Pauuul? Wo ist der Paul?*

                           Last week, having been prompted by a specific TV show on some good places to visit in Athens, I decided to take my Mum (who is visiting me) and head to Paul, a little patisserie-boulangerie smack-bam in the centre of Athens, just across the road from Attica. To look at, it had said to me:  "Posh, expensivo, AVOID!", which is probably why I've subconsciously avoided it these past 3 years. Let me just say I've been kicking myself for missing out all this time!

                      



As I went in I was struck by how tiny this place was, yet how many people seemed to be working (and queuing there). It had an air of rusticity about it, like a little wooden French bakery in the middle of nowhere. That smell of wood immediately transported me back to England. So nostalgic! My mother (British, has been to France loads) was ecstatic and vowed to bring some other ex-pat friends of hers within the week. Baguettes upon baguettes were stacked on the wall and counter so high you could barely see the assistans' white hats. From the beige-y walls and wooden beams hung old-fashioned portraits and adverts, while a sign inside proclaimed "Pains Rustiques et de Fantaisie" (Rustic and Fantastic Breads). Indeed!

To the right as we walked in was a glass counter (ah yes, you know this is the good part!), in which could be found literally anything you could want from a French patisserie! Sandwiches (baguettes of course), with fillings ranging from salads to grilled chicken and sauce to salami, piled high one on top of the other, with a culmination of these amazing baked baguettes with chicken and mozzarella, caked in melted parmesan and bechamel, briochettes with savoury or sweet fillings, any kind of gorgeous quiche you could want, from the classic quiche loraine, to quiches with cream-sauce filling or vegetable stuffing. Salads, all sorts. Tartes with fruit toppings (although a friend said these weren't terribly good), cream, lemon or chocolate tourtes, colourful, chewy macarons, big and small, mini escargots aux raisins (=pastries with raisins baked in a swirl, like a snail, hence the name), pretzels, weird and wonderful dough shapes semi- or fully-covered in chocolate, biscuits, even mini syrupy dough balls that looked like upturned jelly moulds. And, of course, famous french pain au chocolat and any kind of crispy, lovely, classic aromatic croissant you'd expect (almond, plain, cream-filled, chocolate-filled etc.)! (Although, with regards to Croissants I think there is another, even better place in Athens, but that'll have to wait till another article. ;) )

                           Unfortunately, I am indecisive by nature. And amidst all those mouthwatering choices, smells and sights I was reduced to a babbling, quivering lump. I finally decided to get the Quiche aux Legumes (=Vegetable Quiche) (and had to shout it out 3 times before the assistant actually saw me over all the baguettes, let alone served me!) whereas my mother got a Salad Fermiere (=Farmer's Salad). The Quiche was aMAzing! It had soft potato, tomato, aubergine, courgettes, onion and basil, all in a delicious egg custard with a lovely thick crust. (Note: Ask to have it warmed up!) The Salad was equally tasty: normal iceberg lettuce, lollo rosso (red lettuce with a slightly nutty taste), batons of carrot and emmental cheese, topped with grilled chicken, walnuts, raisins and slices of apple. It came with a mini chunk of French Bread. Very interesting combinations!

Quiche aux Legumes

Salad fermiere

                                     We were quite impressed, especially by the fact that everything was made fresh on site (the smell "broke your nose" as the Greeks like to say!). No wonder there was a continuous line to the till. Although the customers (from business men on their lunchbreak, to ditsy "high-class" Kolonaki women complete with fried-died hair, teetering on ridiculously high heels) seemed to come in batches: one moment there was a row of 15 people that could barely fit through the door, the next we were alone. Weird!



                                     Anywho, to sum up, if you're in the area and fancy a spot of light lunch, this could very well be the choice for you! Definitely a change from your average Greek bakery.

In a nutshell:

Do you get your money's worth?: Well, the truth is it is a little pricey for a bakery. Expect to pay between 4-6 euros per person. But if you get a quiche or any of their "unusual" items, it is definitely worth it a mon opinion!
Is it worth it?: Sure, if you fancy that sort of thing and you're in the centre, there aren't very many other "light" options around really.
Will I go again?: You bet! I have my eye on that classic quiche lorraine...

