Koshary, ful, and the Cairo breakfast cart

Koshary, a bowl of rice, lentils, pasta, chickpeas, fried onions, and tomato sauce, is Egypt's cheap national dish; Abou Tarek in downtown Cairo is the famous one and it's good. Ful (stewed fava beans) and ta'ameya (Egyptian falafel, made with fava) are the breakfast from street carts. Drink the sugar-cane juice from the shops with the crushing machines, and try feteer, the flaky layered pastry. Tap water isn't for drinking; bottled is cheap everywhere.