White Elephant @ Halandri

Visited White Elephant in Halandri.

Now in Athens there are Red Elephant, Pink Elephant and White Elephant and all of them are between Ambelokipi and Halandri. The Red and Pink Elephants are Indian restaurant and White Elephant is Japanese-Chinese, if I understood well the concept.

This is not sort of the restaurants I would get attracted, but it happened that a friend of ours bought a coupon of this place which she could not use in time and gave it to us. It cost 39.90 Euro for a sushi meal for 2.

The location is just by Agia Paraskevi metro station, which actually is in dimos Halandriou.

The premises have garden and a pool. It should be really nice in warmer seasons, but now it is winter and everyone was inside.

There were actually several groups & couples of people there, but we were taken to this corner maybe because we were with a coupon. Later another group with coupon were led here. Although we requested a table for non-smokers, the our actual table was next to (unofficial) smokers' corner and we needed to change tables.

The coupon included 2 glasses of wine (or sake) and 1 bottle of water, so we did not have to order anything to drink.

The 1st starter was prawn tempura and baby spinach salad, which was supposed to cost 16.50 Euro.

Here I have a disclosure: I lived in Japan for 30 years of my life.

And I say that the tempura butter here was wrong. It was too spongy. It was like home-made tempura than something made at restaurants. And, there was no sauce (in Japan, it is normally eaten with dashi dipping-sauce, or with some salt). I would call it a some Asian-fusion buttered prawns, which tasted good, if you don't think it was a tempura.

The other starter was edamame, which is young soybeans. In Japan, it is a favorite beer companion. It was quite good (it is difficult to go wrong with edamame), although I thought they put too much grainy sea salt.

First sushi was salmon and prawn nigiri. Here the rice was wrong; it was not cooked to core. Probably they did not use a good rice-cooker or did not use a right setting. The salmon and prawns were good. Original price is 8.90 Euro for a set of 3 each.

And 2 sorts of maki. 1 was salmon ura-maki with spicy mayo and the other was smoke salmon-maki with avocado. Original price is 9.80 Euro each (not each piece, but each bar).

There the problem with the rice persisted, but it was less noticeable because of the proportion of  fish and avocado was quite large. I'd prefer maki to nigiri here.

To finish was a glass of sorbet for 2. From the start, the waiters kept on saying that we would have lemon sorbet, but what actually arrived was strawberry sorbet. Weird. If they did not have lemon sorbet, they did not have to tell us that they would bring us lemon sorbet (more than once).

And they gave us normal receipt, which shows that the reduction on the coupon was genuine.

All in all, the food was not bad, especially for someone who is not actually Japanese (or Far-East Asians who have frequent contact with Japanese food). The price, however, seemed too high for the food they offer. If you do not mind paying extra for nice environment, it might be fine, but I do. I would rather pay for the food than for the interior decoration.

It is not my sort of restaurants, as I had suspected even before the visit.

And I did not like this statue at the entrance. What do you think?

WHITE ELEPHANT
Ag. Paraskevis 124, Halandri, Athens
Αγ. Παρασκευής 124, Χαλάνδρι, Αθήνα
Tel. 210-6855581

Kokkini Svoura @ Halandri

Went to a cafeteria called Kokkini Svoura in Halandri. Evidently it is a very popular cafeteria in Athens and Foursquare keeps on suggesting it to me. :)

It faces on a rather quiet street and does not have a large glass wall. It looks like a house converted into a cafeteria. You might miss it, if you are not looking for it.

The indoor space is cozy and relatively small. We could not find a table except for one which was for 8 pax which we should have had to share with others, so we seated outside. The outdoor space is also limited. I think there are only 10 tables or so. We got a table next to a stove and did not feel cold.

It offers coffee, tea, smoothies, juice, drinks with alcohol as well as snacks (sandwiches and tapas). GH was undecided between handmade lemonade or sour cherry drink and coffee, but in the end he chose a single cappuccino. I got a filtered coffee. The menu says that they use a single estate, organic coffee beans from Peru.

We ordered also ciabatta club sandwich (6.80 Euro). We shared a plate between 2 of us, but it is supposed to be one portion.

It was neither ciabatta nor club sandwich by definition, but was filling and tasty. There were chicken, bacon, tomato, lettuce and mustard sauce. According to the menu, the bread was handmade and it looked to be so. The potatoes were a bit undercooked inside and burnt outside (probably the temperature of the oil was too high.

The toilet was well-cared and, in addition to usual hand paper towels and soap, there were also hand cream and wet napkin for babies.

It is not often that I find so much care and attention to details in cafeterias in Athens. No doubt, it is the secret of success of this small and cozy cafeteria.

Kokkini Svoura - Κόκκινη Σβούρα
17 Ag. Georgiou St., 152 34 Halandri, Greece
Tel. (+30) 211 012 5454

Melouk @ Halandri

Did I tell you we have been to Melouk?

