Ingredient appreciation — what makes Om Ali special

What sets Om Ali apart is the handling of coriander seed. In lesser versions this is treated as a background note. Here it's central and the deeply savoury and spiced result shows it. I've started buying it to cook with at home after this experience.

Egyptian cuisine is one of the oldest recorded food cultures, with accounts dating to pharaonic times. The a family home dinner atmosphere was right for this kind of food. I had ayran as recommended and it matched well. If you want to understand what makes this cuisine distinctive, Om Ali is the place to start.