
‘Women in Music' Event in Cairo
Mar 19, 2025
Looking back on Maii Waleed's stunning unplugged performance at the first 'Women in Music' event in Cairo, co-hosted by SceneNoise, Little Pink Book and Takwene at Yellow Tape Records, Maadi, a first-of-its-kind intimate gathering that brought together some of Egypt's top female artists and industry professionals to connect, inspire and celebrate the women shaping the region's music industry today.
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CairoScene
8 hours ago
- CairoScene
Sanaa's Kitchen Is Feeding Amsterdam a Taste of Egypt
Sanaa's Kitchen Is Feeding Amsterdam a Taste of Egypt In a cosy corner of Amsterdam, where the canals reflect the hustle of a city that's never quite as calm as it looks, Hader Serour is cooking up more than just food. At 28, this Egyptian-born chef has left behind a career in civil engineering to build something entirely different—a kitchen full of stories, flavours, and memories. Her brand, Sanaa's Kitchen, named after her mother, isn't just a place to eat—it's a place to feel. A modern take on Egyptian cuisine that's as rich and complex as the country itself. Hader's journey, however, didn't start in the kitchen. Born in Egypt, she moved to Ireland at age 10, before settling in the Netherlands, where she continued to build a life that seemed as secure as it was structured. With a stable career ahead of her, she might have continued down a predictable civil engineering path. But the world had other plans for her. 'It was like I was missing something,' Hader tells SceneEats. 'Engineering was logical, it made sense. But food? Food was where my heart was. The way it connects people, tells stories, makes you feel… that's what I wanted.' That longing first took shape in her early 20s. Sparked by her friends' love for her mum's cooking, she started a humble Instagram page for her mother's home-cooked Egyptian meals. At the time, she was studying in Ireland, toting tupperwares of koshary and kunafa to university lectures. Hader saw firsthand how diaspora kids—herself included—craved the flavours of home whilst internally struggling with identity and shame. And so, what began as a social media side project soon became a lifeline for homesick Egyptians, a digital bridge between Ireland and Cairo. And it all started during a soul-searching trip to Zanzibar. Sitting with friends on a sun-bleached beach, the group began mapping out their futures. 'We were all asking: What do you really want to do?' For Hader, the answer had been simmering for years. 'I realised I'd been dreaming of sharing the meals I grew up with—not just the flavours online, but the way Egyptians gather in real life. The chaos of a family table, everyone talking over each other, reaching for the same dish.' That conversation cracked something open. Returning to Amsterdam, she resurrected her grandfather's ta'ameya recipe. Then, she rebranded her mother's Instagram experiment, turning it into a canvas for her own culinary voice. Early pop-ups became experiments in intimacy: strangers bonding over fried eggplant and pickled onions. At first, the logistics were anything but glamorous. A young woman cycling across Amsterdam, hauling frozen falafel mix in Uber rides, and hauling bags full of bold spices like za'atar and sumac to create her sandwiches. But then, her pop-ups quickly evolved into something more intimate. What started as small gatherings soon blossomed into a series of breakfasts that reimagined the flavours of Egyptian mornings—ful medames, gargir, and sobya—each dish serving as a connection to a faraway home. But, running a kitchen as a young Egyptian woman in Europe hasn't been without its challenges. 'Some people just see me as the 'foreign falafel girl,'' she smirks. 'Let them.' Sanaa's Kitchen definitely serves up more than just falafel. From the rich, garlicky molokhia to the perfectly spiced bamiya, Hader's menu is a love letter to Egypt—without the cliché. 'So many places play on the 'exotic' factor,' she laughs, 'but that's not what I'm about. I want people to see Egypt as it is today: diverse, vibrant, and real.' Her secret ingredient? 'Passion. Every dish is made with care, and people feel that.' But perhaps the real magic lies in the foundation laid by her mother, Sanaa, whose recipes—and tough-love kitchen sessions ('You're doing it wrong!')—have helped shape the woman Hader is today. When it comes to her future, Hader's vision is as fluid as her cooking style. 'The world's my oyster,' she grins. 'I want to let opportunities come naturally.' For now, she's focused on her residency, where she's introducing Dutch diners to Egyptian comfort food like koshari and tawa-grilled meats. Later on, there could be a food truck. Or a cookbook. Or perhaps even a culinary workshop where she teaches people how to make falafel with the kind of love only someone who's cooked it thousands of times can understand. Hader's story is more than just about food. It's about identity, resilience, and community. She uses her platform for activism, like during the 2023 Palestine crisis when she hosted fundraisers. She uses it to connect with people by bringing them closer to Egypt. She uses it to build a home that's not bound by geography, but by love, flavour, and community. So, if you happen to find yourself in Amsterdam, craving a taste of Egypt that feels like a warm embrace from your teta, Sanaa's Kitchen is where you'll find it.


