Note: This restaurant is already closed.
Mediterranean cuisine is deemed as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. With dishes using healthy ingredients such as whole grain, fish, olive oil, and vegetables, Greek cuisine is something you'd want to eat every day.
I admire Greek cuisine, however, there isn't a lot of options for this particular cuisine in Manila and I was glad to be introduced to Kos Greek Ouzeri at UP Town Center.
Kos Greek Ouzeri is owned by Chef Mats Loo, who also owns First Gourmet Academy in Quezon City.
An Ouzeri is a Greek tavern that serves ouzo or Greek liquor along with mezedes and other small dishes.
Mezedes Sampler of 5 |
We started with Mezedes Sampler of 5 (Php 375) served with unlimited bread. We tried Melitzanosalata, Tzatziki, Hummus, Artichoke Spinach Spread, and Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic Spread. Melitzanosalata is roasted eggplant with garlic, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice while Tzatziki is yogurt-cucumber dip flavored with garlic, dill, olive oil, and lemon juice. I enjoyed all dips but I'm partial with Hummus, Artichoke Spinach Spread, and Melitzanosalata.
Kos Salata |
Bourou-Bourou |
For the salad, we had the Kos Salata (Php 350) and Bourou-Bourou (Php 165) for soup. Kos Salata is mixed greens salad with sun-dried tomatoes, dried figs, caramelized nuts, cheese, and grapes tossed with honey-grape vinaigrette while Bourou-Bourou is a vegetable soup with pasta and croutons.
For pasta, we tried the Pastitsio (Php 295) and Arni Me Kritharkia (Php 300).
Pastitsio |
Arni Me Kristharkia |
Pastitsio is a layered tube pasta with meat and tomato sauce topped with bechamel sauce. Arni Me Kristharkia is orzo pasta with lamb meatballs in tomato sauce. Pastitsio reminds me of lasagna but more flavorful while lamb meatballs in Arni Me Kristharkia give it a nice balance with the tomato sauce.
For the entrees, we were served the Chicken Souvlaki (Php 350) and the Lamb Fricasse (Php 380).
Chicken Souvlaki |
Lamb Fricasse |
A favorite of mine, the Chicken Souvlaki is huge chicken pieces on skewers with roasted veggies, yogurt with garlic sauce and red bell pepper sauce. You will never go wrong with this dish. The Lamb Fricasse is braised lamb with white onions, ouzo, leeks, lettuce, and potatoes. I admit that I don't eat lamb often because only a few chefs can make it really tender. I was impressed that Chef Mats was able to achieve the tenderness that I expect for lamb, with its thick sauce complementing the taste of meat quite well.
For desserts, we had the Lokoumades (Php 110) and Galaktoboureko (Php 180).
Lokoumades |
Galaktoboureko |
Lokoumades is the Greek version of doughnuts, served with sweet syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon and walnuts. Galaktoboureko is Greek custard pie in phyllo sheets with honey syrup. Chef Mats emphasized the use of lamb butter in the Galaktoboureko. The Greek desserts we had are delectable but not too sweet, which is satisfying for me.
Overall, Kos Greek Ouzeri is a food destination you should go to for real Greek food. I was surprised at how reasonable the prices of the dishes are considering that a lot of ingredients are sourced abroad. Kudos to Chef Mats Loo for making me discover this cuisine again. And yes, I will go back for more and probably have a shot (or two) of ouzo. ;)
Thanks to Kos Greek Ouzeri and Zomato Philippines for having us.
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Kos Greek Ouzeri
Ground Floor,
UP Town Center,
Katipunan Avenue,
Diliman, Quezon City
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