Name:
Pestle and Mortar
Category
:
Restaurants
Address:
Mall of Arabia, #286 ground floor
Area:
6th of October City
City:
Cairo , Egypt
Telephone:
0101759081
Open:
10AM - 12AM
Cairo has more than enough restaurants, yet there seems to be a real lack of character and personality in the culture of dining. For all the honest efforts, good intentions and decent cuisine, menus often use the mantra of ‘the bigger the better’. Striking a balance is indeed hard, but the newly opened Pestle and Mortar in 6th of October City’s Mall of Arabia comes very close.
The sleek, modern interior is accented with modest purples, and the seating ranges from tables for two to larger group tables, as well as snug booths. The hot and sour shrimp soup (34.95LE) flattered to deceive on account of being crammed with too many mushrooms. This turned the soup into a solid brown, and it blunted the sharp sourness that you’d yearn for. The zesty coriander prawns (49.95LE) lived up to their name, and were complimented perfectly by the mysterious Mortar fusion sauce.
Other starters include a classic peanut chicken satay (35.95LE) and the Philly prawnafah (49.95LE), which consists of grilled shrimp baked in konafa, and is topped with cream cheese. The salads on offer are creative and alluring, and include the garden salad (28.95LE) of rocket, lettuce and mint along with almonds, orange segments and orange dressing.
Asian influences are much more evident in the mains sections, with chicken prepared teriyaki- and Hanoi-style (57.95LE and 65.95LE respectively). Stir-fried beef is sold by the weight, so 150g will set you back 69.95LE while 300g costs 119.95LE, and is on offer in a range of different marinades and preparations.
Our order of Angus prime beef fillet was cooked closer to rare than the ordered medium, but the meat itself was well-seasoned, tender and grew more delicious with every bite. Though the Thai coconut curry is suited to more of an acquired taste, the coconut milk was as creamy and plush as it looked on the large strips of chicken, but was lacking heavily on the hotness you’d except from the spicy green Thai sauce.
Drinks are plentiful and fresh, with the freshies (19.95LE) combining several peculiar but agreeable ingredients. The orange lime and mint drink is a phenomenal citrus treat, with the zucchini and cucumber-infused options also stealing the limelight.
Pestle and Mortar really comes into its own with the liquid nitrogen ice cream and sorbet, which are frozen instantly at your table using said nitrogen. More run-of-the mill, but no less impressive desserts are available, and the Belgian chocolate fondant is a must for chocolate lovers.
The staff are helpful, attentive and best of all, charming. They are happy to make recommendations based on your tastes, and they had something positive to say about every dish that they were asked about. The menu is vegan-friendly, with many of the dishes suitable for vegetarians. Healthy eating is championed by the restaurant, and all the bases for their sauces are fat-free and made of fresh vegetable stock.
Despite its shopping mall setting, Pestle and Mortar is one of those places that oozes the kind of attention to detail and commitment that give you piece of mind as you wait for your order.
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