See PAUL on larger map

*For anyone wondering what the hell I'm on about in the title, see: Youtube Advert about lucky octopus. I know it's silly, but everytime I hear the name Paul I've been brainwashed into saying "Wo ist der Paul??" or "Der Paul ist weg!!" Stupid, yes. Moving on.

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Posted in: Bakery,Centre of Athens,Desserts,French Food,Paul

Best pizza in Athens? Check!! / Η καλύτερη πίτσα στην Αθήνα!!

Για Ελληνικά κυλήστε απαλά και όμορφα το ποντίκι κάτω (κάτω απ'το χάρτη!)


                              Last night I finally got around to visiting Colibri, a pizza/burger/salad/general feel-good-(and then bad the next day)-food joint in Mets, the area behind Pagrati. Pretty central one could say. Anyway, I had heard from more than one source that this was the place to get a mean (and lean-priced) pizza. I am ecstatic to say: the rumours were indeed true.

                              When we arrived at around 21.30, Colibri was jam-packed, there were loads of people waiting and.... we hadn't reserved a table (BEEEEP! Error!!). It wasn't like there were very many tables to begin with, but especially at that day and hour it was hideously difficult to find somewhere to sit. At that point I was so hungry and disappointed that it was all I could do to simply collapse on a stool at the bar and stare longingly at the menu, the other diners and, mainly, their food, in that order. After dithering a while, we decided to order a pizza and play it by ear.
In the meantime (eh-hem, that is to say the next hour), two other groups of customers were seated and then thankfully we were too. Since we managed to find a table, we decided to make the order a little more rounded and hence got a salad, beer and soft-drink too. I made myself a shandy lager (lemonade and beer) to while away the hungry minutes.

 

Pizza Pesto alla Genovese

                               Finally the pizza arrived. We had ordered the Pesto alla Genovese, and let me say quite frankly that, if possible, it turned out to be more than worth the wait. We are talking amazing. The best pizza I've had in Athens, Crete, England, you name it. Beautiful, hard, slightly (and therefore tastily) charred thin crust that simply did not go limp in the hand when picked up, topped with melted mozzarella, authentic pesto sauce (that you could smell for miles, trust me, I knew it was coming before I saw it) and mini cherry tomatoes. After I wolfed down a couple of pieces, my brain actually started working and I could process the taste. The pesto gushed in every bite and the sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes nicely balanced out that slightly bitter edge of basil. It was simply gorgeous. So much so in fact, we had nearly finished it before remembering the salad! It was, unfortunately, equally good (ie we had to eat it all of that too). Penne with garlic-oil, olives, tomato, green peppers and onion. The garlic-oil really made it in my opinion. Loved it, although I had to brush my teeth and rince my mouth out three times before the taste even began to recede!

Insalate di Pasta (sorry if I've misspelt it!)

                                        As we ate, we noticed that the tables around us had ordered hamburgers, other salads and pasta-dishes. All of them looked amazing and smelt even more mouth-watering, which, as we all know, is the better indicator. The atmosphere was light and jolly, but what I liked the most was the subtle lighting and the funky music that wasn't deafening. There was a canopy of leaves above us from the surrounding trees, making up a cool spot on a sweltering summer's eve (the first in a row of many for this year, as usual). All in all very pleasant.

                                       To make the meal even better, we were happily surprised when the bill came. All of the above came down to less than 10euros per person. Now, how can you not love that?

In a nutshell: 

• Do you get your money's worth?: Absolutely! The pizzas come in two sizes: Individual (which is more than enough for a light meal for two people) ranging from 5-7euros, and Large (two people are stuffed) ranging from 9-12euros. Salads around 4-6euros. Burgers beginning at 5 or 6euros if I remember correctly. Expect a total of 10-15euros per person.
• Is it worth it?: Hello?! Didn't you read the article? Definitely worth it. If you live nearby and can order so as to avoid the crowd, even better. If you go, bear in mind: 20.00-23.00=rush hour at weekends. So book in advance.
• Will I go again?: I can hardly wait. :) (see below)

See Colibri on larger size map 

Since I really could hardly wait,  here are some sneak pics from my next visit to Colibri (see Update on Colibri!!) 

