| L’Aubergine Heliopolis proves another success for Zamalek’s favorite vegetarian dive |
| By Nadine El Sayed |
| I've never liked branches of restaurants; the original is the one I typically stick to while the others feel like a bland imitation. So when Zamalek’s favorite bar and restaurant L’Aubergine opened in Heliopolis, I was skeptical. However, the newly opened Heliopolis branch is now the first and only exception to my no-branch rule. Not only was it far less smokey than its Zamalek counterpart, but the parking was easier, the staff friendlier and the food just as good.While the Zamalek version has more of a cozy eclectic interior vibe, the Heliopolis branch is more modern with transparent plastic chairs and a black and white photo collage replacing the Zamalek branch's infamous wall of patrons' signatures. What’s best is that, unlike other second branches, the food in Heliopolis was just as delicious and remains a haven for vegetarians or anyone who just doesn’t like meat. L’Aubergine is still one of the very few Cairo eateries that offer a complete vegetarian menu, although they do serve several meat dishes as well. The chicken with lemon sauce came with a side of rosemary roasted potatoes and sautéed vegetables. To me, a good restaurant can be judged by its sides and L'Aubergine certainly did well in that regard. The vegetables were cooked just right, not too mushy and not too raw, and the potatoes were very nicely complemented by the rosemary. Being extremely finicky with my chicken gives most restaurant chefs a run for their money, but L'Aubergine passed with flying colors for the tender, perfectly spiced chicken that was dressed with a rich and yet light butter sauce that didn't give my stomach a hard time later. My husband, who’s also quite a picky eater, had the steak with peppercorn sauce and a side of mashed potatoes and raved about it. One downside, to me at least, was that the delicious food meant there wasn’t much in the way of quality conversation over dinner — there goes date night. Unlike at the Zamalek venue, the liquor license at the Heliopolis branch stipulates they can only serve wine and beer, but you can bring your own liquor bottles for a corkage fee. We paid around LE100 each for dinner and a soft drink. To a Heliopolis gal and fanatic, L'Aubergine's new branch now gives Heliopolis another (of many) leg up on Zamalek. Address: L’Aubergine, 131 Omar Ibn El Khattab Street, Heliopolis, Cairo. Telephone: +2 (011) 5444-1234 et |
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