Dinner time at Cairo Steakhouse, Astoria, NYC

Have you ever wondered how many restaurants are there here in the Big Apple? 
Being known as one of the most fantastic culinary destinations, New York City surely has a lot to offer. My recent peep in Google shows that NYC has approximately more than 16 thousands full-service restaurants and even more counter service restaurants. Not to mention bars, taverns and clubs or even food cart which will definitely add up that the list. I guess that explains why wherever you are going, you will always find one restaurant or deli to quench your hunger and thirst.

Rasanya ke mana kaki melangkah dan badan berbelok, kita bisa menemui aneka restoran, bar, pub, klub, deli, taverna, sandwicherie dan bahkan food cart alias gerobak makanan dan minuman yang tersaji di setiap pelosok kita New York. Dan saya harus akui, salah satu cara menikmati New York City adalah menelusuri beribu pilihan makanan otentik yang bisa kita nikmati dengan mudah di sini. Bahkan banyak yang bilang lebih enak dari di tempat asalnya :). Menggiurkan sekali kan. 

dinner time..

One of the lovely places we visited is Cairo Steakhouse in Astoria.
If you are looking for a spacious dining place serving yummy Middle Eastern food, this is the place :)

Boasting as "New York's First Upscale Halal- Contemporary American Steakhouse with an Egyptian Flare", as I quoted from their website, we came here for its famous kebabs and baba ganoush. So one cold evening in the beginning of winter, we went there with the kids  and enjoyed our dinner.

Tahun 2010 kami sempat mengunjungi Mesir selama kurang lebih 10 hari. Betul-betul perjalanan yang seru dan penuh kenangan, termasuk petualangan kuliner selama kami tinggal di sana. Usai menikmati piramid sambil naik onta yang bulu matanya lentik plus menengok koleksi mumi di Museum Nasional Mesir yang penuh dengan barang-barang antik yang usianya ribuan tahun, makan pun menjadi super nikmat. Salah satu makanan khas Mesir yang saya nikmati adalah baba ganoush, sementara Rudi sampai sekarang selalu terkenang dengan aneka daging panggang dan jus mangga yang memang rasanya oke banget. 

Baba ganoush sendiri sebenarnya adalah dipping, atau seperti saus yang dimakan dengan roti pita khas kawasan Timur Tengah. Saus khas ini dibuat dari campuran terong, bawang, tomat, minyak zaitun, dan aneka bumbu khas mereka yang saya tidak familiar. Don't ask me how to make because I haven't tried before :).

Waktu tau kalau di dekat tempat kita tinggal sekarang ada restoran otentik yang menyajikan makanan khas Mesir dan Timur Tengah, kami pun semangat untuk mencobanya. Apalagi sudah pasti halal kan, jadi tambah nikmat deh makannya. Dan memang betul, buktinya saya sampai minta tambah supnya dua mangkok karena anak-anak suka juga. 

So, to start with, we chose green salad and lentil soup. Love it..

Even Obi devoured the soup, which rarely happens. 

We also had baba ganoush but it was all gone before I took the picture :).

the fresh salad

lentil soup, yummy and fresh for sure :)

Done with the appetizer, we continued with the main course for the night.

And as you can see, we had fried calamari, Obi's favorite; lamb chop for Udi et mixed grill for me et Bo. And they all are yummy indeed.

the fried calamari

the steak for Udi :)

my choice that night :)..

The main menu comes with green salad and choices of side dishes, including white rice, pita bread and tahini sauce. I love the sauce as it's so fresh and delicious. And healthy as well because it's made of ground sesame seeds. My kids enjoyed the rice as well and I guess they ate more of the rice than the meat. The portion is big enough for everyone and we even had some leftovers to go.

Salah satu kelebihan makan di restoran di NYC adalah porsinya yang luar biasa besar. Well, ini bisa berbahaya buat mereka yang sedang diet. Tapi untuk saya, sisanya bisa dibawa pulang hehehe. Ngga mau rugi deh pokoknya. Dan memang to-go-bag atau doggie bag (duh, kenapa doggie ya >_<) lumrah kita jumpai saat makan di berbagai restoran di sini.

With the main dishes start from USD 18 and appetizers start from USD 5, dinner or lunch here won't cost you a fortune. With approximately USD 80, we have complete course for 4 people. Not bad for 

Another thing that I like here is the place is spacious, so it's perfect for any family gatherings or big events. The service is good and quite fast, so you won't have to wait too long. 

So, are you ready for a yummy session with an Egyptian flare? 

Cairo Steakhouse
2415 Steinway Street, Astoria 11103
Open every day from 12 PM - 11 PM