Cairomum (Formerly Mama Nadia's Kitchen) — Restaurant in Victoria

Last week, we had our first-ever visit to the Public Market—and what a fantastic venue! The atmosphere was lively and full of energy, making it a perfect setting for a dinner adventure. We decided to try Mama Nadia’s, our first experience with Egyptian cuisine, and it was certainly memorable.

We were lucky to be served by Ahmed, who also prepared our meal. He was incredibly warm, friendly, and helpful, taking the time to walk us through the menu and share his recommendations. We ordered the lamb shank bowl and the falafel.

The flavors were bold and the spice profile was unlike anything we’d tried before. Egyptian food was a new experience for us, and while we really appreciated the opportunity to try something different, the particular sauce on the lamb and the texture of the falafel (green mush) weren’t quite to our taste.

That said, Ahmed went above and beyond—he even brought us some hummus to try, which was a lovely gesture. He was genuinely interested in hearing our thoughts and made us feel so welcome. Although the food itself wasn’t a hit for us personally, Ahmed’s hospitality and kindness made the evening truly enjoyable.

If you're curious about Egyptian cuisine and want a warm, welcoming introduction, Mama Nadia’s is definitely...

I’ve now ordered twice from Mama Nadia’s and i had to write a review about our experiences so far. If you are looking for authentic middle eastern specialty dishes that you will fall in love with on the first bite? This is the place on Vancouver island! We’ve had the chicken fetteh, so luscious over their lovely rice vermicelli pilaf, that sauce mixture is sooo good. Be Adventurous! You MUST love flavor! Garlic, the obvious hand blended spices (I’m sure mama does herself). Anyway, the juicy lamb..oh my gosh! Succulent and spiced amazing. Make sure you get their garlic dip on the side. You can thank me later! Just go, or seriously use one of your delivery guys and order in. We had plenty of food for two with ordering a second lamb shank and extra fantastic potatoes! No they’re not going to be what you think at all..that gravy is award winning on its own! Cheers to everyone at Mama Nadia, thanks for keeping it real! Now mama C can have a break once in awhile from cooking more often, ordering again...

Absolutely incredible food!! I ordered the lamb shank and am blown away by how delicious this is. Life-changing lamb shank. I'm not even kidding you this is a Michelin star restaurant level dish. The lamb is so tasty and fall off the bone. On top of that, each side component is complementary and well flavored, spiced, and balanced (the potatoes are very good and I dont usually like potatoes that much!). I haven't eaten something this delicious in a LONG time. I live in Toronto and I wish I could bring this home with me to share with my loved ones...it's so good I think I need to have it again before I leave!! The service was also very kind and heartfelt. You can tell that there is a lot of love in this business and the food they make and I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to try their dishes and support...