                           

Χθες βράδυ κατάφερα επιτέλους να επισκεφτώ το Κολιμπρί (Colibri), ένα μέρος για πίτσα/burgers/σαλάτα/φαγητά-γενικότερα-που-σε-κάνουν-να-νιώθεις-φοβερά-εκείνη-τη-στιγμή-και-τύψεις-το-πρωί, στο Μετς, την περιοχή πίσω από το Παγκράτι. Κεντρικά δηλαδή. Είχα ακούσει ότι το συγκεκριμένο μαγαζί έκανε τις απίστευτες πίτσες σε απίστευτες τιμές. Μπορώ να πω, με μεγάλη μου χαρά, ότι αυτή τη φορά έστω οι φήμες απεδείχθησαν αληθείς.

Φτάσαμε κατά τις 21.30 και το μέρος ήταν τίγκα... Και εννοώ ΤΙΓΚΑ! Και η μπάρα μια απ’τα ίδια, γεμάτη από άλλες παρέες που επίσης περίμεναν. Εξ αρχής βέβαια δεν υπήρχαν και τα φοβερά πολλά τραπέζια, αλλά ειδικά τέτοια μέρα και ώρα.. σκούρα τα πράματα. Μ’έπιασε απογοήτευση, βάλε και την πείνα που μου έγδερνε το στομάχι, σωριάστηκα απλώς σ'ένα σκαμπό στην μπάρα, ένα απ'αυτά τα "ωραία" τα "τώρα θα πέσω, τώρα δε θα πέσω", και άρχισα να κοιτώ σαλιαρίζοντας μία το μενού, μία τους υπόλοιπους πελάτες, δηλαδή τις παραγγελίες τους. Μετά από πολλή συζήτηση αποφάσισαμε να παραγγείλουμε μια πίτσα και να το παίξουμε φλου.

Μέσα στην επόμενη ώρα κάθισαν δύο άλλες ξεβρασμένες στην μπάρα παρέες και εντέλει, ευτυχώς, κι εμείς. Μιας και καταφέραμε να βρούμε τραπέζι λοιπόν, αποφασίσαμε να κάνουμε στρογγυλέψουμε λίγο παραπάνω την παραγγελία μας και πήραμε μια σαλάτα έξτρα, μία μπύρα και ένα αναψυκτικό. Σαν απάντηση στους παραπονεμένους βρυχηθμούς της κοιλιάς μου έφτιαξα ένα shandy lager (sprite ή λεμονάδα με μπύρα) μέχρι να’ρθει το φαϊ.

Αρκετά αργότερα ήρθε η πίτσα. Μία Pesto alla Genovese και, όσο σοκαριστικό κι αν ακουστεί, ανταμοιφθήκαμε πλήρως για την όποια ταλαιπωρία και αναμονή. Μία pizza απερίγραπτη. Μία pizza απίστευτη. Σαφώς η καλύτερη που είχα φάει ποτέ σε Αθήνα, Κρήτη, Αγγλία. Πανέμορφη κρούστα, σκληρή και τραγανή, απαλά και νόστιμα καμένη. Σήκωνες ένα κομμάτι και δεν "λιγοθυμούσε" στα χέρια σου όπως οι άλλες γνωστές πίτσες. Από πάνω; Λιωμένη μοτσαρέλα, αυθεντικό πέστο*, που έσπαγε μύτες εξ αποστάσεως, και ντοματίνια. Αφού καταβρόχθισα δύο κομμάτια, πήρε μπρος επιτέλους το μυαλό μου και μπόρεσα να επεξεργαστώ λίγο παραπάνω τις γεύσεις που με κατακλύζανε. Το πέστο ξεχείλιζε με κάθε δαγκωνιά, το ελαφρώς πικρό του βασιλικού εξισορροπημένο πλήρως από τη γλύκα και οξύτητα των ντοματίνιων. Πανέμορφο. Τόσο πολύ μας συνεπήρε δε, που κοντέψαμε να ξεχάσουμε τη σαλάτα! Δυστυχώς... Ήταν εξ ίσου καλή. Επέβαλε να τη φάμε όλη. Πένες με σκορδόλαδο, ελιές, ντομάτα, πράσινες πιπεριές και κρεμμύδι. Το μεγάλο μπαμ της υπόθεσης το΄κανε μου φαίνεται το λάδι, το πλούσια αρωματισμένο με σκόρδο. Το λάτρεψα, έστω κι αν σκότωνα μετά κόσμο και κοσμάκη με την αναπνοή μου.!

