If you think Egyptians have mastered Turkish delicacies … think again. Osmanly at the Kempinski hotel offers an array of Ottoman dishes that delight the senses — taking the Cairo diner out for a totally new taste experience.
Your evening mood is set with dimmed lights and soft Turkish tunes, lavishly set tables and a generous helping of Turkish bread with toppings. Don’t be intimidated by the very Turkish names on the menu, waiters are friendly and know the ingredients well.
Try the Yayla Soup, an indulgent, aromatic and distinctly flavored mixture of yogurt and mint with a strong dose of pepper and a helping of rice for texture, or the Labaneya soup (it will be on the menu in mid-April, but we got a sneak preview) another yogurt-based soup with noodles and meat, which is rich, filling and absolutely delicious.
There are plenty of Osmanly appetizers to choose from and for the mix of cold mezzas, the waiter will bring you a selection on a tray and you can pick what you would like. The Turkish couscous was the first of the mezzas to disappear off the table; the texture was perfect and the tomato-based sauce light and subtle. Other cold mezzas included a thickly blended Charkassiya with walnut sauce and chicken, surprisingly served cold, okra salad that was a little foreign to our tastebuds, and a delicious cold moussaka with cubed aubergine and tomato.
The Pacanga borek, Turkish spring rolls as explained by the waiter, are just that — your typical spring rolls but filled with basterma, cheese and spinach. The three spring rolls are served on top of sour cream and the appetizer is highly recommended.
If you want to play it safe for the main course, go for the mixed grill. The meats are tender and flavorful. For more of the “real taste” of Istanbul, go with the Kebrit Kebab — a serving of kebab on tomato sauce, yogurt and bread with potato shavings for a taste bud extravaganza.
Try to leave some space for the baklava as it is in no way your typical Egyptian baklawa from pastry stores around town. The serving consists of two large square portions with soft pastry and a generous amount of pistachio paste. While it has the typical baklava gooeyness, this baklava is missing the extreme amount of honey and sugar that you usually find in Egyptian baklawa, allowing you to taste the pistachio, revel in the buttery pastry and allow to the whole dessert to melt happily in your mouth.
Tea comes in the typical Turkish pot, known as "estekana" for Egyptians, with white and brown sugar with cinnamon. The prices at Osmanly are on the high side — heavenly baklava will set you back LE50 and the average main courses run from LE110–165.
Osmanly; Address: 12 Ahmed Ragheb Street, Corniche al-Nil, Garden City; Tel.: +2 02-2798-0000; Hours: 4 pm–12:30 am
