Kebab, Kabab, etc

Last Saturday, I finally got the chance to eat at Cyma for Tito Bobby's birthday. Cyma is if not the only Greek restaurant in the country, and we've been wanting to eat there for a long time. Greece has always been on my top must-see places, and I am equally curious about their food.

First, we had an appetizer platter of pita bread and various dips: hummous, tzatziki, melitzanosalata, htipiti and taramosalata. Tzatziki, which is yogurt with cucumber and garlic puree, stood out for me. Next came Roko Salata, which is a signature salad at Cyma. No wonder it's one of their best sellers, it's absolutely fantastic. I loved the crunch of the walnuts with the sweetness of the dressing and the freshness of the greens. The salad also included shreds of parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes. Yum! I have slowly been discovering and loving a number of salads, mainly because my Tia tries to go on a diet and I get curious when she tries new recipes. I have a new favorite; sorry apple and walnut salad.

I think our Gyros came next. They're cuts of grilled meat with tzatziki, onions and tomatoes. Something like a healthier shawarma. I got the chicken version while Bea got the lamb version. Then Ina's salmon, Tito Bob's chicken shish kebabs, and Tia's lamb chops arrived on our already full table. The salmon was nothing special but the kebabs and the lamb tasted great. However the lamb wasn't very tender, so minus pogi points for that. But most definitely, they have big servings of amiably-served and flavorful Greek dishes

Greek cuisine definitely raked up points on my palette. I really liked the taste, freshness and simplicity of their dishes, or at least the ones I got to try. From my observation, it's like Italian cuisine and Persian cuisine combined. The Persian influence was strong in the sauces and dips, while the Italian impact was manifested in the greens and herbs used. Now that I think about it, Greece is indeed between these two cultures, geographically speaking. Moreover, during the ancient times, these two civilizations were constantly trying to expand their territories hence the melting and forging of their cultures.

This food trip, and birthday celebration, has been a real treat. Can't wait for the next one! :)