The Great Pyramid and Sphinx of Giza, left me repeating, “Wow, wow, wow”. After riding a camel and shooing off bloody hustlers, I was overdue for lunch and my Pronto Tours guide was leading the way. Christo Restaurant (10 Pyramid Road Giza, Egypt) is located 12 miles outside of Cairo and their fare took my breath away.
We bypassed the main dining room and headed straight to the terrace. Literally, I was perched at the feet of one the ancient wonders of the world. We sat at huge table, near a handful of older gentlemen smoking shisha and I silently marveled at the view. A stones throw away is the 100-year old Mena House Golf Course, one of the oldest in Egypt.
Our wondrous feast started with mezze or an assortment of appetizers. Roasted eggplant with garlic, perfect hummus, hot chili yogurt sauce, fresh plump tomatoes slices and just-baked breads filled platters and a plentiful bowl of mixed seafood soup. The “surf” at Christo is the centerpiece. I readied my saucer of baby limes for the grilled whole sea bass, but first, the prawns, fried calamari and fisherman’s rice (cooked with tomatoes, onions and spices). This meal was my Ah-ha moment–I fell deep in love with Egyptian food.
Yes, I had memorable bites in the cities of Alexandria and Luxor but this local meal stole my heart. I’m not sure when I’ll explore Kemet again but I’ll keep chasing the high.
