Feast like a Greek at the city’s finest family-style restaurant in town.
It’s a joy to surrender to the Greek way of living. Greece’s welcoming people, mouthwatering food and drink, and joyful music make it easy to succumb to this easygoing lifestyle. It’s even better when you don’t even have to hop a plane to do it, so surrender yourself—right here in Abu Dhabi—with a feast at Eat Greek Kouzina.
Kouzina means kitchen in Greek, and this spot takes its role as a Greek kitchen seriously. They want guests to feel as though they’ve been welcomed into a true Greek kitchen, and the vibe comes off effectively and immediately when you enter with the warm greetings you receive and the easy, breezy décor.
When at Eat Greek Kouzina, Yalla suggests you bring the whole brood and eat as the Greeks do. After sunset, report to this fine al fresco outlet and order a medley of mezedes (appetisers) to share family-style. The selection, while predictable, never gets old: garlic dip, fava bean dip, tzatziki dip (made from yogurt, cucumber, and mint), or all three on a single serving platter; fried eggplant or zucchini; Greek salad.
Splash out with a flaming saganaki appetizer. Your server will drench the firm brackish Greek cheese in a sugary anise-scented Greek spirit then it’s lit a fire. The presentation is worth the order alone, but once you taste this dish, you will be hooked whether you are a cheese-lover or not. Just be sure to eat it while its hot.
A Greek meal usually includes something from the sea, such as grilled calamari or octopus, sardines, or a plate of fried small fish. With the smaller fried fish, the Greeks tend to wolf down the entire thing, and we suggest you try it! They’re flavour is divine.
In this Kouzina, grilled octopus as a main is king, so we suggest you try it even if you think you are not a fan of the ancient denizen of the deep—it’s likely this will be your new favourite. When cooked properly, octopus develops a lovely flavor and texture, and the way this kouzina prepares it render it in a manner that can only be described as an intersection of scallop and the most tender calamari that tastes a bit like chicken.
Unaccustomed as we are, we tried a trio of desserts, and they were all divine. You can’t really go wrong with a sweet treat and a coffee at the end of any feast.
Eat Greek Kouzina, Ground Floor, Galeria Mall, 02 309 2323
CHEF INTERVIEW: Go Greek with Chef Theo
Greek food is considered to be family food, i.e served family style and enjoyed in groups. Would you say this is what Eat Greek Koyzina aims for?
The signature of the Greek cuisine is based on sharing (“mirazo” in Greek),” and that is Eat Greek Kouzina’s guiding principle. You can see it in practice every Friday and Saturday when the restaurant is filled with, children, families, young and old people—just like a big Greek celebration.
Kouzina means kitchen in Greek. What is the significance of the Greek kitchen?
The significance of the Greek kitchen is the simplicity of a perfectly ripe tomato at the right time in the height of summer sprinkled with fresh oregano, olive oil, and feta.
What is your signature dish, and why should everyone try it?
Surely, you’ve have seen a picture of hanging octopus around the Aegean islands (They are hung to dry so they boil more easily). One of my favorite dishes on our menu is the grilled octopus, which we first cook “sous vide” and then finish it on the grill. It’s traditionally accompanied by a four bean salad and a pure of fava from Santorini island.
What makes Greek food so special?
Simplicity!
How do you want dinners to feel when they leave your restaurant?
Full of memories and happy with the food.
Pastitsada (for 2)
Chef Theo invites the Greek-curious amateur home chefs to try to make his Pastitsada at home. Not only is this dish emblematic of the island nation, it’s delicious and not too hard to make once you get past its long list of ingredients.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 65 gr olive oil
- 350 gr white onion
- 9 gr garlic
- half chicken (Approx 500 gr, cut into 4 pieces)
- 120 ml red grape
- 38 gr tomato paste
- 7 gr brown sugar
- 330 gr whole peeled tomato can
- 400 gr chicken stock
- 160 gr raw spaghetti No 7 (± 320 gr cooked)
- 1 gr spitsierika* (if you can’t find this spice mixture, substitute is below.)
- Kefalotyri cheese or Parmesan for the top
- Salt and pepper to taste
Process:
Put the olive oil in a hot pan, season the chicken, and sauté well until golden brown. Remove from the chicken from the pan and add the onion. Sauté the onion until it’s golden brown, then add garlic and sauté for two-three minutes, add the chicken back into the pan and the red grape. Allow the liquid to evaporate, then add the tomato paste and sugar. Stir together briefly and then add the tomato juice and chicken stock. Add the bay leaf and spitsierika (or substitute spice mix). Simmer the mixture for approximately two hours on a low temperature until the sauce to become thicker. Boil the pasta in the salted water for 7-8 minutes. When the pasta is ready, strain and then mix it into the sauce, then serve. Top generously with grated kefalotyri cheese.
Tip: The sauce is supposed to be reddish-brown in colour. To achieve this, you need to cook the onions well until golden-brown. Do not cut this step short.
*Spitsierika substitute
On Corfu island, you can buy a pre-made blend of spices called Spetseriko. It was originally sold at pharmacies for medicinal uses. Today, many small grocers sell this blend which can contain up to nine spices. Because it is not easy to travel all the way to Corfu to get it, you can substitute this mixture:
- 1 tspn ground cinnamon
- 1 tspn ground cloves
- 1 tspn ground allspice
- ½ tspn ground black pepper
- 1 tspn ground sweet paprika
- 1 tspn ground black pepper
- 1 tspn ground nutmeg
- 1 tspn cumin
- 5 bay leaves
- ¼ tspn ground spicy paprika
Process:
In a food processor, combine the spices and process into a fine powder. Store in an airtight container.
