On the premises where Toast Bar and Bistro used to stand, Yiamas Greeka Taverna brings a taste of Greece to a neighborhood dominated by Western-style restaurants such as Carnegie’s, The Diner (樂子) and Whalen’s. Opened earlier this month, the establishment’s menu, which mixes Greek-style dishes with classic brunch items, sandwiches, pasta, pizza and Mexican food, feels a bit odd, but, as we were told on a recent visit, its kitchen is currently undergoing a transition to become more Greek-focused. If the food keeps the same quality, Yiamas’ upcoming, revised menu is definitely something to look forward to.
Ambience-wise, the dimly lit restaurant has an intimate, relaxing comfort of a bar, accentuated by a slick palette of wooden brown, dark gray and white. Fluent in Mandarin and English, the wait staff appear both relaxed and attentive. With little knowledge of Greek cuisine, my dining companion and I relied on our server to make recommendations, which turned out to be just as delicious as promised.
We began our meal with rota salata (NT$320), said to be a popular Greek salad made up of fresh arugula, romaine and iceberg lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes, homemade candied walnuts served with shaved parmesan and Greek vinaigrette dressing. The dressing might be too sweet to some, but for people who claim to have a separate stomach for desserts like myself, it was nectar, and the candied walnuts were divine, adding a sense of excitement to the already cheerful mixture of flavors and textures.
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
Then came the souvlaki. Served with homemade pita bread, yogurt garlic sauce and roasted potato, Yiamas’ rendition of souvlaki features chicken (NT$290), lamb (NT$350) and beef tenderloin (NT$350). The beef we tried was flavorful and went well with the caramelized bell peppers and onions, though the meat seemed to be cooked to the level of medium-well rather than medium that we ordered. The yogurt garlic sauce was good, but in my opinion, the well-flavored, grilled delight needs no other seasoning than the slices of lemon served on the side.
Another dish that’s highly recommended is the kotoupolo lemonato (NT$380), or Greek roasted chicken. Seasoned with lemon, oregano and garlic, the bird was roasted to a succulent, tender perfection with even the breast moist, while the fruity, sour fragrance of the lemon wonderfully complements the otherwise rich plate. The large serving — half a chicken — is best shared among a group.
Satisfied with what we had and having no room left for dessert, my dining companion and I look forward to returning soon to try the restaurant’s lauded gyros, which comes in one of four options — chicken (NT$180), lamb (NT$190) and beef or pork tenderloin (NT$230). The gyros is served with tomatoes, red onions, tzatziki sauce (yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic and salt), pita bread and roasted potatoes. The moussaka (NT$220) also looks tempting with layers of ground meat and roasted eggplant topped with bechamel sauce.
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
For dessert, diners can choose from Greek standards such as baklava (NT$190), made with layers of filo pastry filled with walnuts, cashew nuts and pistachio nuts and sweetened with lemon honey or yiaourti me meli (NT$190), which is composed of Greek drained yogurt, honey and candied walnuts. For tipplers, the restaurant carries a wide selection of cocktails, beer, wine, whiskey and other spirits.
Good food and drinks aside, Yiamas also hosts comedy hours on a regular basis. An English-language stand-up comedy show is set to take place at 7:30pm on Saturday, featuring talents from Republic of Comedy — Taiwan Standup. Admission is NT$350 per person and includes one drink.
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
March 10 to March 16 Although it failed to become popular, March of the Black Cats (烏貓進行曲) was the first Taiwanese record to have “pop song” printed on the label. Released in March 1929 under Eagle Records, a subsidiary of the Japanese-owned Columbia Records, the Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) lyrics followed the traditional seven characters per verse of Taiwanese opera, but the instrumentation was Western, performed by Eagle’s in-house orchestra. The singer was entertainer Chiu-chan (秋蟾). In fact, a cover of a Xiamen folk song by Chiu-chan released around the same time, Plum Widow Missing Her Husband (雪梅思君), enjoyed more
Last week Elbridge Colby, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for under secretary of defense for policy, a key advisory position, said in his Senate confirmation hearing that Taiwan defense spending should be 10 percent of GDP “at least something in that ballpark, really focused on their defense.” He added: “So we need to properly incentivize them.” Much commentary focused on the 10 percent figure, and rightly so. Colby is not wrong in one respect — Taiwan does need to spend more. But the steady escalation in the proportion of GDP from 3 percent to 5 percent to 10 percent that advocates
From insomniacs to party-goers, doting couples, tired paramedics and Johannesburg’s golden youth, The Pantry, a petrol station doubling as a gourmet deli, has become unmissable on the nightlife scene of South Africa’s biggest city. Open 24 hours a day, the establishment which opened three years ago is a haven for revelers looking for a midnight snack to sober up after the bars and nightclubs close at 2am or 5am. “Believe me, we see it all here,” sighs a cashier. Before the curtains open on Johannesburg’s infamous party scene, the evening gets off to a gentle start. On a Friday at around 6pm,
A series of dramatic news items dropped last month that shed light on Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attitudes towards three candidates for last year’s presidential election: Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), Terry Gou (郭台銘), founder of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). It also revealed deep blue support for Ko and Gou from inside the KMT, how they interacted with the CCP and alleged election interference involving NT$100 million (US$3.05 million) or more raised by the
RSS