Celebrating Life at Greeka Kouzina
Popular
culture seems to enjoy associating the Greeks with celebration. If films
such as “Mamma Mia!” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” have anything to
say about the Greek way of life, it is that they are big-hearted folks
who find contentment in love, familial relationships and joy. Greeka Kouzina,
one of the newest—and the blessed few—Greek restaurants in Manila is
just as keen as expressing the celebration of life through their
delicious food.
“My partner and I took a while to fully conceptualize Greeka,” manager Kacy Chua shares. “I came from an advertising background, and my partner had the necessary culinary skills, so we decided to venture into the restaurant business. The next issue was, what kind of cuisine? We wanted to bring something new to the San Juan area; the idea of serving Greek food came up since we don’t have that here, so that’s what we ultimately decided on.”
Located at P. Guevarra Street in San Juan
Greek cuisine, in general, is one of the healthier ones. They make
wide use of olive oil, vegetables and various meats, which are prepared
by grilling or roasting. “This is one reason why I think Greeka has
clicked with the local community,” Kacy adds. “People nowadays are more
health-conscious, so the prospect of having good, healthy food is very
appealing.”
To start, I was asked to try out the Melitzanosalata (P130),
one of their most popular pita bread and dip appetizers. This is
basically charcoal-grilled eggplant mixed with various other vegetables
that come together to create something new and refreshing. Aside from
this, Greeka also serves large helpings of different kinds of salad to
satisfy their dining crowd. The Grilled Chicken Souvlaki Salad (P420),
according to Kacy, is highly popular with their male customers.
“Because of all the lamb dishes that we serve, the guys who eat here
hardly order any salad dishes,” she says with a laugh. “However, this
one has some meat with it, so I guess that’s why they enjoy it.” Indeed,
with the added charm of its char-grilled chicken souvlaki, this filling
bed of mixed greens, raisins and nuts becomes an ideal alternative for a
main dish.
Of course, Greeka quickly became heaven on earth for me thanks to the
invitation to sample two of their best-selling lamb dishes. The Arni Lemonato (P580)
is definitely my dish of choice for this restaurant. This is the
softest lamb I have ever had, which is not a surprise thanks to the five
hours diligently spent roasting the meat. It is juicy and tender, and
goes perfectly well with the lemon butter sauce and the gravy that is
served with it. The Paidakia (P560), on the other hand,
is a richer, more flavourful (but less tender, as this is the rib part)
lamb dish. Marinated in Greeka’s signature spices, the full-bodied
taste of the lamb meat is amplified to suit adventurous tastebuds. All
entrées are served with Greek mashed potatoes and your choice of siding.
Arni Lemonato
Paidakia
The sidings are quite a treat as well. At P180 each (when not ordered with an entrée), they serve as more than favorable companions to your main course. The Watercress Pasta
is one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had. It is cream-based, but
not at all heavy due to the refreshing taste of the watercress and
tomatoes. I also love the Moussaka for all its decadent cheesiness. It is, once again, eggplant-based with beef tomato sauce and cheesy béchamel.
Watercress Pasta
Moussaka
Greeka has really amazing desserts, too. I love how Greek yoghurt is a
big part of all of this because it is one of my most favorite things to
eat. Their not-so-traditional Baklava (P180), which is
layered phyllo with pistachio, walnuts and cashews, comes with a scoop
of this so that the sweet-sour flavours come together perfectly. The Greeka Yoghurt (P170), a classic guiltless pleasure, rests on a bed of sweet honey and is garnished with chopped pistachio nuts.
Baklava
Greeka Yoghurt
Patrons of Greeka, I’ve noticed, like to dine in groups. Kacy and her
staff often have a full house with customers willing to wait thirty to
forty minutes for their turn to be seated. It is not only a great place
to have some amazing food with the people closest to your heart, but a
perfect place to celebrate the wonders of life.
“My partner and I took a while to fully conceptualize Greeka,” manager Kacy Chua shares. “I came from an advertising background, and my partner had the necessary culinary skills, so we decided to venture into the restaurant business. The next issue was, what kind of cuisine? We wanted to bring something new to the San Juan area; the idea of serving Greek food came up since we don’t have that here, so that’s what we ultimately decided on.”
Located at P. Guevarra Street in San Juan
Arni Lemonato
Paidakia
Watercress Pasta
Moussaka
Baklava
Greeka Yoghurt
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