Mexicali Is Cairo's Answer to Californian-Mexican Fusion

Mexicali, the new Cali-Mex restaurant in Palm Hills, is delivering what looks like a proper snow cone in a salt-rimmed glass, neon-bright, impossibly smooth, and nothing like the syrupy frozen drinks that come from spinning dispensers at mediocre Mexican chains. The secret, it turns out, is an actual slushie machine that owner Galal ElKerdany went out and bought specifically for this purpose. "I haven't seen one in Egypt so far," he says. The slushy margaritas come in flavours like pineapple, mango jalapeño, and passionfruit. Guests can also order their cocktails as pitchers or frozen, but the slushie version - tart, boozy, brain-freezingly cold - has quickly become a cult favorite.

ElKerdany, the founder of GK Hospitality, opened Mexicali only recently, but the concept has been years in the making. "All of my friends growing up in Egypt loved Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine," he explains, "and the only restaurants they really had to choose from was Chilli's and Fridays." For anyone who came of age in Cairo's dining scene over the past two decades, this rings painfully true. Those chains were the default, reliable, yes, but about as exciting as a reheated burrito. "I've been wanting to provide them with a more refined Tex-Mex experience," he adds.
ElKerdany is a tequila enthusiast, "anyone that knows me knows that tequila is my go-to drink of choice". He built the entire concept around showcasing premium spirits. The bar stocks imported brands from around the world. The cocktail menu, he says, is "carefully curated to fit everyone's taste," with flavours ranging from fruity and refreshing to smoky and spiced. Bartenders work through a minor production for each order, muddling herbs, squeezing fresh citrus, pouring from bottles most Cairo drinkers have seldom if ever encountered.

The name Mexicali comes from the Southern California border town, but also reflects ElKerdany's vision of fusing Mexican and Californian flavours. "With California being the closest state to Mexico, if you go to Southern California that's where the blend of flavours really happens," he explains. The menu embodies that hybrid sensibility. There's a Baja Gordita, a thick taco stuffed with minced beef, tomatoes, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, and Baja sauce, which ElKerdany notes is "only available in the south region of California." The gordita arrives warm and overstuffed, satisfying and only ever eaten with both hands.
When asked which dish best represents Mexicali, ElKerdany hesitates a bit. "It's difficult to select a specific dish as we have many great ones," he tells SceneEats. But he settles on the Chipotle Shredded Chicken Tacos, made with a house chipotle sauce and home-smoked adobo peppers. The brisket tacos, he adds, are already a crowd favorite.

Chipotles, it turns out, are central to everything Mexicali does. "Chipotles are our most important ingredient," ElKerdany says. "The smokey spiced flavour of the chipotle pepper are super important on our menu to add that authentic taste that differentiates us from the other restaurants around." He and his team spent months perfecting their secret house sauces; flavours are layered, complex, nothing like the one-note heat from other kitchens. "We spent a long time perfecting our secret house sauces and the guests can really notice this when they taste our dishes," he notes.
As for desserts, the Torrija has been getting "incredible feedback" from guests, according to ElKerdany. The dessert arrives warm, a thick slice of brioche soaked and caramelized, with a custard center that oozes out when cut. "It's already proven to be in our top three desserts across any of our GK venues," ElKerdany says.

The space itself feels like two restaurants in one. Indoors, dimmed lighting creates an intimate, speakeasy-esque atmosphere, where groups can settle in for a long night of tequila and tacos. Outside, a sprawling patio features soft lounges and an outdoor bar, perfect for sunny lunches or families looking for a more casual scene during the day. ElKerdany and his team designed everything in-house, "from start to finish," he says, "so that we could ensure we curated a space that everybody will love and the perfect setting for the experiences we want our guests to have."
What sets Mexicali apart, ElKerdany elaborates, is the uncompromising approach to food. "It's all about our food. It's comfort food done right, with no compromises from start to finish." That means importing the best ingredients when necessary and creating everything else in-house. "Mexican food was my favourite cuisine growing up in the states," he says, "so I was never going to cut any corners in developing this menu, exactly as it should be."

Cairo's dining scene has become increasingly competitive in recent years, but ElKerdany has his own theory about what makes restaurants succeed. "I'm not sure if diners are becoming more adventurous but I think what makes restaurants successful anywhere in the world is when the owner of that restaurant is involved in the kitchen," he says.