a bite of brownie

after a short stroll at willow glen downtown, i decided to try out this place for dinner. i usually order the saganaki/flaming cheese for starter but skipped that and ordered an entree right away. i got their paidakia/lamb chops which comes with two sides from their list of signature sides. i chose wild rice pilaf and grilled asparagus. the lamb chops were juicy and tasty but the rice pilaf was little oily. the grilled asparagus was perfect though for the lamp chops. opa!'s menu offers a lot of options. they have good wines too. most of the guests there were pairing their dinner with a glass of wine. i like the ambiance of this place. it's cozy and small so it can get crowded during weekend nights.

Opa!
1384 Lincoln Ave
San Jose, CA 95125

Verdict: 3.5/5 (-1.5 for the oily rice pilaf, i would still go back to this place)

our generous manager treated us for lunch at this expensive greek restaurant. it was a thanksgiving event. the ambiance of the place is nice too, the ceiling was high, the decor was elegant, and the place is spacious to accommodate big parties. i was observing vegetarian diet that time so i had their vegetable moussaka, "a casserole of eggplant, potato, zucchini, onion, red pepper, and tomato sauce". it was delicious! we ordered a couple of items from their dessert menu. we got bougatsa "phyllo wrapped semolina custard, caramel with vanilla gelato", sokolatina "rich chocolate cake with raspberry sauce and cream", and baklava "flakey layers of phyllo with mixed nuts, honey, and yogurt sauce". they were so tasty i wanted more. 

Thea
http://www.thearestaurant.com/
3090 Olsen Drive
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 260-1444

Verdict: 5/5

What's not to love about a restaurant whose staff comes to your table as they serve the appetizer, shouting in unison the word "OPA!"?

I certainly loved dining at this place (since I'm crazy for lamb, among other things.) Homey Greek atmosphere greeted us as we were seated on a table by the manager with just the right amount of music in the background. What's more, we didn't have to wait too long for our food.

To accompany our refillable specially iced tea, for starters, we had Greek caviar with salted fish roe (Taramosalata), Crispy Breaded Baby Squid, deep fried to satisfaction served with Tzatziki sauce and sprits of lemon (Kalamarakia) and last but not the least, Flaming Cheese served on a sizzling plate (OPA!)

The main course consisted of Lamb Gyro, generous marinated lamb slices with tomatoes, red onions and Tzatziki wrapped in pita, Firm, white and meaty Marlin Fillet whose distinct flavor can only be attained by Charcoal grilling, and their specialty, Cyma Lamb Chops, charbroiled shoulder loin Lamb chop served with a choice of rice stuffed pepper or Greek roasted potatoes.

Every single bite of food tickled our palates, truth be told. It's my first time tasting Greek caviar and I found it weird since it looked like mayonnaise with ketchup to make it look pale pink (I'm no fan of mayonnaise). despite the looks, it was indeed different. Next, I'm proud to present, kalamarakia as an excellent order. baby squid is really crispy even when cooled down. It goes well with the sauce too.

Wifi users, beware. This establishment doesn't have a working WiFi.

For who's having their birthdays soon, be pleased to know that they have freebies for birthday celebrants. ^^


Cyma Greek Taverna
Ayala Center Cebu
Cebu, Cebu, Philippines


Verdict:
A: 4.8/5

we had lunch at a greek restaurant today to celebrate one of our friend's birthday. the ambiance of the place was remarkable. the design of the walls and ceilings matched with the background music made you feel like you're having lunch in greece.

for appetizers, we had hot italian bread with butter and olive oil on the side, flaming saganaki cheese and fried calamari with squeezed lemon. the bread was good and complemented very well with the flaming cheese and fried calamari. the flaming cheese tasted better than the one i first tasted in "dimitri's greek restaurant" since it was saltier than the one we had today. the calamari was very soft and tasty even without dipping it to the sauce.

i ordered greek pikilia, an assorted sampler of roast lamb, meatball pastichio (greek lasagna), dolmades avgolemona dinner (stuffed grapevine leaves with ground lam and rice), spanakotiropita (baked phyllo stuffed with spinach, leeks and feta cheese), rice and potatoes. that's quite a lot right?! i wasn't able to finish them all. by order of preference, i like the dolmades avgolemona the most. its taste was a nice surprise to my palate. the roast lamb would follow. the meat was tender, juicy and tasty. i was not very fond of the spanakotiropita. it had an odd taste for me or probably not used to such taste. i enjoyed the rice and potatoes with the roast lamb and dolmades. i barely touched the meatball pastichio. it tasted like ordinary lasagna to me.

we had baklava (baked phyllo with honey and crushed almonds) for dessert eventhough we were already full. it was very good because it wasn't too sweet.

Verdict: 4.75/5 [-0.25 for the pastichio and spanakotiropita]

Greek Village Taverna
795 E Golf Rd
Schaumburg, IL