Koshary Lux prepares koshary
Koshary is Egypt's most popular street food. The national dish, made from chickpeas, noodles, lentils, rice and a spicy tomato sauce, has also lent Michael Landeck's restaurant its name.
Street food from North Africa
Koshary, also called "kushary," can be had on every street corner in Egypt. Oriental spices and white wine vinegar lend it a distinctive flavor. But there is another must have ingredient for the recipe: caramelized onions. Michael Landeck experimented for six months before he found the perfect combination.
Deluxe snackshops
Koshary is often on the menu in Egypt's snackshops and is considered an inexpensive way to fill up. It's thus a mainstay for students and young people. Michael Landeck let himself be inspired by the colorful scenery of Egypt's street stalls in decorating his Berlin restaurant Koshary Lux.
Clear vision of interior
"The design is really a trend in Cairo. What you see here has a name in Egypt - 'belady chic.' Belady is Egyptian folk culture and it's quite contemporary right now in Cairo, particularly since the revolution. People take elements from folk culture and place them in a modern design lingo, and that's the same for cuisine." - Michael Landeck
Leaving Cairo wasn't in the plan
"Egypt is pretty much like home for me. Of course, I can never claim to actually be an Egyptian - that would be inappropriate. But I always say that I'm a hobby Egyptian, and since I have never lived anywhere as Iong as I have in Egypt, Cairo in the one place in the world I know best, so it's pretty much like home." - Michael Landeck
Egypt's national dish
The mix of rice, noodles and lentils is completely in at the moment - after all, koshary is normally vegan. You'll only come across a version with minced meat every now and then. Egyptian dishes are usually mildly spiced, but you can make things spicier. What's essential for koshary: harissa and vinegar, to set it apart from Italian tomato sauce.