What the Crust: A Hidden Gem in Maadi

Serving authentic Neapolitan pizza and nestled on a quiet Maadi side street is true pizza refuge, What the Crust. Owned by an enthusiastic married couple, Dareen and Helmy, who have a deep love for pizza, What the Crust brings us a real and authentic experience of Neapolitan pizza without having to travel.

By Aliaa Elsherbini

With quality Italian ingredients, trained pizza makers, a passion for food, and a cozy ambiance, What the Crust is the new place to be.

Signature Dishes

Margherita two ways: with fresh Fior di Latte, and with Buffalo Mozzarella. Their signature desserts are Cacao Pizza and the Ricotta con Miele, and we recommend you leave room for both.

Dishes Sampled

To cleanse our palate, the helpful staff recommended we try the lemon and basil juice. The juice was fresh and was the perfect balance between the zestiest of the lemon and aromatic basil.

Shortly after, the pizzas came fresh out of the pizza oven—that was custom made specifically for What the Crust and traveled all the way from Italy.

We started with a slice of the Diavola, spicy salami and fresh basil on a Margherita base, with a chili kick. Then we devoured the green pizza aptly called, Al Pesto lined with a base of homemade pesto made with quality pine nuts, mozzarella di Bufala, and topped with fragrant basil and Italian sun-dried tomatoes, you won’t help but fall in love.

What the Crust has perfected the Neapolitan-style pizza, a thin, soft crust topped with simple, basic ingredients, usually just 3. Rightly so, Dareen learned from the best in Italy.

Even though we had no room left for dessert, we couldn’t miss the house special, the Impasto Al Cacao. This pizza dolci is made with house special cocoa dough, topped with Nutella spread, cream, and crushed nuts for texture.

Other Menu Items that Appealed

The menu seems concise, but it contains everything pizza that you would want, including a dolci section. From that part of the menu, we will make sure to save more space for the pizza with ricotta and honey as it seems to be a crowd favorite, and the honey drizzle with sprinkles of pistachios on top smelled divine.

You would think that this is all they serve, but they have another surprise, they make different flavors of the Levantine flatbreads. The pizza’s ancestral relative, Levantine flatbreads, are also made with local Lebanese and Syrian products to ensure the best and most authentic flavor. So we will leave this for lunch next time.

Décor & Ambiance

What the Crust, found a home at a small and cozy venue in Maadi with a little terrace. As soon as you walk in, you will find the pizza station with the big oven and the dough flying around as the pizza experts prepare the meal. You are shortly put at ease because the light is soft with plenty of fairy lights hanging across the space.

The décor is pretty simple with two swings as chairs and a tree in the middle of the venue, adding to the earthiness of What the Crust. It’s a family business, and it shows in each pizza that it is crafted with care and love, then it is served by smiley and friendly waiters or even the dynamic duo themselves.

Chatting with Dareen and Helmy is one of the highlights of the dining experience at What the Crust, so be prepared for a scrumptious meal and a good chat.

Contact information:

Address: Ezbet Fahmy, El Basatin, Maadi

Tel: 0100 576 4631

Instagram: @what_the_crust

Website: www.whatthecrust.com

Facebook: What the Crust

More restaurant reviews here

Mohamed Kaoud of Egyliere Travel Talks Post-Covid Tourism in Egypt

The tourism industry is vital to the Egyptian economy and dear to the hearts of proud Egyptians who love sharing what their country has to offer. We caught up with Mohamed Kaoud, CEO of Egyliere Travel to learn more about his journey and the state of tourism in our country.

CW: You have risen very quickly within a highly competitive industry, what has motivated you and propelled you forward?

MK: The hospitality industry has been my passion since high school and I always believed that I was going to make a difference in this industry one day. After graduating from the Faculty of Economics at Cairo University I joined major international hotel chains for management internship programs and gained practical knowledge and experience.

I continued investing in myself and joined EHL Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne for further degrees in management of hospitality operations. This was followed by strong work experience in London in luxury hotels, where I was nominated as one of the top hoteliers under 30 in the UK.

In 2010, I came back to Egypt to establish Egyliere Travel as a Leading Luxury Travel Management Company in Egypt. Since then we have seen an average growth of 35% year over year. Faith, passion, dedication and hard work together with a strong team have all paid off and Egyliere Travel is now a market leader in luxury travel.

