If you are spending time in Cairo, you should know how to order at a restaurant in Egyptian Arabic. Tasting the Egyptian food is one of the best parts about staying in Cairo, and Egyptian restaurants are a huge part of that.
We understand what it’s like to be hungry. We also understand wanting to try the restaurant on the corner, but being nervous to say something wrong. Having the munchies in Cairo is a real problem. Thankfully, we’ve got the solution.
Today, Cleo Lingo will be explaining….how to order at a restaurant in Egyptian Arabic.
Vocabulary to Order At a Restaurant in Egyptian Arabic
Hello (peace be upon you) : “Salam-aw-LAY-kome”
السلام عليكم
This is basically just the standard greeting in Egypt (and much of the Middle East). You can use it in just about any situation. This one’s important. Remember it ASAP.
Are you a ready? : “Enta GEH-hizz?”
انت جاهز؟
Oftentimes this is what the waiter will ask you when he walks up to your table.
I want… : “Ana eyeizz…”
…انا عايز
Once again, we see this very “to the point” answer. This is basically applicable in any situation when you want something. No messing around. No formalities. The waiter has a wife at home waiting for him, and he doesn’t have time for your jokes. Just tell him what you’re hungry for.
This is the first Egyptian word I learned when I arrived in Cairo. With how different it is then the Standard Arabic version, I knew I was in for some frustration.
We want… : “Ehnuh EYEizeen….”
…احنا عايزين
Same thing applies. This is for when you are ordering for a group and you want to impress. And boy, it will. Just not the waiter.
Meal…. : “Al wugbuh….”
….الوجبة
Below, you will learn some of the most common meals to order in an Egyptian restaurant. It’s true that Egypt dinner is largely “meat based.” We will have a post in the future specifically for vegetarians. Unfortunately, aforementioned hippies from San Francisco are not our priority.
Example Phrases to Order At a Restaurant in Egyptian Arabic
Half kilo/quarter kilo… : “Nos/RO-baw keelo….”
…نص | ربع كيلو
You usually tell them the weight (spoiler alert, Egypt uses the metric system), followed by the kind of meat:
…chicken/kofetaw/boneless chicken… : “…fuh-REH/kofetaw/shish taw-WOO”
فراخ \ كفتة \ شيش طاووق
These are the basics. Use your brain, and you will be able to make any combination of meals you want. Here are just two examples that you might find useful.
I want the half kilo chicken meal… : “Eyeizz al WUGbuh nos’ fuREH”
.عايز وجبة النص فرخة
We want the half kilo kofetaw and half kilo boneless chicken meal : “Eyeizeen al WUGbuh nos’ koftaw wuh nos’ shish taw-WOO”
عايزين وجبة نص كفتة و نص شيش طاووق
For me, I was usually eating half a kilo of chicken and a quarter kilo of koftaw by myself. Of course, I might be a fat piece of shit, so order accordingly. Usually, these meals will come with rice on the side, some French fries, a little bowl of vegetable mix, and a container of (delicious) “tawheenuh.”
And the bread. If you are ordering at a restaurant in Egyptian Arabic, never forget the bread. Egyptians like their bread, and in more sentimental moments, I’ve been known to call Egypt “land of the little sandwiches.” We will talk about that eventually. Egyptians like their (Egyptian) sandwiches. For now, here’s what you need to know.
Bread : “AWeesh”
عيش
Can I have more bread? : “Moomkin AWeesh AWKtar”
ممكن عيش اكتر
The bread is good! : “elAWessh HEHloo”
!العيش حلو
Also:
I want to eat here : “Eyeizz EHkoll hehnuh”
.عايز اكل هنا
This is just for insurance that the restaurant workers know you’ll be staying. Some places are “take away only,” but that’s a bit rare. Of course, if you want to order delivery on the phone, you can do that as well. Usually, you’ll physically sitting down will be enough to get the message across. Unless their eyesight is really bad, and they never see you in the first place. We can’t really help you there.
In terms of things you might want “added on” to the meat (and in case they forget) here are just a few:
And can I have…..on the side? : “Wuh moomkin….awluh gawnb?”
و ممكن …..على جنب
Add these in the space above:
French fries: “…..puTAWtuss….”
بطاطس
Tawheenuh…. : “…tawHEEnuh…”
طحينة
Eggplant…. : “…bihtinGEHN….”
بتنجان
Time for drinks! Drinking something is such an intrinsic part of Egyptian culture (whether it’s the millions of freshly squeezed juices you can get at a juice stall, the weirdness of getting alcohol, or the “whole tea thing”) that we simply can’t do it justice here. It deserves its own post, or book, or ten-part documentary. What we will give you is the following:
And I want to drink… : “Wuh EYEizz EHshrub…”
…و عايز اشرب
Water : “….meyeuh”
مايه
Pepsi : “….pepss”
بيبسي
Yeah, Egyptians call Pepsi “pepss.” No “ee” at the end. Don’t ask me why. I’ve spent many sleepless nights wondering.
Tea…. : “…sheye”
شاي
After you have finished giving your order, here is what your waiter might say.
Anything else? : “Haga tenee?”
حاجة تاني؟
Is that it, sir? : “Bessuh KEduh, yaw fundum?”
بس كده يا فندم ؟
To which you can respond, if you are finished:
Yes, that’s it. : “Eyewuh, bessuh kehduh.”
.ايوه, بس كده
Thank you! : “Shoke-RAWN.”
شكرا
Some of us are messy eaters. It’s a basic fact about life. For me, this is one of the most important things I ever learned:
Are there any napkins? “Fee MEHnuDEEL?”
في منديل؟
And to finish things off, assuming they haven’t given it to you half an hour before you are done (oh my lord, don’t even get me started):
How much is that? : “Kehm KEHduh?”
كام كده؟
Can I have the check? : “Lo sumAWHT….al hawsehb!”
!لو سمحت..الحساب
Cultural Insight
In case you haven’t realized it yet, Egyptians often eat with their hands. Maybe you are a well-traveled intellectual, and you have seen that before. I certainly wasn’t before I traveled to Cairo. Eating with my hands was just so damn exotic, and I felt like a badass the first time I did it. Pretty lame, I know.
You’ll notice quite clearly that we didn’t include the names for cutlery. Cleo Lingo is all about experiences. If you’re a Westerner that has used a fork all your life…..well, time to change that. It’s obviously not all like that. At plenty of restaurants, and with plenty of Egyptian foods, utensils would be useful. But where you can, we think it’s best to forget them. Indeed, eating with your hands in Egypt is a great experience!
A second thought: a lot of restaurants set down a bit of plastic “wrap” on the table before they serve you. After you are done, they will simply gather up the messy table cover, fold it up, and throw it in the trash. Like magic, you have a clean table. Don’t feel bad about making a mess that can be cleaned up in five seconds flat. The most delicious eating in Cairo is oftentimes the messiest. Who knows, maybe the waiter that doesn’t have time for you might even sit down and have a chat. Wouldn’t that be dandy?
Good luck with your meal. 🙂
…..
Happy learning,
Cleo Lingo
