.

Khul Khaal: Five Egyptian Women Tell Their Stories by Nayra Atiya

Five contemporary Egyptian women from Cairo’s impoverished middle to lower classes, ranging in age from early twenties to mid-sixties, tell their life stories.

Deep Sahara by Leslie Croxford

Klaus Werner travels to the Algerian Sahara to research a book on desert insects. He is billeted in a local monastery, but upon arrival he finds it empty of its inhabitants. He soon discovers that it is a recent crime scene.

The City of Brass – The Daevabad Trilogy: Book 1 by S.A. Chakraborty

The first installment in an epic fantasy trilogy set in 18th century Middle East. A beautiful historical fantasy book that brings to vivid life the ancient mythological traditions of an Islamic world. Chakraborty’s grasp of Middle Eastern history, folklore, and culture inspires a swiftly moving plot, richly drawn characters, and a beautifully constructed world that will entrance fantasy book lovers.

Live. Love. Work. Prosper: A Fresh Approach to Integrating Life and Work by Michael Tobin

Through anecdote, personal examples and clear thinking, Michael Tobin shows us that drawing on the combined strengths of life, love and work creates a powerful new way of living.

Daughters of the Nile: Egyptian Women Changing Their World by Samia Spencer

The history of ancient Egypt is filled with fascinating queens and goddesses portrayed side by side with their male counterparts as equal partners, each playing a different and distinct role in society.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

A novel about the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive. A murder, a tragic accident, or just parents behaving badly? What’s indisputable is that someone is dead. The three women are at different crossroads, but they will all wind up in the same shocking place.

Romeo & Leila by Ghalia Benali

An autobiography and journey of self-discovery told through paintings and fairy tales closer to reality. “Go out into the world, experience what you think you know … look for what you cannot find in books.” This book is more like a medieval tradition of illuminated books, when a text is not only for reading, but also for visual and tactile perception. The pictures aren’t straight illustrations of the text, but rather a story on their own to complement the text and add a second dimension to it.

What I Know for Sure by Oprah Winfrey

Organized by theme, these essays offer a rare and powerful glimpse into the mind of Oprah Winfrey, one of the world’s most extraordinary women.

Hot & Juicy in Tivoli Dome, Sheikh Zayed

April 1, 2018

If a shrimp-fest is your thing, you are in for some fun. This recently launched seafood venue in Sheikh Zayed brings a new twist to dining… Grab your plastic apron, roll up your sleeves and dive in!

Type of Cuisine & signature Dishes

Crab, shrimp, oysters, calamari and a variety of of sides. Signature dishes include the Crab and Cheese Fries, Mix-it Bag of crab, shrimp and oysters.

Dishes Sampled

It didn’t take long to select from the concise menu, and as some items had already sold out we were happy to go with the Extremely Hungry portions of Juicy Shrimp. With a choice of seasonings, we opted for the Lemon Pepper and The Whole Sha-Bang (a powerful mix of Lemon Pepper, Garlic Sauce and Crazy Lemon). Intrigued by the idea of Crab Meat Cheese Fries, we asked for a side of those, along with a serving of fried calamari, H&J Fries and an order of rice.

The Crab Meat Cheese Fries were a new take on poutine, a gooey cheese mix with small chunks of diced crab-stick smothered over a generous portion of fries. The cheese could have had a bit more kick to it, but that is just a matter of personal preference. The calamari came with fries as well, so along with the spicy H&J Fries we had more fries than we could deal with.

But the star of the show was definitely the shrimp. Piping hot and cooked in its own juices in a sealed bag, the shrimp gave off an enticing aroma when we tore the bag open. It is really an up-close-and-personal experience; you have to dig around through the juices to get to the tender, and yes, juicy, shrimp. They came intact, shells, heads and all, but thankfully had been de-veined. The process of peeling these steaming hot delights can get super-messy, hence the importance of wearing the plastic apron that is thoughtfully provided.

Forget about elegance and dainty table manners, this is for people who are not shy about enjoying their food. The juices left in the bag were so good that they ended up being added to the rice, a brilliant idea as it turned out.

This was all washed down with a Lemon and Mint juice and the same in a smoothie version. It seemed a natural flavor accompaniment to the shrimp, and worked well. A small portion of extremely sweet Coco Tiramisu capped off the meal, before we headed off to continue our evening.

