Asia House

Asia House is one of 2 restaurants in a building more or less opposite the Sky Cruise offices, past the Isis on the way to the Sheraton hotel. The Bombay is beneath it, one level above ground. Asia House is at the top, two floors up.

Asia House and the Bombay are similarly decorated. It has terracotta painted ceiling and pillars around varnished bare brick walls. The tables are arranged similarly to the Bombay but are dressed in white cloths over light green. Lighting is atmospheric but adequate.

The restaurant also appears to share some personnel - and their habit of playing games on a computer when they are not busy.

Although described as Chinese and Thai, there are very few Thai choices. Most main courses are between LE40 and LE45 although there are some outside this range. As usual with Asian meals, you have to add the price of your choice of rice or vegetable. Rices are between LE12 and LE20. At around LE60 for a meal and rice, this makes the meal more costly than most egyptian and international main courses outside the hotels but less than the nearby Red Dragon. There is a very small dessert menu, and not everything is always available, so if you like your fried banana you might need to check availability before you order your meal or go to the Red Dragon. Drink prices are around average or slightly above.

The meals we have taken have been good enough: probably on a par with the better Chinese meals in Europe. They are a little better than the Dragon menu at the Sinouhe, too, but also a little dearer, and not exceptional. The more recently opened Red Dragon, above the Grand restaurant, has slightly better meals, but higher prices and a less attractive environment.

Your choices if you like Chinese or Thai food are limited. You can go for a chinese style meal in a restaurant serving an international menu or you can pay a lot more at a hotel restaurant, such as the Thai in the Nile Palace. Chinese restaurant choices at this end of Luxor, outside hotels, are the Dragon at the Sinouhe (closed when this was written), the Red Dragon above the Grand, which is larger and less atmospheric or Asia House. We would choose Asia House.

 

Review updated March 2010
Prices at March 2010