I've been a fan of Koutouki for many years, so when I saw that VUE Weekly named them the #1 Best Greek 2018, that made perfect sense to me. I've spent many dinners with them, celebrated birthdays, and even held my Engagement Party at their restaurant. Koutouki has always served some of my favourite Greek food. However, over the past decade ownership has changed hands and various locations have opened and closed. I was curious to find out where things were sitting these days. The original chef and owner of Koutouki used to be Yianni Psalios. He and his family were even featured on two seasons of the reality TV show The Family Restaurant. At this time in the mid/late 2000s, Koutouki was in its prime and they embodied the height of Greek cuisine in Edmonton. Unfortunately, the Psalios family is no longer involved, however I remained optimistic that the spirit of the restaurant had lived on.
I visited the original location in Westmount, an Edmonton mainstay, on a Sunday evening. There are currently two Koutouki restaurants in the city, neither affiliated with the other, which is bizarre. However, the original location is quite iconic, from its giant mural on the outside wall, to the absolutely perfect (still!) ambiance on the inside. The dining room is dressed up as a quaint Greek isles taverna and it has always looked like this. I was happy to find that it still does. The colours are classic Greek white and sky blue. The art all over the walls depict dreamy Greek scenes. And there are twinkling lights and tangles of hanging plants all over the ceiling. The atmosphere is everything that you could ever want and it's lovely. Visiting on a Sunday, the restaurant was very quiet. However, I have very fond memories of Friday and Saturday nights in the past when the restaurant would transform into a raucous taverna complete with loud music, belly dancing, plate smashing, zorba dancing, and Yianni himself going around pouring ouzo down everyone's throat. Even on a subdued night, the space still feels very special though, with Greek music playing (at a reasonable volume).
Our server was very friendly and seated us immediately. She explained the day's specials, took our order, and it wasn't long at all until the feast began.
I decided to grab a glass of Tsantali Rouge ($8.00 for 6oz), a red wine from Greece. A seemingly appropriate accompaniment to the meal, I enjoyed this wine a lot. It was light, juicy, and not too harsh on the palette. It captured all of the qualities that I enjoy in a red wine. I'm no wine expert but I know what I like and I liked this.
For me, there is only one way to properly enjoy a meal at Koutouki and it's to order the Meze ($41.00 per person). It's a Greek feast that offers a dozen different dishes, allowing for an experience of Greece in the most traditional way. It's gotta be the meze, always. Once the food starts to arrive, it keeps coming like rapid-fire until you're stuffed and satiated.
First to the table was the Horiatki (Traditional Greek salad with tomato, cucumber, green pepper, onions, feta and olives), a classic beginning. Simple and enjoyable, this salad was fresh and good. I especially enjoyed the bright red, ripe and juicy tomatoes. A kalamata olive is always a very welcome sight in my book!
Next was Pikilia (Pita and an assortment of dips), a favourite every time. I was glad to see the generous amount of pita bread provided and happily sampled each dip. First, Tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber and garlic), the true classic. In fact, I think of tzatziki as Greek ketchup. This one was very good, capturing exactly the flavour that one expects and loves. In fact, we ordered even more of it because we need more for all of our food. Second, Hummus (chick peas, tahini and garlic), which I found a bit on the nose. Everyone knows hummus. This one was good just not exciting enough for me. Third, Tirosalata (roasted red peppers and feta), tasty and interesting. I liked the punchy flavour. Fourth, Kopanisti (spicy feta), which packed a great heat. I liked this one a lot for its spiciness. In the old days there always used to be baba ghanoush included and I definitely missed it.
Next up was Spanakopita (Phyllo pastry with spinach and feta cheese), a near unavoidable Greek dish. For a bit of a cliché dish, this was a really nice version. Served piping hot, the dough was a perfect golden-brown and delightfully light and flaky. The spinach and feta on the inside was flavourful. I enjoyed this.
And of course, Dolmades (Grape leaves stuffed with rice, ground beef, onions and dill). I always refer to these as the Greek equivalent to the Eastern European cabbage roll. And these ones were excellent! The tender leaves enveloped a delicious mix of rice and beef but what really caught my attention was the nice lemon flavour to it all. Some of the best dolmades that I've had in a very long time.
Calamari (Deep fried squid) was next, and you can't have a Mediterranean meal without it. The calamari was a h read more