Covid-19 has adversely impacted the local tourism-based economy, what measures have been instigated to help those impacted?

The Egypt Travel Agency Association ETAA in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism has developed an Emergency Fund to support Travel Agencies. The ETAA has approved partial salary compensation for all employees working in travel agencies, but still the qualification and application process is neither clear nor fair and the process is just not quick enough.

The Central Bank has also provided a 50 Billion support package via loans at a 5% interest rate. All government taxes have been postponed for 6 months. In an effort to boost inbound levels, charter flights to Egypt are subsidized, there is a discount on-ground operations at the airport, in addition to a discount on airplane fuel.

As tourism has gradually opened up, what steps are being taken to encourage people to travel again?

Airlines are implementing high standards in guaranteeing the health and safety of the passengers. The norms include social distancing, self-check in, luggage disinfection, passenger disinfection kit, pre-packed meals, social distancing on board, and last but not least, air filtration and/or ventilation.

Hotels and resorts are implementing high standards in health safety and security:

  • Upgrading their housekeeping
  • Cleaning and F&B SOPs
  • Guest social distancing
  • Joint venturing with medical institutions and medical insurance companies
  • Obtaining cleanliness certificates
  • Improving hotel ventilation
  • Applying guest and employee temperature checks
  • Distributing disinfectant and hand sanitizers around the hotels
  • Upgrading restaurant policies and many other measures
What would you like to see happening soon?
  • Faster adaptation to the new norms, policies and procedures that are agreed on globally by WTO, WHO or multinational groups together with technical and financial support to the entities to implement.
  • Domestic and international marketing and promotion strategies with good diversification and incentive programs to stimulate the industry.
  • Media training and efficient communication with the world.

More on travel

 

Mohamed Farrag in the New Suspense Film The Black Box

Playing Sayed, a mugger with psychological problems, alongside Mona Zaki is Mohamed Farrag in The Black Box. We had a quick chat with Farrag and he gave us all the details about Sayed’s look, conflicts, skills and fetishes.

By Mariam Elhamy

What attracted you to play Sayed’s character?

The essence, characteristics and appearance of this character is unlike anything I’ve done before. Almost like a butterfly, I love moving from flower to flower, from role to role, from look to look and from a social stratum to another. I don’t like being put in one role.

Viewing how a mugger or a dangerous criminal who is put in a different circumstance than what he is used to will react is what attracted me to Sayed. I also loved changing how I look, it was very hard to make it look real and I hope that makeup artist Mr. Mohamed Abdelhamid, director Mahmoud Kamel and I pulled it off.

In summary, Sayed is a mugger who uses Hady, who is played by Mostafa Khater, to finish off his work for him or get him out of trouble. Sayed’s psychological issues appear in his conflict with Mona Zaki where it is revealed that he has a fetish for pregnant women.

What also made me very excited for this role is that this was the first time that I collaborate with Mona Zaki and Mostafa Khater in a very suspenseful film.

Did you have to learn any special skills or accents to play this role?

Not really. The only thing that I had to learn but have had a bit of previous experience with in another role is how to use an Egyptian Swiss knife. Sayed had to be very skillful when he uses it either to defend himself or attack others in some scenes, so I had to appear very capable while using it.

At the same time I had to be careful not to harm others or myself while using it and I actually got hurt in some scenes.

We know you love to dress-up and change your appearance for a role, tell us what you loved the most about Sayed’s look and how hard it was wearing it?

I came up with Sayed’s look, having a deformed face with a huge scar, a burnt eyebrow and messy hair in order to look scary in a way that is normal so that he looks like someone we come across in the street. He had to represent muggers, thieves, killers and criminals. So, I loved fitting this look on me and I have to give a huge thanks to makeup artist Mohamed Abdelhamid and his team who helped me pull off this new look.

It was very hard to wear this look, we had to work for 2 hours every day before shooting on the makeup and 1 hour and 30 mins after to remove it. It’s very sensitive so I had to deal with not being able to eat, drink or move a lot while wearing it so it doesn’t fall off and so it looks natural.

