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Chef
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Elaine El-Essawy
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Hello, I'm Elaine! For me, cooking is a vocation; I've been cooking professionally for over 10 years, and I only ever cook food that I like to eat.
It has been my pleasure to feed the people around the Swiss Cottage/Camden area for a number of years, running a market stall situated between the Hampstead Theatre and the Central School of Speech and Drama. I have catered for many great events over the years, and have never failed to deliver exceptional food every time.
I also have a small but unique deli shop in Ferdinand Street, Camden, and am open throughout the week for mid afternoon light bites or weekend evening treats.
I am delighted to now be working with Housebites, and am very excited about the prospect of sharing my food with even more people. If you would like me to prepare something special for you, please let me know.
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My Meals
Mutton Tagine with Vegetable Cous Cous
Mutton Tagine with Rice or Cous Cous
Chicken Noodle Soup
Kushary- Egyptian Speciality
Chicken Soup with Rice
Savoury Crepes
Potato and Pea Frittata
Mackerel Fillets on a Warm Salad
Mixed Veg Mezze Platter for 2 to Share
Mixed Veg Mezze Platter for 2 to Share
Breast of Chicken
Chilli con Carne
Beef and Bean Stew with Tamarind
Beef Lasagne
Beef Kufta MeatBalls in Tomato Sauce
Teriyaki Salmon
Roasted Beetroot and Feta Salad
Venison sausages
Salt Beef and Bean Stew
Chicken Curry
Chicken Cacciatore
Lamb & Rosemary Sausages
Shepherd's Pie
Duck and Orange Sausages
Lamb Molokhia
Traditional Lamb Moussaka
Prawn Curry
Egyptian Breakfast
Breakfast Frittata
Sausage and Beans
Spicy Thai Style Fish Soup
Lunch Box
Pheasant and Pear Sausages
Lamb Chop Meal
Warm Salmon Salad
Courgette and Feta Frittata
Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Chicken Provençal
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My Reviews
Elaine came to my rescue when fish steak I was going to cook didn't defrost quickly enough. The chicken was tender and delicious; the lentils were beautifully spiced. And the cake was too much to finish in one sitting. Thank you! - Lynn, NW5
The food was healthy, filling and convenient. Delivered on time and the added Tahini completed the meal nicely.
Thank you very much - Vishal, NW6
A home-cooked, healthy flavour- well, the 'Very Naughty Chocolate Dessert' is worth the calories! I feel much more satisfied than after a regular takeaway. Good portion sizes and friendly delivery. I forgot to select which drink I wanted when I ordered and was offered a choice when the food arrived! Thank you. - Dani, NW1
Excellent food and very good portions! Yummy!! - Deepa, NW8
Delicious food arrived right on time - Andres, NW5
Brilliant. Fresh and good value. - Drew, W1T
very nice indeed. especially the potato and pea frittata and tamarind beef stew. recommend to anyone who enjoys home style cooking. a whole lot of time and thought gone into these dishes! - frank, N1
Terrific meal. The kushary was delicious. And the chocolate dessert was so rich, I can only eat a little at a time: it'll see me over the weekend! - Lynn, NW5
I have tried a few options on housebites and hers is the best I have had. Highly recommended. - Christian, N19
We received an abundance of delicious food and enjoyed every last crumb! Thank you Elaine. - Dieudonnée, NW5
Delivered personally, piping hot, great size portions. Fresh flavours, home cooked feel. Perfect all round. - Simon, W1W
Our food arrived on time with a super friendly smile! It was absolutely delicious, especially the red cabbage salad and moist, flavoursome teriyaki salmon. Fresh, tasty and great size portions, it felt healthy and like a special treat all at the same time! Thank you! - Katie, N6
My first order - it was excellent and I will definitely be using the service again! - Tariq, W1G
Lovely meal - good quality and portion size. - Sy, NW6
Great tasting food. And lots of it! - Daniel, W2
I have a new housebites favourite! The Chicken Curry by Elaine was a masterpiece tonight. The meal arrived super super hot and the curry and rice were flawless. Lots of natural flavour in the green curry - better than you'll get in a Thai restaurant in fact! I still can't believe that this was a home delivery...Elaine also kindly provided me with a pancake with a side of lemon as it is pancake day. A really nice and thoughtful touch! - Henry, NW1
Completely fab. Thank you Elaine! Delivered to my door by the lady herself, the broth was meaty, flavoursome and full of fresh crunchy veg. Pak choi a fab touch. Warm and comforting, yum yum yum. - Olivia, NW1
Good portion of food. Needed slightly more sauce. - Kieran, NW1
Elaine is my hero. She cooked delicious, healthy food, served in generous portions, and delivered it right to my doorstep. Thank you, Elaine! - jean, W1G
Both meals were absolutely delicious! - Frances, N6
Food was fantastic! Portions were huge and I wish I could order the same again tonight! - Joe, W1T
Lovely meal. Really fresh salads and generous portions - fiona, N6
We'll be trying out more dishes from Elaine'e menu and from other chefs' menues in the near future. Great service! Thank You. - Melissa, WC1X
The chicken soup was good although it was a bit of a surprise that the chicken was on the bone and came in a separate container. The meatballs were very average. The salad was good.
