Cairo According to: Kurt Galalah

Kurt Galalah, the one-man show behind KICAI—a word he totally made up—is a professional provocateur. He likes to stir the pot, but that’s what perhaps makes him a very effective consultant for some of Cairo’s edgiest brands. Once upon a time, he was our very own Managing Editor at SceneEats, helping to spotlight (among many other things) the wave of Asian spots that are now a mainstay of Maadi. A Filipino-Egyptian himself, he only first discovered Maadi about a decade ago, but has since found a million different reasons to call the place home.

Here, Kurt Galalah tells us about Maadi’s huge Filipino community, where to find the best kimchi jjigae in town, and gives us four Cairo-esque songs for the price of one.

What’s a place that means Cairo to you?

Downtown Cairo. All of it.

The streets, the metro, the hole-in-the-wall restaurants, the balady bars, the old a** historic houses, the iconic buildings, the whole thing. I spent a huge chunk of my life here because of work (at CairoScene actually, lol) so I could probably navigate it with my eyes wide shut.

Complete the following: Cairo is…

without a doubt, chaotic, loud, and messy. Nothing ever really stops, gurl. Nothing ever quite goes according to plan. But, somehow, within all of that madness, she is so, so beautiful. She is one beautiful mess, and I think that’s exactly why I love her. Cairo is my baby.

What’s your favourite neighbourhood?

I can confidently say that no place in Cairo will ever trump Maadi for me. If I’m in Cairo, this is where I want to be. Maadi is home.

As a Filipino-Egyptian, I actually first stumbled upon Maadi because the Philippine Embassy was here when I was new to Cairo. Over the past decade, it’s become so much more than just my home. It’s where I feel safest, and the moment I enter Maadi, something happens to the magic fabric of my DNA and I genuinely feel whole.

It’s also incredibly green and walkable, which I love, and has one of Cairo’s biggest Asian communities, including a huge Filipino community which is a major slay for me. Maadi is home. Nothing else comes close.

Your go-to food spot?

Korean food. Always. I will never say no to a yum Korean food moment. My three go-to’s are all in Maadi: Gaya, Seoul Barbecue, and Tomato. I love Gaya mostly for the vibes. Give me some bulgogi and a bottle of soju from there and I’m a happy boi. Seoul Barbecue is where I go when I want a proper spread of banchan, and Tomato is my spot for what I genuinely think is the best kimchi jjigae in town.

Your go-to café?

As a Maadi veteran, the question is always: Frank & Co. or Tipsy Camel? And I will always, always choose Frank & Co. It’s probably partly loyalty at this point, but mostly because of the sheer amount of memories and experiences I’ve collected there over the years.

Your go-to date spot?

Frank & Co, Cap D'or, and Lyfe. (This might sound slightly weird to some of you, but yes, Lyfe, the place known for vegan bites and smoothies. I’m not really an alcohol-drinking person at all, so I’d take a good smoothie and a proper convo over a bar for my dates any day. There’s something about Lyfe that I find genuinely cute and romantic AF.)

Tell us a song that feels like Cairo.

El Shawarea Hawadeet by El Masreyeen.

Hezeny by Hany Shenouda.

Supercut by Lorde.

Doin' It Right (ft. Panda Bear) by Daft Punk.

What's a place in Cairo you wish you could revisit for the first time?

Maadi, the very first time I experienced it. I’d been in Cairo for a while, but the first time I went to Maadi was to visit the Philippine Embassy over a decade ago, and I was thoroughly gagged.