Other Menu Options that Appealed & Beverage Options

We could be tempted by the Mix-it bag with shrimp, crab and oysters on a future visit. Beverage options include smoothies, slushies, juices and soft drinks, plus a good selection of hot beverages.

Décor & Ambience

It’s all about the great outdoors, with only five tables with simple umbrellas arranged around an attractive water feature. The tables and seating are simple and when the food arrives you have a plastic cloth and sheets of paper to protect the wood from the inevitable mess. Food is served in disposable plastic and paper containers, cutlery is plastic, so the whole operation is kept streamlined.

Ambience is cheerful and rather noisy, what with rap music thudding away in the background against the buzz of Tivoli Dome and the steady flow of traffic along the highway.

Clientele Mix & Price Range

During our visit the tables were kept occupied with a stream of customers, with the majority being families. It seems that the whole eat-with-your-hands deal is a hit with kids of all ages. Price range is moderate, considering the generous portions. Takeaway is available.

Party Shrimp Marinade Recipe

Contact Information

Opening hours: 10 am to 2 am.

Address: Tivoli Dome, Sheikh Zayed

Tel: 0110 104 3334

Facebook: hotandjuicy

Instagram: hot.and.juicy

The Tap’s Music Scene – April 2018

April 1, 2018

At The Tap, entertainment is at the forefront. We love music and with so much fresh talent hitting the scene here in Egypt, we can’t wait to share our top picks with you each month. Stay tuned and follow us on our social media channels for gig dates!

DJ Mobbz

One of Egypt’s youngest DJs who’s already garnered himself a big name is DJ Mobbz. A Tap favorite, DJ Mobbz is known for dropping sick Hip-Hop tracks and slick RnB tunes.

With over seven years of experience, Mobbz is one of Egypt’s top urban music DJs spinning reggae, funky house and African music aside from his hip-hop and RnB repertoire.

Whenever you see his name on the lineup, you can rest assured that DJ Mobbz will treat you well on the dance floor.

Crash Boom Bang

Crash Boom Bang is a high-energy live music band that will have you dancing the night away. In 2008, Crash Boom Bang brought together six talented musicians, saxophone superman Nour Ashour, vocal vixen Joleene Evans, the infamous keyboardist Buddz, boom-guitarist Sherif Alaa, super-talented bassist Seka and Amr Galal banging on the drums.The band has been performing exclusively at The Tap for a while now, stirring crowds, filling up the place and keeping bodies gyrating on the dance floor till the wee hours of the morning!

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The Sakkara House: Mixing Islamic Architecture with Art Deco

April 1, 2018

Interior architect Maha Raouf began working on this home in Sakkara in 2005, completing the project in 2008. Drawing on her decades of experience, she began working from the inside of the house, drawing up a master plan for the needs of the resident, accounting for movement and circulation all the while looking from the outside to make sure the exterior facade looked attractive.

Due to this thought process of interior planning, the home works very well proportion-wise. “If an architect doesn’t focus on the interior, sometimes things don’t pan out well,” says Raouf.

Influences draw on the abstract side of Islamic architecture, meaning the plan executed afforded room for modern needs and comforts but retained the privacy of Islamic architecture principles – such as tucked away quarters for bedrooms and intimate rooms for guests, including mashrafeya windows.

Bronze light fixtures, buffalo horns, and Moroccan Islamic arches harken back to the period of the 1930s, giving a glimpse into a bygone era of beauty.

Art deco furnishings spread through the home, with even Arabesque pieces giving a mixed genre look within the larger shape.

Wood finishings and furniture are prevalent, giving a solid foundational warmness and earthiness.

Il Divino Restaurant and Bar in Korba

April 1, 2018

We checked out the newest branch of this mainstay one of the best Italian pizzeria and bar in Korba, surrounded by the antiquity of Heliopolis. Its’ new menu includes soups, appetizers, pastas, main courses and a fuller beverage list, thanks to the inclusion of alcoholic beverages. Grab a seat on the breezy terrace and enjoy the cuisine and seclusion.

Signature Dishes

Anything with Il Divino in the name! Il Divino Pizza, Il Divino Chicken, Il Divino Salad, Ribeye Steak, and the Chicken Strips.

