Pastaweesy, a venue that opened in January on Faisal Street near Haram district, offers “pasta and more to the masses” at very affordable prices. The eatery is part of a new Cairene trend of returning to and reinventing Egyptian food.
The place is difficult to reach and the traffic is vicious; after our hour-and-a-half expedition we reach a small take-out type venue with some indoor and outdoor seating.
Nothing about Pastaweesy is reinvented — the logo is nice, but beyond that the restaurant’s walls are dirty, its chairs are typical of many fast food chains like Mo’men or Arzak. Actually, while all the surrounding cafes and fast-food outlets on Faisal were packed, Pastaweesy was empty when we stopped in for dinner.
The service is speedy and the staff friendly and helpful; the menu is only in Arabic, so if you are a non-speaker, you’ll be grateful it is so simple. The sauces offered include sausage with tomato sauce, chicken in white sauce, bolognese and Pastaweesy sauce (which is bolognese with some special secret ingredient) and can be served with round pasta, spaghetti or rice. The server suggested pasta with the sausage, which was a disappointment; the pieces of sausage were dry and the pasta and sauce were cold! Our table also had spaghetti with white sauce, a surprisingly tasty chicken, mushroom and pasta dish and macaroni with Pastaweesy sauce, which was bland.
Pastaweesy’s fries were good — you can order french fries and a drink for a “combo” charge — a flavorful mix of fried potatoes similar to Cook Door’s fries. Pastaweesy also serves sandwiches. You are offered an assortment of sides: tomato sauce, da'a, pickles, and cheese.
The prices are very affordable, starting at LE3.75 for a small plate of pasta or rice. Pastaweesy pasta dishes cost around LE10. Unfortunately, an added tax of mild food poisoning came with the dinner and I spent the evening keeled over with a stomach ache.
Overall, Pastaweesy offers a very disappointing experience; the restaurant is lifeless and has no identity, simply another unhealthy fast-food joint to add to Faisal street’s multitude of similar eateries. It would have been better to use the location for a restaurant that would offer something new, healthy and delicious for the masses.
Pastaweesy; Address: 159 Faisal Street; Tel.: 010-9844-4043; Hours: 12 pm–3 am daily