The food was delivered at least 45 minutes after expected. We probably would have ordered from somewhere else if we had known it would be so late. - Josine, NW5
Meal arrived on time by Elaine but I was disappointed unfortunately. - Jo, N4
Very generous portions. The chicken was delicious - and very tender, as was the okra. Perfect for a cold evening meal. - Lynn, NW5
As always, Elaine's cooking was fantastic! The chicken was perfectly cooked and seasoned and I really enjoyed the spicy tomato sauce on top of the cous cous, which itself was well balanced, moist and full of delicious vegetables. A truly enjoyable and healthy meal! - Henry, NW1
Kushary was lacking flavour and taste and nearly enough salsa. Would not recommend it. - mahmoud, NW8
Thank you very much. - Nargis, N5
Mutton Tagine with rice and the Kushary were both excellent! Food was also delivered in the lashing snow by Elaine which was greatly appreciated. Rice pudding was creamy and tasty but also light - and was a very generous portion. Also a fantastic selection of vegetarian food compared to other housebites chefs. All in all we were very happy with everything and definitely will be ordering again! - Orla, N7
Quality was high but taste very average so dry! difficult to swallow...more sauce please! Quantity for price unsatisfactory. I was overall unhappy with the meal. - Govind, W1W
Delicious food, highly recommended, delivered by the lovely Elaine - thank you for a wonderful meal, looking forward to next time! - Edward, N7
we loved everything, really unusual flavours, a tasty treat, we will be back! - carol-anne, NW3
Lovely food! - STELA, NW3
Absolutely delicious! the mezze was yummy and the herby salad fantastic! Ill be ordering the chicken curry again....Thanks Elaine! - Tom, N5
Lovely warming comfort food. Generous portions and great service. Thank you! - Margaret, N1
Absolutely delicious. Thankyou! - Lola, N7
Great food. Very tasty. I mustn't have read the fine print because I ended up with a mountain of rice & couscous (I didn't realise that a portion came with each dish). The food arrived slightly outside the allotted time, but given that I ordered after 8pm for a 9-9:30pm slot, it was still pretty impressive, and was delivered by Elaine herself! Impressive! - John, W1U
I was delighted with Elaine's Mutton Tagine - the mutton was beautifully cooked and seasoned and was really tender and juicy! The vegetable cous cous was brilliant too and, with the salad alongside, the meal was really warm, filling and rejuvenating! Highly recommended combo for a winter evening in! - Henry, NW1
The meal was fantastic, the food was delicious and arrived hot. Will definetly use the service again - Archie, NW1
The foood arrived on time and was hot and tasty and the portions were generous. We are grateful to Elaine for having made the menu substitution that we requested. She probably has underpriced her product! - Kenner, N1
Very yummy!! Just what I needed. Will be ordering the same meal again I'm sure. - Zemmy, NW8
Excellent dinner for a chilly winter's evening - Gabby, N7
Despite being delivered over 20 minutes past my order window, I must say I am impressed with the quality of food. The chicken soup was rich and flavoursome and the whole thigh of chicken was a pleasant surprise. But that was overshadowed by the frittata - which was sensational. Appreciate it's early days and you're trying to do something of real value here - teething problems will always occur. Good luck moving forward with the service. - Andrew, N8
Ordered from Elaine El-Assawy. Really good food, arrived very hot. Fresh tasting. Really liked the chilli. - Gary, NW11
The soup in particular was absolutely delicious, and both were very generous portions. Very nice supper! - Harriet, N5
Excellently cooked. Exactly the right temperature, fresh tasty ingredients, perfectly seasoned. Faultless. - Stephen, SW1Y
The chicken portions were generous but were a little on the dry side & lacked flavour. Vegetable cous cous variety of vegetables. The whole have benefitted from a sauce flavoured with the marinade ingredients.
- LESLEY, NW3
Elaine cooked my meal perfectly - the flavours of the meatballs and tomato sauce were divine and the mashed potato was plentiful and filling. A really hearty meal, perfect for the winter! The salad was unbelievably fresh and tasty too, with a great dressing. All-in-all, a perfect meal. - Henry, NW1
It was all very delicious!! - Georgina, N5
Dressing on salad was very fine. Great kick to lentil soup. Very generous portion of Kushary. Slightly too much couscous for my taste with the chicken, but that's not a criticism. We will order from Elaine again. - John, N7
Exceptional service delivered to your door. I was impressed to see Elaine, herself, delivering my dinner. Order delivered on time and Elaine couldn’t be any friendlier with her warm smile.
I knew I was stepping out of my comfort zone by ordering a dish, which I may not like but was eager to try. The combination of flavours was not what I would expect from a meal, but this is me. The food was prepared with love and attention to detail, but most importantly, fresh.
Definitely recommended to those who like spices and Mediterranean food. - Dima, N7
Despite being located 2.9 miles from Elaine, dinner was delivered hot and on time. Both the chicken and the beef dishes were generous, with lean cuts of meat, and tasted healthy, authentic and homemade. Will definitely be ordering again. - Alexi, EC1Y
The beef stew was delicious and the peas are a meal in themselves. I look forward to trying other dishes! - rebecca, WC1H
Really delicious. Thank you so much. Will definitely order again in the future! - Mary, N7
As the food was different to what I typically order or have had I wasn't really sure what to think, but everything was flavourful and tasty. The attention to detail (such as mixed peppercorns in the Greek Salad) was excellent. - Jamie, NW1
This was a last minute order made less than an hour before requiring the meal for visiting friends. I was fully expecting it to arrive late. We were delivered a hot and tasty meal by the Chef's young son (with driver) who took his role very seriously. I appreciated that. Thank you. - Tessa, NW1
Ordering with Elaine was our first experience with housebites and we loved it! Everything we ordered was flavorful and delicious. We would definitely recommend ordering from her. She hand delivered the food herself and it was warm upon arrival. She also through in some extra falafels! Thanks Elaine for a great meal! - Natalie, N1
