SOFRA: A FEAST AFTER A VISIT TO THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS
The Cost - $9 per person
The Atmosphere – Sofra has seating on the two floors of its building with the upstairs having a Middle Eastern lounge feel to it. It’s definitely one of Luxor’s nicer restaurants.
Luxor, a city to the south of Cairo that was once the capital of Egypt, is the home of some of the most famous ancient Egyptian tombs and temples. It’s also the home of Sofra, a popular restaurant that serves typical Egyptian cuisine.
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The Order - Homos Bil Tahina, Bosara, Koushry, Saniyet Kofta and Tagin Lahma Bil Kawerma.
The Fantastic - The Tagin Lahma Bil Kawerma, a tagine-style veal and pearl onion dish in a spicy tomato sauce with red peppers and garlic was absolutely amazing. The tomato sauce was not too spicy and the flavors of the onions, peppers, garlic and tomato all stewed together in the pot created a beautiful sauce for the veal, which was so tender and flavorful; an absolute winner.
The Great - The Saniyet Kofta, a baked minced lamb dish with spicy tomato sauce and fresh herbs, was also delicious. The sauce was not spicy and while I didn’t like the meat as much as the veal, it was still very tasty.
The Good - Fava beans are used to make a number of dishes in Egypt and Sofra’s Bosara was a nice example of one of them. A mashed fava bean dip with fresh herbs and spices, this was a tasty and unique appetizer to begin the meal with.
The Okay - The hummus was not my favorite. While it was a healthy serving, it was plain and simple and could have used some lemon, garlic, and/or more tahini. The Koushry, definitely the most unique dish of the evening was a mix of rice and pasta topped with chickpeas, lentils, fried onions and a tomato garlic sauce.It appeared to be one of those dishes invented by someone who haphazardly tossed everything left in their kitchen into one pan but unfortunately just didn’t do it for me.
The Bad - There is no air conditioning - a big problem during the hot months, even during dinner time when temperatures can still be above 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside.
The Verdict - A fantastic value and definitely worth a visit when it’s not incredibly hot outside. When you go, you must order the Tagin Lahma Bil Kawerma.