What are some acting tips you could give actors who want to try doing thrillers?

For whoever creates art whether through acting, directing, editing, filmmaking, or any role in cinema, straight from the heart my one tip is honesty and devotion. If you love something you have to believe in it very much and devote yourself to it and god will reward your dedication.

As for thrillers specifically, anyone who wants to succeed in it has to have seen many thriller movies to pull it off because it requires action, suspense, conflict and something that ties it all together.

What will the audience be thinking about in the car as they drive home after such a film full of action and suspense?

To me, if the audience goes in and gets so engaged in the movie and enjoys it to the extent that they forget all about their worries and take a break from their own reality, then it has fulfilled its target. Some might come out with something picking their brain but I can’t reveal more.

Who should not come see this film?

I don’t think I would tell anyone not to come see this film. There’s nothing inappropriate in it and a lot of people have worked very hard to pull off their best.

I want to tell everyone to come see this film and I promise that you will enjoy 2 hours that will take you away from your life or stress into a great story and acting.

Read more exclusive interviews with Mohamed Farrag

Beef Burger with Coca Onion and Fried Beef Bacon Sandwich

Francisco restaurant gave us the perfect recipe to make on a lazy Saturday evening and we’re sharing it with you! Try out this beef burger with coca onion and fried beef bacon sandwich and savor every bite.

Serves 6

Ingredients

For Beef Burger:

  • 1 kg ground beef, 15% fat
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ cup dry bread crumbs
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

For Coca Onion:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 white onions
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cup smoked barbecue sauce
  • 1 cup Coca-Cola
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

For Fried Beef Bacon:

  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 pound thick sliced beef bacon
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the finish:

  • Mayonnaise
  • Burger bun
  • Rocca
Preparation
  1. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and garlic using your hands.
  2. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill patties per side, until well done.
  3. In another pan, chop the onion into slices and sauté in olive oil over medium heat.
  4. Mix all coca onion ingredients together in a saucepan over medium to low heat.
  5. Allow to boil for about 5 to 10 minutes until reduced and thickened.
For the beef bacon:
  1. Whisk together the eggs and buttermilk in a bowl until smooth. Separate the bacon strips, and soak in the milk mixture for 30 minutes.
  2. Whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Remove the bacon from the egg mixture, and toss with the flour to coat.
  3. Fry the bacon strips until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Once all of the beef bacon has cooked.

Read our full review of Francisco 

More details about the restaurant

 

Wesam Massoud: A Chef’s Perspective

Widely acclaimed for his broad food knowledge and culinary skills, Chef Wesam Massoud has strong opinions on the local food scene. He took time out to chat and share some insights.

Tell us, how did you come to be a chef?

My journey officially started when I was around 30 years of age. I was overseeing clinical research for one of the largest global players in that field. I decided to quit my job and become a chef.

I was undecided about whether to go to culinary school or work in a restaurant when I got very lucky and was offered a job as sous-chef at an eclectic French restaurant in Maadi, working for Chef Ayman Samir.

I worked with him for over a year, and then went on to work with Cairo Jazz Club. Then the 2011 revolution hit. Since then I have been opening my own restaurants or consulting for other people, as well as putting in a couple of stints as Executive Chef at other restaurants.

What changes would you like to see in the Egyptian approach to cuisine?

A widening of horizons, by not only trying to reinvent Egyptian cuisine by substituting ingredients, but by looking at the cooking methods themselves and understanding why we cook this way.

By not thinking only about why a dish like Khoshery has to be served in a certain way, but more about why we are eating it. I would like to see people getting more into the history of Egyptian cuisine before we make any changes.

Can the trend towards healthier eating still showcase Egyptian recipes at their best?

Absolutely! Egyptian cuisine has gone through different time periods, with the social and political landscape forming what we are eating. I think that embedded in Egyptian cuisine is a desire for a high energy diet, one that fulfills the energy and nutritional requirements of a populace that is used to hard manual labor.

What food do you most enjoy preparing?

Anything I am going to make to feed my family. Actually, anything really, so long as people are going to enjoy my food I get very excited about it.

What is your favorite comfort food?

Two things. Scrambled eggs, and peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches. And it must be grape jelly.

What advice would you give those wanting to venture into a career as a chef?