Πάνω στη μάσα παρατηρήσαμε ότι τα γύρω τραπέζια είχαν παραγγείλει χάμπουργκερ, άλλες σαλάτες και μακαρονάδες. Όλα φαίνονταν υπέροχα και μύριζαν ακόμα καλύτερα, σού’τρεχαν διαρκώς τα σάλια. Η ατμόσφαιρα ανάλαφρη και ευχάριστη, αλλά αυτό που μου άρεσε κυρίως ήταν ο διακριτικός φωτισμός και η funky μουσική που δεν έσπαγε τύμπανα. Ήταν μια ευχάριστη αλλαγή. Από πάνω μας αγκαλιάζονταν δεντρόκλαδα με πυκνές φυλλωσιές, δημιουργώντας ένα δροσερό μέρος ιδανικό για τις αφόρητες νύχτες του αθηναϊκού καλοκαιριού.

Η βραδιά ολοκληρώθηκε με μία ακόμη ευχάριστη έκπληξη, όταν μας ήρθε ο λογαριασμός. Όλα τα παραπάνω ανέρχονταν σε λιγότερο από δέκα ευρώ το άτομο! Και ποιος λέει ότι δε βρίσκονται ευκαιρίες για φαγητό τη σήμερον ημέρα…

Συνοπτικά:

·         Τα Αξίζει τα Λεφτά του; Βεβαίως. Οι πίτσες διατίθενται σε δύο μεγέθη: Ατομική (η οποία υπεραρκεί ως ελαφρύ γεύμα για δύο άτομα) στα 5-7 ευρώ και Μεγάλη (δύο άτομα σκάνε) στα 9-12 ευρώ. Σαλάτες γύρω στα 4-6 ευρώ, ενώ τα μπέργκερ ξεκινάνε στα 5 ή 6 ευρώ αν θυμάμαι καλά. Σύνολο, εντέλει, γύρω στα 10-15 ευρώ το άτομο.

·         Αξίζει να πάει κανείς; Μα καλά, δεν το διαβάσατε το άρθρο;; Δε νομίζω ότι τίθεται ερώτηση. Αν σ’αρέσει η πίτσα πας. Αν μένει κανείς και κοντά, δηλαδή Παγκράτι και Μετς, μπορεί και να παραγγείλει για να αποφύγει τα πλήθη. Αλλά αν πάτε, να έχετε κατά νου: 20.00-23.00=φοβερή κίνηση τα Σαββατοκύριακα.

·         Θα ξαναπήγαινα; Φυσικά, και ανυπομονώ! (δείτε και πιο πάνω τις φώτο απ'την επόμενη επίσκεψή μου και διαβάστε περισσότερα εδώ).

Για την ακριβή τοποθεσία, δείτε παραπάνω και τον χάρτη!

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Posted in: Colibri,Pagrati,Pasta,Pizza,Restaurant,Salads,Street Food

Omnomnom Nama

                               I had been meaning to go to Nama, a Chinese restaurant in the suburbs of Athens, for quite some time now. So when the opportunity arose through Groupon (a site offering great discount coupons on restaurants etc.) I jumped at it and booked a table for me and my companion this past Friday.

                               We decided to go via subway, since the distance from the Chalandri metro station to the restaurant seemed quite small on the map. Unfortunately, either we were completely disorientated and lost, or the distance was in fact rather large. At least the way we went. After plenty of bickering, swearing, trying (and failing) to find a satelite GPS signal, slushing through puddles and sludge (oh, my poor silver pumps!!), we finally arrived. By the way, if you're expecting to go for a drink or a coffee before or after your meal, you had better be equipped with a proper means of transport (ie CAR, or at least bike) since there is nothing of the sort within short walking distance.