CairoScene
4 days ago
- CairoScene
Select 345: Mixed by Nour Fahmy
Cairo's underground icon Nour Fahmy spices up our select series this week with a special acid-house mix. Jul 24, 2025 This week on Select, Cairo's underground favourite Nour Fahmy is coming through with a razor-sharp house mix that cuts through the noise, blending acid-leaning beats, crisp electro breaks and hypnotic minimal grooves. A masterclass in underground sound for the true professional ravers. Bon appétit. Listen to the full set below: SceneNoise · Select 345: Mixed by Nour Fahmy


CairoScene
16-07-2025
- CairoScene
Renowned Chef Mads Refslund Loves the Chaos of Egypt's Food Culture
In this Scene Eats exclusive interview, Refslund takes us through what it takes to create a dining experience that speaks to the people, place and culture of a space. Jul 16, 2025 On Egypt's North Coast, where the Mediterranean softens into a salt breeze and the desert exhales into design, Chef Mads Refslund is doing what he does best: starting from scratch. 'Everywhere I go,' he says, 'I'm trying to tell a story from the time and place I'm at.' That place, for now, is Ramla - Marakez's sandy beachfront escape, built for the art of slow living, is now the refined stretch of shoreline hosting the opening act of WHEN WE EAT's Signature Dinner Series - a month-long culinary project bringing global chefs to Sahel's coast from July 15 to August 15. First to arrive is Refslund, the Danish-born co-founder of Noma - one of the most influential restaurants in the world - and the chef behind Brooklyn's genre-defying ILIS, named Best New Restaurant 2023 by Esquire and Most Important Restaurant Opening 2024 by La Liste. A pioneer of the New Nordic movement, Refslund is known for his fire-and-ice cooking philosophy, his obsession with fermentation, and a forager's respect for the natural world. His three-night residency - running July 16, 17, and 19 - reframes coastal Egyptian ingredients through his singular lens. Think seafood, fruit, salt, flame. But don't expect a menu printed in advance. 'Everyone wants a menu up front,' he says, 'but I want to create it when I get here - when I can smell and taste everything.' That meant a 4 a.m. trip to Alexandria's oldest fish market, where chaos and tradition mingle in a salt-stung air. 'It felt like walking into something that's been happening for 60 years. Very hectic. But I loved it.' From those stalls to the seaside table, Refslund builds his menu in real time: hyper-local ingredients transformed through fire and intuition. 'It'll be a mix of the way we cook and all the ingredients from here,' he says. 'It has to feel rooted.' And though the flavours may be unexpected, his hope is human. 'Hopefully a lot of these people will become friends,' he says. 'Sharing a good meal is something that talks to the heart.' Refslund is just the beginning. He'll be followed by Kelvin Cheung of Jun's in Dubai (ranked No. 7 on MENA's 50 Best Restaurants 2025), known for his vibrant takes on diasporic Indian-Chinese flavours, and Brando Moros of Michelin-starred 11 Woodfire (No. 28 on the list), whose food draws power from char, smoke, and the purity of a single flame-kissed ingredient. The season's final supper takes place on August 15th, when Alex Atala - chef of D.O.M. in São Paulo (2 Michelin stars) - prepares a one-night-only multi-sensory dinner beside Ramla's tidal pools. For bookings head to: