Piatsa Tylichto @ Monastiraki

After a walk in central Athens in the late afternoon, we decided to eat souvlaki somewhere so that we don't have to cook at home.

Walking toward Monastiraki station, we found a hole-in-a-wall souvlaki shop called Piatsa Tylichto. Tylychto means 'wrapped' and it is the technical name for the meat on skewer or gyros wrapped in pita, which many in Athens just call it 'souvlaki', and Piatsa is Piazza in Greek. The name and the logo looked familiar and then I realised that there was the same in central Glyfada.

This one has only some tables on the pedestrian walkway in Aeolou Street. Patrons just buy food and walk away, or have seat just to finish what they've bought.

Most of the tylichta cost 2 Euro, except for veal gyro wrap for 2.80 Euro. It has gyros, but not kalamaki (meat on skewers) and, instead, it has grilled fillet of pork or chicken.

We ordered 1 chicken gyros wrap and 1 chicken fillet wrap. Rather small in size and lack of fried potatoes surely made them light, too. The meat wasn't bad.

Not a memorable meal, but it is good to know where we can find a souvlaki in a light snack version.

Piatsa Tylichto - Πιάτσα Τυλιχτό
Aiolou 18C, Monastiraki-Platia Irinis, Athens
Αιολού 19Γ, Μοναστηράκι-Πλάτεια Ειρήνης, Αθήα
Tel. 210 3254638

Magevma @ Drapetsona (Piraeus)

Visited a modern Greek taverna called Magevma in Drapetsona part of Piraeus.

It is situated in a not-particularly-attractive residential part of town.

But the place is very nicely renovated.

We checked on the phone if any table available. Sunday afternoon is most busy time for many restaurants in Greece, so it is wise to check and indeed it was almost full. There was live music as well.

Menu is not very long, but has enough variety so that you have pleasure to wonder what you'd choose.

From the salad section, we chose baby spinach, beets, orange and hazelnuts combination. I don't particularly like hazelnuts, but did not want heavy salad with cheese or meat. It turned out to be a right choice. It was light, and the unusual combination was pleasant and enjoyable. 6 Euro.

This is melitzanosalata. Aubergine was mixed with red, yellow and green peppers. No mayonnaise, not too much oil or garlic. A light and refreshing dish. 3.50 Euro.

These are fried dumplings (like Chinese wan ton) of pastourmas. 5.50 Euro. The filling, I think, contained potato and tomato. Good execution. (I don't particularly like them, because I do not like fried dumplings, but it is just personal; GH was very happy).

As main dish, we ordered a pork kondosouvli (12 Euro). We observed that practically all the tables ordered either pork or chicken kondosouvli.

It is a bit expensive for one dish, but I think it was intended to feed 1.5 to 2 people. It was served with a pot of sauce, fried potatoes, pita, and tzatziki (the last is hidden in the photo). Pretty good, except for the potatoes which seemed to be left under heating light for some time.

At the end we were offered 2 shots of mastiha liqueur and cheese cakes. I don't like mastiha much in general, but the cheese cake was delicious.

Including a half kilo of red wine, the total bill came to 32.50 Euro, which is quite reasonable for this type of food. The problem was that we did not get fiscal receipt (and to be honest, I did not notice the piece of paper they gave me was just a order memo).

We were satisfied, except for this nasty trick. Next time, we should be more careful.

Magevma - Μάγευμα
Spartis 130A and Fotiou Korytsas, Drapetsona
Σπάρτης 130A & Φωτίου Κορυτσάς, Δραπετσώνα, Πειραιάς
Tel. 210 4627832

http://www.mageuma.gr/

Iodio @ Palaio Faliro

We visited Iodio in a inland part of Palaio Faliro one Friday evening.

Iodio is a gourmet fish/seafood restaurant near a shopping street of Eleftherios Venizelos. I go to the street to buy sports wears from time to time and have been aware that Iodio was there, but never had a chance to visit.

It is not directly facing to any major street, so you won't find it if you don't look for it. Well, Achilleos street is a major street, but after Eleftherios Venizelos, it becomes less frequented.

The place is not large, if not small. When 10 tables are occupied, you'd feel that it is almost full. There was only indoor space in the winter, but I guess they arrange tables outside in a better season.

We went there without reservation at 8 o'clock and found only 1 couple eating. Then, by 9 o'clock, I think there were 6 or 7 tables occupied.

After having taken our order, a waiter brought us a plate of rusks and olives, a basket of bread, and a bottle of water.

Bread basket contained white and black bread.

The cost of the above amount already to 6 Euro.

This is green salad. It costs 7.50 Euro, but the portion was generous. Pickled artichokes gave a nice accent.

I wanted to order ceviche of scallops, but they did not have any on that day. The waiter recommended us to order a plate of marinated barbounia instead (9 Euro). I expected it to consist of fillets, but actually came chopped. Not bad, but I don't think barbounia is suitable fish to be eaten raw, because it smells.

Grilled calamari with truffle oil was excellent (10.50 Euro). The calamari was soft and juicy. The combination with truffle was surprisingly good.

Here is a plate of grilled sardines (8.50 Euro). It was good, but probably you don't have to eat this at Iodio, as you can find the similar staff for much less in other fish tavernas (in my neighbourfood of Peiraiki, the price of grilled serdines is currently 5 or 6 Euro, if you are interested).

Fried potatoes (3.50 Euro) came toward the end of the meal. We were about to cancel it, because we did not want eat potatoes at the end of the meal. It was not because the waiter forgot about it, but evidently it took a while to heat the oil as we were ones of the first diners of that evening. I think they should have delayed other dishes, too, so that we could eat potatoes with the main courses.

When we asked for the bill, they left us a bottle of mastiha liquor with it. It was drink as much as you like. Good service for those who like mastiha. I am not particularly a fan, but still a bit of sugar at the end of the meat is pleasant.

The total bill came to 49.50 Euro, including a half kilo of white wine, which was not in the photos.

Not cheap, but not expensive either for fresh fish in Greece. I have to return, when they have scallops.

Iodio - Ιώδιο
Achilleos 119B, Palaio Faliro 17563
Αχιλλέως 119B, Παλαίο Φάληρο 17563
Tel. 210 9884258
http://www.iodio.gr/