Greek Dolmades – Rolled Vine Leaf with Rice
I confess -I have no knowledge of Greek food, which begs the question, is it fair for me to give a critical appraisal of something that I know nothing of? I could let my tastebuds decide, for after all, if my tongue has been on active duty for *cough* forty *cough* years or so, it has to be a rather reliable tool, yes? Bald Eagle was in Greece a couple of years back, but he had painful memories there (watching Liverpool lose in the Champions League final) so broaching the subject of Greek food is suicidal (for me). Thanks to a recent reading of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, a book that in many ways paralleled Plath’s life, I have enlightened myself on the many ways of suicide and societal oppression, and a reference to Greece may well be another means of meeting my maker earlier than anticipated. So, what to do, what to do, I envision this land that I have never been to before, and images of Mamma Mia! The Musical flash before my eyes together with mountainous terrains, corinthian temples, Plato and moussaka.
Which brings me to the Greek Moussaka in Giovino. Bald Eagle would approve of this moussaka, simply because the lamb bolognaise, mashed potatoes and bechamel almost entirely masked the presence of the vegetable he detests the most – eggplant. This is where our marriage suffers; I have always favoured eggplant, but have been forced to eat it on the sly from the day we said “I do”. My kitchen has never seen an eggplant before, and this is a tragedy indeed.
The Greek Dolmades is apparently a rather popular appetizer. Stuffed with rice and herbs, this is refreshing and zesty. The Spanacopita and Kreatopita are names that roll of the tongue as effortlessly as they are consumed. Both are made with rather fluffy and airy phyllo pastry, one with sauteed spinach, and the other with minced meat. The Greek Bifteki looks deceptively like a piece of steak, but I liken it to an oversized burger patty, layered with emmenthal and bacon, making it an extremely flavourful piece of minced meat. All 300 grams of it.
To read more of Giovino‘s offerings, which include Italian food as well, check out Eat Drink KL’s quadrilogy.
Giovino
32, Changkat Bukit Bintang,
50250 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2141 1131
Spanacopita – Baked Sauteed Spinach in Filo Pastry
Kreatopita – Baked Minced Meat in Filo Pastry
Greek Moussaka
Greek Bifteki (300gm)
Warm Double Chocolate Flan with Vanilla Ice Cream
Pork Schnitzel, Duck Salad