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
to know eggplant is to love eggplant. it provides the only yong tau foo variant that i enjoy. there must be a tragic story to why the bald one hates it…
Hmm, I’m not sure about mashed potatoes in moussaka, but everything does look nice 🙂
You can’t be more than forty!!!
Nice place and interesting Greek food!
So, I shouldn’t send you both an invite if I ever decide to get married on the island of Santorini? What a horrible Greek tragedy that’ll be.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is depressing.. i read it and didn’t wanna live anymore! eek ,LOL
hairyberry “WILL U MARRY ME UR SO HAMSUM!” (oh w8 a minute, ayam oredi married!) i am assuming that the other hand in the collage belongs to mr quadrilogy.. izit?!
love the 1st shot coz it reminds me of the veins in an old man’s hands. Cumi hates celery and I have yet to learn how to mask the taste with anything:P
Sean: I’m like you…in YTF, that’s the first thing that I will reach for. Tragic story? Nahhh. I’ve asked his mom. I think it runs in his genes, coz his brothers hate it too. Funnily enough, the women they married all love eggplant and our MIL cooks the dish specially for us girls. We’re lucky girls indeed.
Manggy: Shhhhh…not so loud! 😀 Yar, the mashed potatoes seems a little weird, but it works!
peteformation: It is! Thanks for visiting.
A Lil Fat Monkey: We’d overcome all differences and adversities for you, my sweet BFF. Shall I book a flight ticket now? 😀
cumidanciki: Yar, the book made me quite depressed, especially after realising that social conditions for women here in Malaysia could be better. Hairyberry would be flattered to receive a proposal from you, sexay Ciki. You’re like the trophy wife….beautiful, intelligent and articulate. 🙂 Yes, the other hand does indeed belong to Mr Quadrilogy. No, celery is difficult to mask, and I’d throw it in the same category as eggplant….the no hope category. 😀
Couldn’t have ever imagined associating Plath with Mamma Mia! but you’ve done it again! Ha! Eggplant love/hate camps can be extremely trying on relationships I agree… but if the Greeks can mask it in a moussaka, who’s to say we can’t attempt similar deception in our humble Malaysian kitchens? 😛
You are such a sweetie LL (to forsake eggplant in your kitchen)!
hahahah you’re too funny!
I’m with Bald Eagle… I don’t like eggplant.
Your pictures are looking rather hairy these days…
minchow: I love bizarre associations. 🙂 Yes, now that you mentioned it, Robson Heights Restaurant in Seputeh does a mean crispy deep fried eggplant dish with pork floss! This has also passed the test of our relationship. Phew!
J: Yes, the sacrifices a wife has to make!
KY: Where got? 😛
Frat Mustard: I think it’s a guy thing. I know loads of guys who don’t eat eggplant either. Yes, HairyBerry has that effect on my pictures.
guys only eat lady’s fingers donch you know.
such a brilliant post. i am checking my calendar for when to go greek.
you are indeed the alpha and omega.
i think we should all get dressed up (Grecian style) and go eat here! wan ..? hehe
I’ve never tried dolmades – to be honest, they’ve always seemed a little intimidating. Oh and that chocolate flan looks delicious, mmmm. 🙂
im not gonna bring my camera if i go eat here, i tell ya.. nobody is gonna read my post after they’ve seen this one .. chis .. *sniffle* pfft..
fatboybakes: now who’s being sarky? chis!
cumidanciki: I’m afraid I’ve misplaced my grecian goddess dress. but sure, i’d love to go eat here wif ya!
Katie: Oh ya hor! I forgot to talk abt the chocolate flan! It was very good…gooey and melty!
cumidanciki: tok kok lar u. ptooi.
this plc is on my must-eat list, everything looks sooo interesting..
hhmm..when when when…
Hey Becks, it’s a great restaurant. Hope you’ll like it as much as I do. 🙂
Yay! ur gonna come to my big fat greek wedding…in togas!
eggplants, brinjals or whatever they call it, are cool lah. almost all major cuisines in malaysia and the world over have made use of it. but i guess one man’s eggplant is another man’s durian lah. a durian moussaka, anyone?
that was a great outing, despite the annoying lion dance routine. instead of scaring ghosts, i guess that attracted lots of gwai lo. hehe.
I wouldn’t say no to Moussaka myself, esp with those thick/creamy/sinful bechamel, and gamey minced lamb. KL-ites really, really have it well, with such rich array of cuisines tucked in hidden (and not so hidden) corners.
i have to say that i tried vine leaves once and it didnt sit very well with me.. The rest though- it looks DIVINE!
I adore eggplant almost as much as I adore unagi. Waitaminute, has anyone created a dish with both unagi AND eggplant? Yumsss…
Munkeyboy: Togas or nothing oso, we be there!
Hairyberry: Not just gwailos lah. Everyone was rushing to the balcony to watch the show, remember? LOL. I like everything in moderation. 2 hours of cymbals clashing is too much for me!
J2Kfm: You’re sounding like BSG la. hehe. But you’re right…we’re a lucky bunch indeed.
daphne: Thankfully, I don’t have your aversion for vine leaves. I think the taste of the cooked rice masked it well.
Life for Beginners: Unagi and eggplant? Why dontchu try it and invite me over? 🙂
How could anyone NOT like eggplant?! *fumes defensively*
Reading ur blog is making me drool. Stop!!!!
Simon, really? Stop? LOL. Cute la you.