A Little Santorini in Cairo: Seecoz Brings Street Greek Across the Mediterranean
By: Mahmoud Sherif
Waterway is bustling with some of Egypt’s biggest and most popular food outlets, including Mince, Mori Sushi and Crave. A number of food trucks decided to rise to the challenge and prop themselves up next to these big-name restaurants, least of which is Seecoz, a new truck offering the finest in Greek street food.
Seecoz is located at the very center of Waterway‘s platform, with Starbucks to the left and Cold Stone Creamery to the right.
This new underdog produces its Greek gyro street food in a little truck sporting the colors of Greece’s national flag. The back side of the truck is a glass panel that allows the hungry customer to watch their food being cooked.
Standing outside the van, you get to drool over the aroma of the meat and chicken being grilled, preparing your taste buds for the delicious taste they are about to experience.
All the elements of this tiny food truck work in harmony: the friendly staff in their white and blue uniforms, the beautifully designed van boasting a simple, yet creative, menu and the simple food packaging that mirrors the truck’s design.
The white and blue theme is not only reflective of the Greek flag, but also reminiscent of Santorini’s picture-perfect buildings by the beach.
The simple aesthetic and harmonic design reflect the very finest of European simplicity and elegance. Seecoz asserts its authentic Greek cuisine through this theme and reflects a strong brand image all while setting the perfect atmosphere.
The menu is pretty simple — there are only five sandwich options that you can mix and match with one of five sauces. T
he fries are a side dish that can be served with or without sauce. To make sure that no vegetarian misses out on their special gyro food experience, the truck offers two vegetarian sandwiches.
My first dish was the Beef Gyro, which costs EGP 60. The meat is grilled slightly while the chef warms up the pita bread. Fresh onions and tomatoes are added to the beef, but the big surprise are the French fries that make their way to the mix.
The meat was very juicy and well-cooked. While it lacked any special flavor of its own, the combination gave the sandwich a spectacular taste. With every bite, you could feel the flavor of all the ingredients come together.
I chose to add the yogurt honey mustard sauce to the mix. The blend of creaminess and sweetness was deliciously overwhelming, making it the perfect addition to the sandwich. With every bite, you notice a new element: the crispiness of the fries, the sourness of the onions and the juiciness of the tomatoes.
After a successful first experience, I decided to pay the truck another visit. My second dish was the Chicken Souvlaki, which costs EGP 50. The very tender slices of grilled chicken were paired with the standard filling of tomatoes, onions and fries.
This time, I went for the Tzatziki sauce, which is a mix of yogurt, mayonnaise, little pieces of cucumber and most importantly, garlic. The sauce had a hint of lemon, giving its creamy texture a sour kick. It perfectly complemented the chicken, while adding depth to the standard filling flavors. Despite being a foreign cuisine, the flavors of this sandwich were quite familiar, leaving no room for wonder or awe but plenty for satisfaction.
Overall, the sandwiches were delicious, well presented and perfectly executed. Seecoz made sure to pair its Greek cuisine with Egyptian generosity; both my sandwiches were to the brim with Greek goodness.
There is, however, room for additions to the menu of the up-and-coming Greek food truck. One addition, I believe, should be introducing Greek drinks and possibly offering more than one kind of bread.
Another adjustment that I, and any cheese-lover, would definitely enjoy is giving customers the option to add cheese to the mix, because, let’s face it, cheese makes everything a little better!
With Seecoz, you can expect to pay less than EGP 100 in return for generous portions and a quality you may not easily find in many of Cairo’s popular restaurants.