Dishes Sampled

We cooled off while browsing the extensive and upgraded menu by sampling the Lemon and Mint Smoothie and a Piňa Colada. We began the meal with a tomato and olive bruschetta, lightly toasted slices of baguette with garlicky pesto spread, tomato, black olives and melted cheese. Next came the Italiana Pizza, a thin pizza loaded with delicious toppings: Mozzarella, Italian sausage, onions, mushrooms and green peppers. The pizza is soft with a tender base, but you can request to leave it in the oven longer if you prefer a crispy base. The toppings were extremely generous and we could barely finish the pizza – great option for sharing along with an appetizer. We sampled one of Il Divino’s new main courses, the Beef Fillet Manzo – cooked to order. This fillet was tender and tasty, accompanied by French fries and chargrilled sautéed vegetables. You can choose between a mushroom sauce, pepper sauce, or blue cheese sauce; all are delicious and complement the meat very well. Finally, we tucked into the Seafood Linguini, a well sized portion of pasta tossed in red sauce, tender shrimp and mussels. This pasta didn’t disappoint, and we’ll be back to sample the other offerings that caught our eye.

To cap off the meal, a fresh bowl of fruits was served, as we didn’t have an inch to spare for the desserts menu, hopefully on our next visit!

Other Items that Appealed & Beverages Available

Their extensive list of pizzas all look delicious, in addition to the salad offerings. Il Divino Chicken also looks sinful – who can say no to fried chicken breast? Beverages include a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, fresh juices, smoothies, and hot beverages.

Décor & Ambience

An Italian pizzeria vibe, simple wooden thatched seating and both low and high tables. Exposed brick walls downstairs and a lovely breezy terrace upstairs near the bar. The simple furnishings set you up to be impressed by the presentation of the food. Ambience is excellent, wonderful service and low non-intrusive music on the afternoon we visited. This is a nice spot for people-watching from above and enjoying a view while tucking into great food and drinks.

Clientele Mix & Price Range

Ladies who lunch, couples on a date, and friends getting together after work for a quick bite and drink. Price range is above average, but the quality is excellent.

Contact Information

Takeaway/Delivery: Delivery available

Opening hours: 12 pm to 2 am. Last order at 1:30 am last.

Address: 58 Beirut St, Korba.

Telephone: 0120 111 8109

Facebook: Ildivinopizzeria

Instagram: ildivinopizzeria_

Carousel Dining at El Dawar, Cairo Tower

April 1, 2018

Ascend 60 stories above our city, dine, and enjoy one of the best views in Cairo while revolving in a full circle. How many restaurants in Cairo offer that kind of experience? The Cairo Tower has re-launched their iconic El Dawar restaurant with a new look and menu. We visited on a weekday afternoon to take in the majesty of Cairo from above.

Type of cuisine & Signature Dishes

El Dawar offers Egyptian and international dishes are on offer to suit a variety of tastes. Signature dishes include Boneless Pigeon with Orzo, Veal Shank Fatta, Sharkasseya Chicken, and Stuffed Pigeons.

Dishes Sampled

We started our meal with freshly baked bread and butter while taking in the sights from above. It is always a treat to see the city from a bird’s eye view, pointing out iconic buildings and reminiscing on memories. We eagerly began the meal with our selected starters of Baba Ghanoug dip and marinated eggplant slices in garlic and vinegar. The eggplant was tangy and not soggy, resulting in a tasty and balanced appetizer. A herring salad also arrived with generous portions of traditionally prepared renga on a bed of veggies.

For the main course, we selected a dish each from both the traditional menu and the international menu – a nice touch from the restaurant, offering tourists the option to duck away from traditional Egyptian fare if they wish. By choosing the Sharkasseya Chicken and the Beef Filet, we could do no wrong. The tender chicken breast arrived on a generous mound of traditional white rice and smothered in a creamy walnut sauce adorned with whole walnuts. It was rich and warming, exactly what you expect from this all-time favorite. The filet was cooked to order and well seasoned, served with a side of crispy French fries and mashed potatoes – we love our spuds! It can also come with sautéed vegetables or rice, but we wanted to try the potatoes both ways, and it accompanied the juicy meat perfectly.

Dessert in El Dawar is plentiful, and we decided to tap into our childhoods and try the Om Ali and Rice Pudding. Both were delicious and we do recommend leaving room for dessert when you visit!

Other Menu Options that Appealed & Beverage Options

Duck L’Orange, Oxtail Casserole, and Stuffed Pigeons all look worth a try. Fresh juices, a range of hot beverages, soft drinks and local beer and wine are on offer.

Décor & Ambience

The décor is bright and airy space with delicate light blue paneling adorning the showcase of the establishment – the large windows with the best view in town!