Anyone wanting a career as a chef must know it’s not easy, it’s not for just anybody. Being a chef is a lifestyle choice. My advice would be to think long and hard. You work 18 hours a day, you have to sacrifice your personal life.

Don’t think that you will start out in your career by creating menus. You are not going to be hired as Gordon Ramsay. It took him 20 years to become who he is.

Try to learn about the world first. The more well-read you are about areas outside of cooking, the better your cooking will be. Knowledge is power. Understand how the world works so you can feed the world.

Bite-Size Chat with Chef Andrew Mitchell

Chef Wessam’s Sho.ku.ku at Mazeej Hotel, Hacienda White

Mohamed Khalifa: Bringing Flair to Egyptian Interiors

It takes talent and sensitivity to create a home that truly supports the lives of its residents. CEO and Lead Designer of Flair Egypt, Mohamed Khalifa, has a proven track record of doing just that, over and over again. We asked him for his thoughts on interior design and real estate today.

What types of properties are most popular in the Egyptian real estate market these days?

The real-estate market is seeing strong demand on residential properties, mainly penthouses, townhouses and stand-alone villas located in large-scale developments. As key developers are considering the establishment of new mixed-use closed communities, I expect higher demand on residential complexes motivated by the luxury lifestyle impact and premium facilities.

Which features are important selling points? 

I believe that the location, facilities and architectural design, including landscaping, are the key features and main selling points.

As a designer, how do you analyze each client’s needs and guide them to solutions that are both esthetically appealing and practical?

We approach our client’s requirements and needs through a briefing meeting where all ideas are discussed in depth and detail. We provide our clients with a questionnaire that covers each and every aspect related to the design goals to ensure that the client’s preferences are well documented for ease of reference.

Which materials and style features are hot trends at the moment?

Grey is the color of the year; neutral color palettes are still ideal, accentuated by navy blue; it’s the new black! Light-toned woods for floor and wall coverings and minimal open-space concepts are also trendy. The use of natural materials such as marble and stone slate is also very popular this year.

What are the most common mistakes people make when decorating a new property?

One of the most common mistakes people make is that they do not maintain an overall design ambiance. That doesn’t mean your whole home should reflect a particular style, but you should try to maintain a line that flows across the whole design.

Also, most of us are missing storage space by not considering several options, from multipurpose furniture to hidden storage solutions.

Another serious mistake most people make is holding on to items they don’t need or use anymore. These items will either cause clutter or will not fit their style preferences.

Do not be too trend-driven! Definitely, we would like to keep up with the new trends but also, we should invest in design elements that will stand the test of time.

What are your 3 top tips for creating a uniquely personal home?

Maintain an overall ambiance based on your style preference and do not copy someone else’s style. Think of color and lighting as key design elements. Consider both functionality and aesthetics, after all design is not just what it looks like, it’s how it works.

Building Recognition for Design in Egypt with Ebtissam Farid

Interior design shops and services for new ideas to redecorate your home

Hussein Nassar: A Master of His Art

Driven, passionate about his craft and in high demand, architect and designer Hussein Nassar knew from his early years at kindergarten that his future lay in design and the creation of beautiful surroundings.

Constantly with a pencil at hand, he drew inspiration from his engineer father but felt that architecture was the path that would best combine the elements of his passion for drawing and engineering. And so it came to be.

Known for an eclectic design approach that captures the individuality of each client, Nassar’s work doesn’t follow any trademark style. Rather, it embraces an ethos of quality materials, painstaking design and finishing, and an unmistakable edge of luxury.

But every project breathes with its own energy, whether residential or any of the many restaurants that have been fortunate to have his design skills to create their particular stamp.

Eschewing passing trends, Nassar does not jump on any global design bandwagon. Nonetheless, he is enthusiastic about the new advances in lighting technology, seeing it as an important factor in the development of interior design.

Although his work is tailored to meet each owner’s perspective, he will judiciously steer them away from common design flaws such as excess details on rendering, or use of paper.

In their enthusiasm, people can easily lose focus. The architect or designer plays an invaluable role in creating a space that will provide an elegant, contemporary and personal haven. Looking forward to the coming period, Nassar sees a much stronger move towards increased time at home and everything that entails.

