While that might make good business sense, it only adds to the muddle of what authentic Egyptian cuisine can be. This is a culture with deep roots in antiquity and traditions in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The cuisine and culture is a rich expression of this mix.
We began with fruit juices and my guests described the fresh mango beverage you will find on the streets in Egypt. In early fall, the fruit is so sweet and ripe that the fragrance permeates the air and juice is made to order.
Of course, you can't duplicate that freshness here, even with the house blend of bottled Guava and Mango juice ($3.50).
To get an overall appetizer sampling, we tried Aya's Taster ($10) which is similar to the custom of mezze, or what Riolo says is called "salatat" in Egypt.
The bruschetta was underwhelming because, let's face it, tomatoes out of season have no flavor no matter how much you'd like to think otherwise.
But the baba ghanough and chickpea hummus were a nice sampling to share, if not standard Middle Eastern fare.
For an appetizer you'd be remiss if you didn't try Foule wa Falafel ($8).
This is Egypt's national dish and showcases the subtle differences in Middle Eastern cookery.
Where most hummus is made with chickpeas, the Egyptian version is made from fava beans. I actually found this to be superior - or perhaps I've had too much bad supermarket hummus.
Another dish that swaps chickpeas for fava beans is the falafel. The fava are mixed with herbs and fried with a coating of sesame seeds. The interior is creamy, with a nice exterior crunch augmented by the sesame seeds. A nice change.
