Food

Food options in Cairo are plentiful, ranging in quality, price, availability and likelihood of giving you Cairo belly. The cheapest dishes include falafel, foul (similar to refried beans), koshary (a noodle-based dish) and shawerma (a roasted-meat sandwich). If you are without a kitchen, it is still possible to supplement your diet beyond these options while still eating on the cheap, especially if you have a refrigerator. You can buy fruits and vegetables on the street or in the supermarket for your vitamins, but if you buy them off the street you have to be careful about washing them: they may have been doused already in Cairo water, which your body may or may not be used to. As a general rule, if you can peel it, you're good to eat it; otherwise, exercise caution. You shouldn't have any issues with carbs or fats, and if you're not careful you might not get enough protein (especially if you don't eat much meat or meat at all).

For students, there is no meal plan available.

The Zamalek dorms have cafeteria of sorts downstairs, with a salad bar (tomatoes, hummus, cucumbers, pita, lettuce...) and a few options every night, including one vegetarian option.

The food on new campus is a bit limited. Options includes:

• McDonalds and McDessert (what you'd expect anywhere from McDonalds)
  

• Cilantro (the Starbucks of Egypt, featuring four campus locations)
  

• Tabasco ("fusion" dishes, focusing mainly on grease)
  

• Al Omda (Egyptian staples: falafel, foul, koshary; cheapest food on campus)

Nubian Village Cafe
144 26th of July Street, Mohandessin
(behind the Balloon Theater)
# 0133460183

Vegetarians can do fine in Cairo, just with limited options...which shouldn't be a new sensation for most vegetarians.

Vegans can survive in Cairo, since usually traditional options without meat don't involve milk or cheese; while egg is available, it usually costs more and you would have to request is.

Some foods that make being a vegetarian/vegan easier (like tofu or texturized soy protein) are hard to come by in Cairo. As a rule, most things are available in Cairo (not limited to but including food items), though often of questionable quality and more expensive than places where items are more commonly available.

If you are living in an apartment or otherwise have access to a kitchen, you might go grocery shopping. Grocery stores in Zamalek include Alfa Market, Seoudi or Metro.

Some ingredients are harder to come by than others. Tofu is sometimes available at Alpha Market in Zamalek; also at Miriam Market in Maadi, where it is apparently made fresh at Gaya Korean restaurant, also in Maadi.

There are no Indian/South Asian grocery markets as such. Check online for Indian food ingredients.