There is a reason you don’t see many Egyptian restaurants outside Egypt. Some of the tastes are, shall we say, purely local. The delicacy of choice is hamam—rice-stuffed whole pigeon. Rowaida Saad-El-Din, an educational administrator who’s as foodie as Cairenes come, says those who want to brave flying-rat haute cuisine should try Farhad’s (near Al-Azhar Mosque). In the spring, Egyptians sell rotten fish called fssikh—a sea mullet that has been fermented for extra oomph. Most don’t expect you to like it. If you dare to partake, Shaheen (Noubar St.) serves the relative best. Should neither of these appeal, the standby food of the Tahrir protesters,