With top-notch friendly service and the unbeatable vantage point, a visit here is a must for any out of town guests you may have. The restaurant completes a full rotation in 45 minutes and it is quite soothing. The music is not intrusive and the mood is cheerful, a pleasant afternoon or evening can be spent here having drinks and dinner.

Clientele mix & Price Range

Young couples, families, a number of tourists – the venue was almost full on a weekday afternoon! The price range is average, considering this is essentially a tourist site.

Top Tip: Visitors have to pay for entrance to the Tower to access the restaurant. Lines may be lengthy for the trip up in the elevator, so plan accordingly.

Contact Information

Opening hours: 12pm – 12am

Address: Cairo Tower (or Borg El Qahira)

Tel: 0127 100 5525 / 02 2736 5112 – 2735 6922

Facebook: The Cairo Tower

Instagram: CairoTower

Top Tech on Our Wish List

April 1, 2018

Picks from CES 2018

Gadget geeks, pay attention! What we thought was impossible even five years ago is now old hat. Looking at what was on show this year at Las Vegas’s CES, the top hub for the industry; the future is here, right now.

BEAT THOSE TRAFFIC BLUES

Just what we need to cut down on commuting time. Volocopter, an autonomous passenger drone, is essentially a flying car. The self-flying drone is said to be extremely simple to fly, quiet and when running on its batteries, emission free.

Chinese firm Smacircle has come up with what could be the world’s most compact and lightweight foldable eBike. Weighing in at around 6.8 kg, the bike can be folded into a small backpack and locked using your phone.

STAY CONNECT

The Casio G-Shock Rangeman smartwatch with built in GPS can harness the power of the sun to keep you going when you’re in the wilderness, miles from a plug socket. It looks rugged, and is definitely made for guys who love the great outdoors.

TECH THAT GOES TO YOUR HEAD

Vuzix Blade smart glasses don’t just look great. Vuzix has embedded a camera, microphone and side-mounted touchpad in this chunky but pretty normal-looking pair of sunglasses, which takes phone calls and puts Alexa’s giant brain between your ears.

A new Samsung C-Lab project called S-Ray lets you to listen to your devices without disturbing others by beaming sound straight into your ears. The company says the technology could be used with a number of different devices including a Bluetooth speaker, a phone cover and a personal neckband.

Harley riders, meet Skully Technologies Fenix AR, a helmet with a rear-view camera that displays a 180-degree view on a transparent display. It supports turn-by-turn navigation and (when connected to a phone via Bluetooth) voice commands, making phone calls and playing music.

ON THE HOME FRONT

The prototype Aeolus robot can clean your house, pick up after you and keep an eye on things while you’re away. With Alexa inbuilt, you can also let it know when it is doing a good job.

Toto’s marble-covered bathtub has no shortage of integrated tech, but what makes it so special is its ability to simulate the feeling of floating in space. A series of integrated jets lift your feet off the floor of the tub and the surrounding LED lights send you straight to the stars.

Nanoleaf has unveiled a new square-shaped variation of its light panels. Now you can turn the panels on and off, dim them up and down, or change their color just by tapping on them. Yes, of course, there’s also a music sync microphone and motion sensor capable of lighting the panels up whenever you walk by.

Ubtech’s biped robot is your security guard with a difference. The Walker can handle your security needs, patrolling your home’s perimeter, detecting motion and recording incidents with its integrated camera. For entertainment value, it can dance and play games as well. Not as lovable as a pooch, though.

DON’T MISS A MOV (I)E

Why are people so impressed by the Razer Phone screen’s deep blacks? It was secretly designed to play Netflix in HDR. The phone will be the first phone to do so, and with Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Razer Phone is a Dolby-certified device with really powerful speakers. The Razer Phone will begin supporting Netflix in HDR after an over-the-air software update in the near future.

GIVE YOURSELF A MOOD BOOST

An EEG headset from Belgian research center Imec can assess your emotional state based on signals from the front of your brain. There are therapeutic applications, sure, but it also has the potential to improve your memory when you’re learning, match music to your mood or even adjust your emotions by changing your music.

Moodo’s Wi-Fi-connected, Alexa-supported scent machine that can make your home smell like an ashram spa, a floral garden, a forest trail or beach party.

