by ONEZA TABISH
Kusharina is a contemporary, chic Egyptian restaurant where the emphasis is on authentic Egyptian Street food.
The restaurant is Oman’s very first authentic Egyptian diner. It serves a vibrant interior with colourful chairs and tables, a variety of funky artwork and posters adorning the walls, and sets of visually delightful cutlery that include enamel mugs to hold spoons and forks and steel plates to serve food in.
The menu is elaborate and features the best of Egyptian staples. Dishes such as Kushari, grilled chicken, gollash with meat, kebda eskanundarani, mahshi as mains, salads and soups, sandwiches, desserts and breakfast items are all on offer.
Before diving into the mains, I enjoyed sipping on thirst-quenching Karkakade (hibiscus) juice and a refreshing lemon mint drink as well. Followed by their popular Koshari, which is Egypt’s pride. The dish is a medley of lentils, vermicelli and macaroni topped with a mildly spiced tomato sauce and garlic vinegar and garnished with fried onions and chickpeas. This had the right flavours and texture and was absolutely delicious.
I also tried their meat stuffed bread, chicken shawarma, falafel and shashouka. All of which were delectable. The meat stuffed bread had a flavourful mix of lamb mince, tomatoes and spices and was a melt-in-your-mouth taste. The falafels, Middle Eastern deep-fried patties made from ground chickpeas, was crunchy at every bite. A must-try here.
The shashouka had its unique and aromatic taste. This was a brilliant take on scrambled eggs and the hint of spices in it made it tasty to the core.
The showstopper was Kusharina’s dessert, the ‘bazoka’, a rice pudding with all your favourite Arabic sweets: Kunafa, basbousa and nuts. This was decadent with the right touch of sweetness and served in a mason jar.
Kusharina also serves lunch and has a dish-of-the-day that changes every day, and their menu is kids-friendly too. The staff is courteous and attentive as well. I strongly recommend Kusharina for those looking for original and authentic Egyptian food in Muscat.
Kusharina
Sayh Al Malih (PDO Street), Qurum, Muscat
+968 2202 7011
About the Contributor: Oneza Tabish is a food influencer, blogger, consultant and stylist who has a knack for features writing and food reviews. She is the founder of popular dining Facebook group ‘What’s Cooking Oman’.