With the specter of Covid-19 still looming, people are looking for a home that offers everything they could need, without having to leave their personal space. Hussein Nassar is more than ready to meet the challenge.

Building Recognition for Design in Egypt with Ebtissam Farid

Interior design shops and services for new ideas to redecorate your home

Bite-Size Chat with Chef Andrew Mitchell

Sometimes life draws us along paths far from our birthplace, yet ultimately we come to understand that ‘home’ is actually where the heart is.

Chef, TV personality and man of many accomplishments, Andrew Mitchell seems to have discovered this, and shares some insight into what it is to be a chef, and more.

Andrew, tell us about your journey as a chef.

It started as a hobby, and after high school, with the encouragement of my parents; I decided to study culinary arts. After working in Australia and honing my skills I came to Egypt 15 years ago.

What first attracted you to the F&B industry?

It felt natural. Making others happy through food always fascinated me. Plus, I love eating as much as cooking. I always saw the industry as one that has its classics that never change, while at the same time pushing the limits and constantly creating new concepts.

Why Egypt?

My parents come from Egypt and I’ve been visiting since I was a kid. I also went to school here for a year in the 90’s.

On another note, how has Covid-19 affected the industry?

I think it’s completely changed the way we dine and how food is served. Most restaurants are adjusting their business models to survive. To be honest we don’t even know what the end game is or when.

Once Covid is under control we might see all sorts of new regulations and laws. Not to mention the changes in consumer behavior.

What are the positives we can take away from the situation?

Everyone is taking care by disinfecting and washing their hands properly. Something we should have all been doing even before Covid.

What direction do you see the industry heading in?

I really can’t say. Everyone is in survival mode for the moment and whatever happens will depend on regulations, laws and what the client wants.

On a personal level, which cuisine do you most enjoy cooking?

If I’m cooking for others I enjoy making whatever they want to eat. For myself, I really enjoy cooking Greek cuisine. Either grilled items with fresh salads or oven-roasted lamb, done low and slow with root vegetables.

Your favorite comfort food?

Mac ‘n Cheese all the way!

More foodelicious articles!

Egyptian Squash Champion Andrew Shoukry Brings his Academy to Cairo

With a prize-winning career in competitive squash and his successful Shoukry Squash Academy in New York, Andrew Shoukry shares his story and future plans for a new venture in his home country. Welcome back, we say!

Andrew’s life in squash

I started playing squash at the age of 7 at several sports clubs in Egypt, El Shams, Wadi Degla and Heliopolis. I was lucky enough to represent my country at several international tournaments at a very young age.

I remember my very first one was in Sheffield United, England when I was only 10 years old. Later on, through my junior career, I played more than 25 international tournaments in different countries like Scotland, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, France and England, and I won 16 international titles.

Also, I played more than 80 local tournaments, won 37 titles among all age groups. I have many highlights through my journey that I am really proud of. These include winning 15 titles throughout my career, during which I played around 126 matches.

Unfortunately, I had to quit playing squash at age of 25 due to my hip injury, so I decided to start my career as a coach.

Why is Egypt is constantly leading the world in this competitive sport?

I think this is because a lot of young champions have been inspired by older champions and want to follow their steps in squash. I guess Ahmed Barada was a really good example of this. He was the first player to reach the world’s top 5 ranking, playing by the Pyramids.

This was so inspiring for all of us and for the sport industry itself at that time. Also, we can’t forget the effort of Egyptian parents, they have a huge impact on the sport as they encourage their children to train and improve with the best coaches in the world.

What do you look for when training young players? What attributes can make them future champions?

Character is the most important thing that I look for in such a hard and competitive sport like squash. In order to be a champion, you have to be ready to lose before you win.

Future champions have to be ready to learn, get better and work hard. I always believe that hard work beats talent. You definitely have to be talented, but at some point if the mentality doesn’t match, it will be hard to make a champion.

What are your plans for the upcoming year?

I have many plans to be honest, but as I have already had my squash academy in New York for the last five years, I think my next step is to get back to Cairo.

I think this is the right time to give back something valuable to my country and deliver what I have been learning through my career as a junior, professional and a coach.

Egypt Dominates Squash Championships Once Again

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