One of our core values at Alf Hana, and a major aspect of why we do what we do is to bring real people’s stories to the forefront. Our love for food transcends flavor and helps us form deep personal bonds with our cultures, communities, and the world around us. We know that food, is the one common factor across all cultures, and one of the defining ingredients of our shared humanity.
Al Rehab City’s Chai Chai perfectly encapsulates our philosophy of good food from genuine people, no more than its founder Kay Faraz. A British-Pakistani native with deep rooted influences from her family and culture, Faraz’s story demonstrates how culinary passion and an entrepreneurial spirit form a delicious recipe for success, something we imagine will define Chai Chai in times to come.
First Inspiration and Inception
As we arrived to the recently debuted coffeeshop and breakfast deli in Al Rehab’s eastern souq, we were warmly welcomed by its owner, who immediately offered us a cup of the signature Pink Chai. The pleasantly aromatic tea, which is made from a secret mix of spices invented by Faraz herself, was a delightful start to our commencing culinary trip through Pakistani cuisine.
But before we got to talking about the menu, which features a mix of eclectic spices that define Chai Chai, and the enchantingly familiar flavors of Pakistani cuisine, we were interested to hear about the influences of the owner herself.
“Growing up in a traditional Pakistani household in the UK, cooking our native food was a way to connect to my culture and my family as well.”
Kay Faraz
A teacher at a renowned British school by trade, Kay Faraz recounts how she was first inspired to embark on her entrepreneurial journey of starting her own restaurant. She recalls how noticing a massively popular chai shop on Christmas break in her home country of the UK sparked the idea in her head that Egypt is yet to be introduced to a culturally authentic chai shop, and that was how the engine started rolling.
“I’ve always loved cooking, I’ve done it for a very long time,” Faraz contemplated. “Growing up in a traditional Pakistani household in the UK, cooking our native food was a way to connect to my culture and my family as well.” She added. These influences, along with her desire to inspire her young daughters to follow their dreams, spurned Faraz into action, helping her conceive, plan, and launch her own Pakistani coffeeshop within the few months following her fateful Christmas trip.
Bringing a Unique Blend of Flavors
The menu at Chai Chai is a truly charming endeavor in traditional Pakistani breakfast and an one-of-a-kind experience of exquisite chai. As I gulped down my second cup of chai for the night, Faraz broke down the menu for us to further understand the inner workings of Chai Chai.
The food menu consists of three basic meal trays, each comprising of a base of paratha bread, omelette, and a salad; with a side of spicy chickpeas, lentils, or mince meat to complete a fulfilling breakfast, or dinner. The paratha bread is a layered delicacy quite reminiscent of feteer, albeit lacking the renowned sweetness, which makes it a perfect companion for happy omelette and lentil dipping.
The Pakistani styled samosa chaat, known as sambousa/k around these parts and depending on your affinity for extra letters, was definitely the most memorable part of the meal. Straying from the familiar method of shaping them into recognizable meat-filled triangles, Pakistani samosa is a layered dish of meat and dough, topped with yoghurt to balance the flaming but mouth-watering spices that define it. Mind you, the fresh take was as refreshing as it was spicy, which seems like a recurring theme that we at Alf Hana thoroughly enjoy.
If you’re passing by Chai Chai and find yourself in the mood to indulge your sweet tooth, then you have to try the rose falooda. This was perhaps the one item which I was previously unfamiliar with, but was absolutely astounded by. The trademark mixture of nuts, jelly, vermicelli, all mixed in a milky solvent was the perfect cherry to top the delightful meal I was just graciously offered at Chai Chai.
The drinks menu offers us a wide range of differently spiced and carefully prepared chai cups which delight the taste buds as much as they provide a caffeine kick for the groggy taste-fiends out there who care about flavor as much as wakefulness. The pink chai is stirred and prepared carefully for a few hours before its ready for serving, bringing an amazing kick of spices that left a lasting impression. The trademark spice mixes defining Pakistani cuisine make for a unique experience, something I’m positive will come to define Chai Chai as more people are introduced.
Similar Yet So Different
Perhaps one of the coolest things about Pakistani cuisine we noticed from the menu is how eerily similar it is to the food we all know and love. From the omelette, to the lentil and chickpea paste, and did I mention the savory feteer, aka paratha bread. The major addition, which makes Chai Chai a must-try, is the blend of unfamiliar spices adorning dishes made of staple ingredients in the Egyptian household.
The lentils, for one, were cooked into a spicy paste that went amazingly well with the paratha bread, unlike the soup you’d expect from an Egyptian kitchen. Maybe this is why the style gained favor with the all-Egyptian staff at Chai Chai, whom have been raving about the positive feedback their dishes have been amassing from satisfied foodies.
Talking to Head Chef Abdullah, he amusingly shared how Faraz’s specific instructions and tutelage guided him to understanding the Pakistani kitchen, also noting how similar it is to food he’s been cooking for years, but with a tangible peppery twist. In fact, all the spices are imported specifically for Chai Chai, with Faraz curating the menu inspired by her homeland and family values.
“The food is so similar yet so different,” Chef Abdullah stated, “the ingredients are the same and all the food is something I’m familiar with, yet the method is so different, but people have been loving it.”
Eyes on the Future
Ever the innovative entrepreneur, Kay Faraz is not planning on slowing down any time soon. Following the generally positive feedback she has been receiving from satisfied customers, Faraz shared her plans to open another branch on the other side of Cairo, Sheikh Zayed, promptly.
“Because I have two teenage daughters, it’s important for them to see a strong role model who is independent and actually put in the work required to achieve their dreams.”
Kay Faraz
Propelled by her desire to follow her dreams and build a personal project around her passions, Faraz seems to be pushed further by her love for her family.
One thing we have to be grateful to Faraz for, is bringing over the flavors of Pakistan to Cairo, and gracing us with her legendary Pink Chai!