10 Items to Spice Up Your Home

April 1, 2018

Whether it’s fabrics, sleek modern splashes, or warm wooden touches – we have gathered some of our favorite pieces from Cairo’s top designers to add a bit of color, chrome and earth to your home.

Colored Fabrics

Sleek & Shiny Touch

Wooden Goodness

Contact Information:

Caravan Sarai

Facebook/Instagram: @caravanseraidesign
Tel: 0100 167 5855

Ashology

Facebook/Instagram: @Ashologyeg
Tel: 0100 7372 146

Wall to Wall Egypt

Instagram: @walltowalleg
Instagram: @perihankharmadesign

Tafaseel

Facebook: Tafaseel.eg
Instagram @tafaseel_eg
Tel: 01225869850

Alamein

Facebook/Instagram: @alameinegypt
Mob: 0100 5777 283

Contistahl Pieces

Facebook/Instagram: @contistahlgroup
Web: www.contistahlgroup.com

Fresh & Healthy Lyfe in Maadi

April 1, 2018

Inspired by their travels, the owners of Lyfe have tasted the world and have now poured their shared experiences into this healthy and tasty food menu in Maadi. We visited for an afternoon bite and left satisfied.

Signature Dishes

Tuna and Salmon Poke Bowls, Oaty Pancakes with an assortment of toppings, Wellness Shots.

Dishes Sampled

We started the meal with an order of Avo-Kiwi Smoothie, a combination of kiwi, avocado, arugula, low-fat milk, and raw honey, a meal in itself really! Next came the Immunity juice; orange, carrot, and ginger. Cold-pressed juices are prepared using a slow juice presser to carefully extract all the vitamins and enzymes without compromising any flavor, which is an added benefit. Lyfe’s smoothies and juices are fresh, organic, and worth a visit alone especially in the upcoming hot months.

We then tucked into our mains; a Chicken and Avocado Toastie, served with delicious roasted sweet potato cubes, a Spicy Thai Beef salad and their famous Salmon Poke Bowl. The toasted sandwich hit the spot, the perfect serving for a ‘lunch-on-the-go’ – tender chicken slices, creamy avocado and a delicious dressing. The sweet potato accompaniment was glazed in a tasty dressing making it flavorful and irresistible. The Thai salad was certainly spicy, but not enough to burn your taste buds. Generous heapings of shredded carrot, spring onion, red radish, cucumber, fresh mint, and crushed peanuts mixed in with tender beef slices and an Asian dressing made this salad a good choice for someone who wants both healthy ingredients and a kick. The Poke Bowl was the sure winner of the three choices, a packed bowl of steamed white rice, salmon sashimi, avocado slices, edamame, mixed bell peppers, cucumber, carrot, red radish, black & white sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, and soy sauce dressing. Quinoa can be substituted as the base if preferred. This delicious protein punch of a bowl can be eaten and enjoyed any time of the day.

For dessert, we opted for the Dark Chocolate Oat Pancakes – a mixture of flour and oats give Lyfe’s pancakes an advantage in fluffiness and the dark chocolate pairing was heavenly. These pancakes and all of the breakfast items on the menu can be ordered all day long, which gives customers the ability to have breakfast any time of the day. We totally approve!

Other Menu Items that Appealed & Beverages Available

Where do we begin? The menu is packed with goodies! The Egguacamole Toast, Lobster & Shrimp Roll, Peppered Steak, Ahi Tuna Steak and much more. Beverages include a full range of cold-pressed juices, smoothies, wellness shots, hot beverages and soft drinks are available.

Décor & Ambience

Clean, sleek, and green! One wall is adorned with plants, which gives a lovely vibe in the indoor space, both low tables and a high table islands for large groups are available. An open style drinks area offers you a peek at the juice masters at work, and low volume music allows for good conversation. There are also a few tables outside for the smokers and people-watching enthusiasts.

Ambience is very chill and super fast service. We didn’t have to wait very long at all for our food to arrive, and the servers are all pleasant. It’s clear this place will be a hit with the Maadi crowd.

Clientele Mix & Price Range

Mostly young people from the area, but an assortment of clientele walked through during our visit. Expats, older couples and anyone searching for a healthy answer to their stomach’s grumblings. Price range is affordable considering the quality.

Contact Information

Delivery/Takeaway: Both available.

Opening hours: 8 am to 11 pm

Telephone: 0102 9852712 / 01029852716

Address: 32 Rd 253 – Degla. Near the CAC.

Facebook/Instagram: Lyfe.egy