First I found it on Foursquare (incredible rich - though not always credible as all other websites - source of information regarding restaurants, cafeterias and food in general) and then kept on seeing it on the web. As I had to go to our Embassy in Halandri, I thought it was a good chance to see what it is like.

Here it is (I am not sure what is Poco Loco, but the photo is right one).

It is quite small, much smaller than I had been imagining. And at around 13 o'clock in the Saturday afternoon, there were only some people. Seeing the type of the shop, I guess it to be busier from later afternoon to the night.

Yes. In the night. Because it is a cafeteria as well as a cocktail bar that serves... what else? Loukoumades. The name of the place came from Cafe ME LOUKoumades.

There is a variety of loukoumades, sweet and savoury. We ordered a plate of loukoumades with ksinomizithra with honey from savoury section, which was pretty good. 4 Euro.

And to our delight, we found also a nice soft drink, which is fresh lemonade served in a 500ml jug. 3 Euro.

We enjoyed the visit fine. Although it might not be worth a second trip from Piraeus, when in the area, we would love to revisit.

Melouk - Μελούκ
Kolokotroni 5, Halandri
Tel. 210 6824600
Κολοκοτρώνη 5, 152 33, Χαλάνδρι
http://www.melouk.gr/

Anahita Persian Restaurant @ Halandri

After a rather unsatisfying experience at Pars Persian restaurant in Halandri, we definitely had to try the other Persian in the same neighbourhood, Anahita.

This has been the only Persian in Athens for a long time before the opening of Pars and thus is better known.

We went there with 3 other friends and I did not take as many photos as I usually do, but I think I can give you some idea about this place.

We arrived there at 7:30 on a Wednesday. It is standing in a quiet residential area and you won't find it just by chance, while Pars is visible from a much trafficked main car road. From outside, it looks more modest than Pars.

As you can imagine, there was no one else in the restaurant and we were greeted by the owner-chef whose Greek was not perfect. We did not ask her nationality, but she isn't definitely Greek.

We liked the dining area much better than at Pars where it was dark and looked somehow like under-construction. Anahita has more home-like feel.

The folkloric decorations are limited and it is not kitsch. Besides, the restaurant has a strict non-smoking policy. I heard that owner chef lady explaining on the phone to somebody that she would never allow anyone to smoke inside the building. Good (as GB and I do not smoke).

The menu is pretty much the same as the one of Pars. There is no way that it was a coincidence (you can see both menus on their websites). These two must have some connection. I have an impression that the prices of main courses are bit lower at Pars, but as Anahita offers various discounts (coupons, Diners card, Athinorama card, etc), many people, including us, manage to get better price at Anahita.

As starters we ordered one lachmajun (4 pieces), 1 yogurt and spinach mixture, and 1 yogurt and smokey aubergine mixture, 1 salad and bread. They were all fine. Yogurt dips cost only 3.50 Euro, but salad without any meat or fish cost 7 Euro. I have to mention also that the presentation of salad was quite similar also at Pars.

GH ordered lamb kebab with rice (11 Euro).

Now that I look back, he ate exactly the same thing at Pars. The presentation is again exactly the same.

I ordered Saffron rice served with lamb and yellow split peas stew.

Rice was fine as expected and also the meat was good, but the stew had a bit unpleasant smell, probably coming from the oil with which potatoes were flied.

The other people ordered rice based dishes, all served with baked chicken (11 Euro). They were quite happy with their choices.

With 1 bottle of beer and 1 coke, the bill came to 80 Euro, from which 30% was deducted because I have Athinorama card. 16 Euro per person probably was not bad and 12 Euro p.p. was even better.

By the time we left, the restaurant was 80% full and at least half of them have some kind of discount (many were speaking about coupons). Considering it was a Wednesday evening, I can say that it was doing a good business.

Fiscal receipt was provided without any explicit request.

We liked Anahita better than Pars, provided that we have a discount from the catalogue price.


ANAHITA - ΑΝΑΧΙΤΑ
Chrysostmou Smyrnis 3, Halandri, Athens, 15232
Χρ. Σμύρνης 3, Χαλάνδρι, Αθήνα, 15232
Tel. 210 68 91 222
Mob. 6936 8888 79

http://www.anahita.gr/

Pars Persian Restaurant @ Halandri

Last Wednesday evening, we visited a relatively new Persian restaurant in Halandri called Pars. It is in a close vicinity of another and older Persian restaurant Anaxita.



From one of these discount websites I bought a coupon for 32 Euro (4 Euro in advance + 28 Euro at the restaurant) including 2 starters, 1 salad, 2 main dishes and 2 glasses of wine or soft drink. The site was publicizing that it was worth 56 Euro, which I did not believe, of course. However, 16 Euro p.p. for 2 courses + 1 salad and drink seemed to be reasonable.

The most beautiful part of the restaurant is no doubt the entrance which looks like a Persian folklore museum.

The dining floor, on the other hand, is not attractive; it looked like a cheap remodelling of storage or something. It was very dim and rather cold because the heating was provided by gas heaters place in between the tables, just like at outdoor space of cafeteria. I would avoid coming here in a cold evening.

