Abu Ashraf

28 Safar Basha St Cuisines: Seafood

About

Buried deep in the Anfousha district, this is the place to be if you find the Fish Market on the Corniche a bit tame. You can take a taxi right to the entrance, but my recommendation is to get out of the cab at the parking lot at the end of Safar Basha Street on Ras el Tin Street and walk up Safar Basha and let the full effect of a crowded Alexandria backstreet wash over you. As with other local fish places, there is an icebox display at the entrance of what's available for the day. Though the staff are friendly and helpful, they speak limited English, so ordering is going to be a sign-language process. My favorite dishes here are the bouri bi ghada (a small local fish lightly battered in bran), which I have after a heaping dish of grilled shrimp. Go with the flow and their recommendations with one vital exception: You want to specify that your fish is cooked maftouah, which means "open" (make like your hands are an open book in front of you to make sure they understand). Otherwise you risk getting a "closed" fish, which simply means it hasn't been gutted. I find this to be unpleasant.

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