| Sphinx
Restaurant Brings Taste, Atmosphere |
By Erin E. Fogg 
Observer Staff Writer |
| Kahlid Bekhet always planned on opening a restaurant one
day, and when he did it would be named after the neighborhood
where he grew up in Egypt, Sphinx Square. |
| The Sphinx Kabob Cafe opened about four months ago at the
front of the Sunset Business Park on Spring Street in Herndon.
The menu features primarily Persian food like kabobs and every
meal is accompanied by tanduri bread baked fresh every day
in the restaurant's special clay oven. |
| The 70-seat cafe also accomodates Lebanese and Egyptian
cuisine as well as a separate American-style menu with items
like steak and cheese sandwiches. While the kabobs are the
standout entree, appetizers like houmos and desserts like
baklawa provide a well-rounded meal. |
| Bekhet said he knew that when he opened that restaurant
he wanted to do it in the Herndon-Reston area. "The community
here is an educated community," he said. "You need
to give them a nice atmosphere." |
| While the quality of the food was his main concern in putting
together the restaurant, Bekhet said he went to great lengths
to ensure the Sphinx had an "artsy" fine dining
atmosphere. |
| His background in graphic design proved to be especially
useful in creating the layout of his restaurant. From the
mother of pearl details in the tabletops to the colors of
the wall hangings, Bekhet designed the Sphinx Cafe. Then,
he flew to Egypt. "I knew I could do something unique
if I traveled there," he said. |
| Bekhet spent months gathering pieces for the restaurant.
From the 150-year-old glass ceiling light and a quietly bubbling
fountain to a tea cart similar to those belonging to pharaohs,
every item found its place at the Sphinx. Even the bathrooms
have imported tile and decorative mirrors. |
| As beautiful as the atmosphere is, it is also relaxing.
Bekhet said he aimed to provide a welcoming place for people
to enjoy some unique food and chat casually with friends. |
| A 65-inch plasma screen television sits in one corner of
the restaurant, and Middle Eastern music station plays continually
on a speaker surround system. A handcrafted backgammon game
waits nearby for a pair of leisurely customers and an old
tabletop video game provides additional entertainment. There
is even wireless Internet for customers who bring their computers. |
| Bekhet does not serve alcohol at the restaurant but allows
hookah smoking during evening hours. He offers a wide variety
of flavored tobaccos for the device, which is also known as
a water pipe or shisha. |
| Nader Kalifa of Manassas said he discovered the Sphinx Cafe
soon after it opened about four months ago. At the time he
worked at nearby America Online and began coming to the restaurant
every day for lunch. Now that he has started working for Booz
Allen in McLean, Kalifa said he will be coming less but as
often as he can. "There are other places that do this
style, but this place really stands out," he said. |
| Kalifa said he passes by similar and more convenient restaurants
all the time to come to Sphinx because it is cleaner, well-ventilated,
and has a comfortable atmosphere. "This place is unique
in that the customer-owner relationship is great," he
said. |
| Kalifa said when he heard about the delicious food at the
restaurant and walked in to check it out for the first time,
Bekhet was at the door to greet him and shake his hand. "I
feel like I've known him forever," Kalifa said. "It's
just a very nice atmosphere." |
| While he seems stuck on his favorite chicken kabob dish,
Kalifa said he plans on broadening his horizons one day to
try other meals on the Sphinx Cafe menu. He has grown so attached
to the restaurant in fact, he has taken fliers to distribute
to friends and coworkers. |
| Bekhet said he is hoping to build a strong base of customers
like Kalifa over the coming months. Whether it is a quality
quick lunch they are seeking or a slow, casual dinner in a
relaxed atmosphere, he said he has a lot to offer restaurant
goers. |
| Future plans for the restaurant include finishing the second
floor to accommodate additional floor seating, Bekhet said. |
| Sphinx Kabob Cafe is at 137 Spring St. and can be reached
at 703-464-0001. |
