John Harris
Contributor. John has lived in the United States, India, Lebanon, England, and Scotland and has called Cairo home since 2005. He lives in Zamalek with his wife and three kids. John serves as a writer, development consultant, and father to rambunctious kids. He writes about food and travel for Al-Masry Al-Youm English Edition.
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Sand, sun and sea. As we are endlessly alliteratively reminded, Egypt has these in ample supply. But what about the fourth “S”, snow? This may be a bit harder to believe. But, if you’re willing to make the trek over to Sinai, you...
The restaurants reviewed in this column tend to be new, funky, innovative, or have some other characteristic that would distinguish them for a younger, more urban, audience.
Cairo, of course, is a layered, complex city, with something for everyone....
In terms of the urbanization of Cairo, and the installation of concrete on agricultural land around the city, the trends are in only one direction. Everywhere, like in Mansoureya, farm land is being paved over and shabby high-rise blocks are rising...
Cairo’s history has always been synonymous with gardens and greenery. Strategically located at the junction of the Nile Valley and the beginning of the Delta, the desert city was historically blessed with ample green spaces, fertile soil and...
A unique, funky, and (literally) underground restaurant with an eclectic clientele replaced by a clean-cut and formulaic chain with an American twist …does this sound like another tragedy of contemporary urbanization? Funky and local losing...
Finding a travel destination suitable for the entire family can be a challenge. For example, Tampa, Florida, home to Disney World and the Epcot Center, may be great for kids; St. Petersburg, Russia, home to the Hermitage and glorious Romanov...
Hana Korean Barbeque has reopened. For some of us, this is momentous news which requires no further elaboration. For others, allow me to try to describe why this event carries singular importance on Cairo’s dining landscape.
Hana is a Zamalek...
I’ve come across a surprising number of parents scarred by horror stories of traveling with kids. Even the most adventurous of parents, once kids arrive, start to hunker down, straying only as far as they can drive, often with a nanny in tow,...
This is a review of Gourmandise’s new branch in Maadi. But before we get to that, let me tell you a story. The story sounds too good to be true. But like many things about Cairo, sometimes fact is better than fiction.
Once there was a...
Cairo recently played host to Spanish Gastronomy Week. Organized by the cultural section of the Spanish Embassy, this festival brought several renowned Spanish tapas chefs, along with leading Spanish restauranteurs, over to Cairo for a week of fine...
