Koshari Korner — Restaurant in Sydney

Hidden inside a beloved community centre in Marrickville, you’ll find a trailer-turned-eatery called Koshari Korner serving Egyptian street food. It’s a really charming set-up. There’s an undercover eating area with wall-art and floor mats of what appears to be a traditional Egyptian design - lots of red and yellow-hued patterns. I was first told about this place last year by someone who used to work in the community centre, and finally got the chance to visit with my friend Cherie from @thrivingonplants . We have a You Tube video coming soon so stay tuned!

As the name suggests, they specialise in koshari. It’s a dish that mixes pasta, rice and lentils, topped with fried shallots, chickpeas and sauce that very much resembles a tomato salsa. Despite being a carb-heavy dish, it feels exceptionally light when you eat it. I loved the tomato and earthy chickpea flavours coming through as you stir into it, and the crunch of the toppings. I was told that koshari is served on carts all over the streets of Egypt!

Other Egyptian snacks on the menu were quite reminiscent of the Middle Eastern Lebanese and Iraqi foods I was more familiar with - but different. They do sambousek (triangular pastries), but instead of a cheese or spinach filling, it had other veggies inside and you dip it into tahini or that tomato salsa sauce. They do falafel too, but the Egyptian falafel uses fava beans instead of chickpeas which results in more of a deep green colour, and a less soft filling texture. The BEST thing here though was the shakshouka. Their version used chickpeas, tomato, garlic and onion, olives and some of the tastiest slices of eggplant and silken tofu I’ve tried. Phenomenal with some flat-bread.

Note that there’s no egg in the shakshouka, so it’s a vegan dish. Actually, everything on their menu is vegan. Apparently meat was very expensive in Egypt when KK’s owner Walid was growing up there, so Egyptian street food with meat was uncommon. I’ve also heard they serve an incredible molokheya stew, a thick and flavourful soup, from another customer. I didn’t try it though, maybe next time 🙂

📍 Koshari Korner,...

I visited Koshari Korner for lunch and was pleasantly surprised by the quality and taste of their food. The restaurant is located in the Addison Road Community Centre, a vibrant and multicultural hub in Marrickville. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the service was quick and efficient.

I ordered the koshari, which is the national dish of Egypt. It is a hearty and satisfying bowl of rice, lentils, pasta, chickpeas, tomato sauce, and crispy fried onions. The koshari was well-seasoned and had a nice balance of textures and flavors. The tomato sauce had a hint of vinegar that added a tangy kick to the dish. The fried onions were crunchy and savory, and added a contrast to the softness of the rice and pasta.

I also tried the falafel, which were made with fava beans instead of chickpeas. They were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, with a beautiful green color. The falafel were spiced with 15 different spices that gave them a complex and aromatic flavor. They were served with tahini sauce, salad, and pita bread.

I enjoyed both dishes very much and felt full and satisfied after my meal. I would highly recommend Koshari Korner to anyone who loves Egyptian food or wants to try something different and delicious. It is a great place to experience authentic and affordable street...

Koshari Korner is a little pop up Egyptian Vegan street food vendor inside the Addison Road Community centre. The store originally opened in 2016 as a pop up stall, but now permanently part of the centre. The venue is super casual, you sit on little picnic type tables under a marquee type tent adjacent to the parking lot. The vibe is calm and the music makes you feel comfortable.

Owner Walid migrated to Australia and has made this business focusing on selling his Egyptian food, and in particular the iconic Koshari dish. We tried this and really enjoyed the vegan mix of lentils, pasta, and rice into a single dish topped with chickpeas, crispy onion rings and a fragrant tomato salsa.

We also shared crispy cauliflower with tahini, falafel bites with pickles and tahini, grilled eggplant with rocket and tahini.

We also tried the crispy little sambousek parcels, made with sweet potato, onion, cashews and spices.

The food was really tasty, sold at really reasonable prices and staff were nice and hospitable.

Drink wise they have coffee, tea and soft drinks. We tried a really refreshing iced hibiscus tea. It paired perfectly with the meal.

They open daily from 8 - 4, so a good option to pop...