Getting a visa to visit Sudan these days is almost impossible. Fortunately, getting to Matam Al-Khartoum is not. Finding the place is still an adventure though; you must turn down an alleyway, marked only by two small trees, a helpful Sudanese man instructed me.
But at the end of the dirt pathway, you find a little piece of Sudan: delicious, belly-filling soups and stews, and a warm welcome from owner Salah Mohammed Bashir, the first man to open a Sudanese restaurant in Cairo over 20 years ago.
The restaurant continues to serve as a place were Sudanese come to feel a real connection to their home, explained one of the restaurants clients.
The décor is simple. Colorful fabrics casually drape the tables and a few Islamic pieces of art decorate the otherwise plain walls. This is true hole-in-the-wall aesthetic.
But this is anything but a dive, for most dishes from the simple menu scribbled on the back of the waiter s notebook proved sumptuous. Of particular note was the Shorbet Lahma (LE 10) a thick richly-spiced soup with chewy chunks of lamb. It is eaten with the traditional northern Sudanese bread kisrah made from fermented sorghum, giving it a tangy and spongy quality reminiscent of Ethiopian injeera.
But the best dish was the Beladi Bitaglia (LE 5), a lamb stew with vegetables in a peppery unctuous broth. The lamb was so tender you could actually cut it with your spoon. And for those heat-seekers out there, one of the spiciest sauces I can remember was served on the side, refreshing in not only its blasting heat, but also in the fact it remained full of flavor, not succumbing to just plain pure spiciness like many other hot sauces.
Desserts were as uninspired as the grilled chicken, which, while covered in cinnamon, pepper and coriander, was still too dry.
Prices are quite reasonable, with a meal for three or four people costing LE 37. Dishes range from LE 2.50 for salads and sides to around LE 10 for most main dishes, with fish (a typical Sudanese food, Mohammed Bashir proudly mentioned) costing up to LE 20.
Getting there is quite a challenge, however. Matam Al-Khartoum is located just off Midan Opera in Downtown Cairo, across from Abdeen Palace. Turn left unto a small, nameless dirt alleyway marked by two trees, and at the end of it, turn left. The restaurant is right there. Or better yet, call (02) 391 9611, 396 2489, or (012) 390 2952. It is open from 10 am to 12 pm everyday.