                               From the outside this place certainly didn't look as posh as I'd been led to believe. Although once we stepped inside, I felt redeemed. There was a little aquarium by the door with tiny rainbow fish (so cute!). Red as a colour dominated in the decor (mind you, doesn't it always in these Chinese places?). There was a Sushi bar in the right-hand corner and poshly set tables through-out the about 90 square metre dining area.
Initially, we were shoved in a corner by the opaque windows, even though the place was empty! Suffice it to say I wasn't happy. And when I'm not happy.. Well, things rarely stay that way! The end result was we were moved to a lovely little round table in the middle of the room and handed the origami-style menus. Success! I must say though, I got more than a little confused by the oblong multi-fold menu. After navigating through it, we decided to get the Hot & Sour Soup and the Shao Mai as appetizers and the Noodle Combination plate, plus Curry Fried Rice with Chicken for mains.

 

Hot and Sour Soup

First came the soup in an antique bowl with one of those amazing Chinese ceramic spoons, you know, the slightly thick ones that make you want to keep sipping at them just in case there's something left in there. The soup was quite simply mind-blowing. I honestly don't know how else to put it. Wonderfully thick and spicy, with tiny pieces of chicken, fresh spring onions and greens and a strong taste of soysauce and ginger. Amazing. We were squabbling over the last few slurps, I can tell you!

Shao Mai and Soy Sauce

As we were finishing off the soup, the waitress (who was very sweet and helpful when we were being decisively indecisive and annoying with the menus) brought the Shao Mai. I don't pretend to be any kind of expert on Asian cuisine, but from what I gather, Shao Mai (or Shumai, Siumai, Siomay and other names) are essentially Pork Dumplings: sliced or minced pork (minced in this case) wrapped in a wonton exterior and then steamed or fried. Ours were steamed. I must say, I was expecting something... more. Maybe it was the sharpness of the soup, but the dumplings seemed rather bland.

Shao Mai

The same, unfortunately, must be said for our main courses. However, that was our own fault. You see, we failed to realise at the time that what we were actually ordering was not a main course, but a side dish, something to accompany the other, tangy, spicy flavours in your main dish. So it was deservedly not as pompous as we'd have liked. That being said, both the Noodle Combination (with fat noodles and chicken, beef and pork) and the Curry Fried Rice were decidedly high quality. I suppose we had just been totally spoilt by that phenomenal soup, and everything then on didn't live up to our expectations.

Noodles Combination

Curry Fried Rice with Chicken

However, I wouldn't fear. Judging from the soup, our co-diners at other tables and what they ordered, and even from what friends have told me in the past, this place has some pretty gob-smacking dishes. The question is simply choosing and combining properly (which is where we obviously went wrong).  Memo to me: Make better choices next time! The good (and exciting) thing, is that Nama offers a Sunday Buffet with over 30 (!) different dishes for 25 euros per person, so you can try and try again to your hearts content! The moment we go (soon I hope!) expect a full food review with recommendations etc. So please stay tuned! :)

In a nutshell:

• Do you get your money's worth?: Weeeell, it is slightly on the pricey side, as expected of exotic cuisine, and, let's face it, it's the suburbs. Think 25-30 euros per person minimum. BUT, they do come out with some pretty great offers, like the Groupon one we used (ie pay 10euros and then get anything off the menu from then on half-price). So keep your eyes peeled!

• Is it worth it?: Given there definitely aren't all that many good quality Chinese restaurants in Athens (which also serve sushi!) I'd say yes, it is worth it, especially if you have a car.

• Will I go again?: Of course! That soup is most definitely worth a second (third, fourth, fifth..!) try and I still have the Buffet to go to!

Special Offers:

• Sunday Buffet: Every Sunday, 12.30-16.00, all you can eat from over 30 different dishes (including Sushi!). Price: 25 euros per person.
• Groupon : Check the site regularly for good offers on this (and other) places.
 

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Posted in: Agia Paraskevi,Chinese,Nama,Restaurant,Sushi