The heart-shaped balloons, hanged upside down, were decoration for St. Valentine's day and usually there should not be there, the waiter told us. Thank God.



The menu includes a wide variety of Persian dishes and I could find some interesting dishes. The starters are either 3 or 5 Euro, salads more or less 7, main dishes around 9. Cleaver readers must have noticed that by ordering 2 starters, 1 salad and 2 main dishes, it hardly goes above 40 Euro. Even including 2 drinks and bread, 56 Euro target should be impossible to reach. Foul No. 1.

Warm pita was served as bread. Nice.



The first starter was Kofte Berenji, 5 Euro.



These are meat balls with rice and herb cooked in tomato based sauce. They reminded us of Greek Youvarlakia except for the sauce.

The second starter, Mirza Ghasemi, roasted aubergine with egg, tomato and garlic, 5 Euro.




It was like warm melitzanosalata. The presence of egg was interesting. I loved it, while GH preferred the meatballs.

Green salad was 7 Euro.



It came in a large flat plate and was a good companion to meat dishes.

Now to the main dishes.

One was Chelo Kebab, 10 Euro.



Koubideh kebab (minced lamb) with rice and tomato. Kebabs were all right.

Kebab Bakhtiari is a skewer of beef and chicken, priced 10 Euro.



Again, tasted fine, but I would not pay 10 Euro for this small skewer of meat with little garnish. Here comes the 2nd foul. On the menu it is clearly written that all the kebabs are served with rice, too. I observed also other tables and can confirm that not all the kebabs were served with rice.

All in all, the food was fine, but the price is rather high for what the food and the restaurant are. 56 Euro menu for 2 is obviously misleading, but still, we would have paid over 40 Euro for this meal without discount coupon.

The waiter told us that on Valentine's day, they offer a menu of 26 Euro for 1 starter, 1 salad and 2 main dishes. With drinks, the guests would pay 30 Euro+. This should be the right price range for this restaurant.


PARS
Konstantinou Palaiologou 15
Halandri, Athens 15232
Τel: 210-6817277

Κωνσταντίνου Παλαιολόγου 15
Χαλάνδρι, Αθήνα 15232

http://www.persianrestaurant.gr/

Rakokazano @ Chalandri

Yesterday (Saturday) afternoon, we found ourselves in Chalandri, because I went to vote at the Consulate. Our Embassy/ Consulate is soooo far from the centre and it is a real trip as far as you do not live in the northern Athens.

Anyway, as we went to a part of Athens we usually do not go, we decided to eat something somewhere close. After a short walk at the centre of Chalandri, we stranded into Ifikleous & Irakliou Streets full of cafeterias.

Although there are many cafeterias, the restaurant was only this one: Rakokazano. It looked busy, although it was at around 5 o'clock, neither lunch nor dinner time. We decided to enter.

It is a restored old building and the seating area extends on three floors, i.e. the ground floor, 1st floor (where there are toilets and kitchen), and the terrace. The terrace should be nice in warmer seasons. We settled at the ground floor, but it wasn't a good idea, as every time someone opens the door, the cold wind hit us.

The decor is modern rustic. Nice.

It is a modern mezedopoleio with some Cretan influence. So, by default, it is rather expensive. If I remember well, the cheapest dishes start from around 5.50 Euro. Even fried potatoes cost that much. There is no cheaper option like tzatziki. The mezedes are between 5.50 and 10 and a small selection of main dishes is above 10 Euro.

Not wanting to spend much, we chose only 3 dishes with prudence.

Instead of salad, we ordered stir-fried horta.

I am not sure what horta it was, because there was chopped in small pieces and contained a good dose of other herbs. The smell of mint was strong. Interesting.

Here is Pork tigania with Graviera cheese. I think it was 9 Euro.

9 Euro for tigania is pretty expensive, but at least there is a good quantity of lean meat. I have never seen graviera cheese (the white cubes in the photo) cooked in this way.

Kotopita (chicken pie) appeared in a strange flat form.

The filling was something like cheesy white sauce with very small quantity of chopped chicken meat. Tasted all right, but is it worth - I think - 6.80 Euro?

We ordered also a half kilo of red wine (0.5 l). Eating above stuff together will bread filled our stomach quite nicely. The total bill was 26.50 Euro, i.e. 13.25 Euro per person including wine. The trick here was not to order many dishes, because each dish is pretty expensive.

Anyway, the reason I am not sure about the prices is because they brought us a receipt like this. It is a formal receipt, but more than half is not legible.

The service is ok, as it was not overwhelmingly busy. The food was served quickly and we were in the ground floor where the waiters stationed.

It is not the kind of place you should travel to visit, but if you live in the area, I guess it is pretty much acceptable.

RAKOKAZANO (ΡΑΚΟΚΑΖΑΝΟ in Greek)
Irakliou 1, Chalandri, Athens
Ηρακλείου 1, Χαλάνδρι, Αθήνα
210-6895501