After the Christmas holidays in December, a friend and I had a late lunch at Kos Greek Ouzeri in UP Town Center.
I had already been to Kos previously where we met Chef Mats, but when we came back last December, they had updated their serving sizes to serve smaller portions good for 1 – 2 people, instead of servings for 3 – 4 people before.
With this change, they were able to bring prices down and encourage more people to try Kos.
KOS GREEK OUZERI
Kos Greek Ouzeri opened in October 2013 and is located on the ground floor of UP Town Center, near the amphitheater. It prides itself on serving authentic Greek food. Students from culinary school First Gourmet Academy also do their hands-on training here, so you also help to support students while dining at Kos. Students are generally more eager-to-please and still bright and cheery.
I don’t have that much experience with Greek cuisine. This is maybe only the second or third Greek restaurant that I have tried, and so far, the food is delicious and well-seasoned.
The dining area is simple with nice ambient lighting:
THE FOOD
We ordered the Mezedes (P175), an appetizer spread that includes 4 dips and a bread basket:
- hummus – this delicious spread made with garbanzos is garlicky
- tatziki – this is a yogurt cucumber dip that is delicious
- potato & lemon spread
- melitzano salata – this is a dip made from roasted eggplant, has a nice smokiness to it
Keftedakia (P145) – these are meatballs seasoned with traditional Greek spices, with a yogurt lemon dip on the side. The flavor of the meatballs seem nice, but it was dry and over-fried.
Souvlaki Chicken (P200) – this is the reason I recommended this place to my friend, and why I came back to Kos! The subtly oregano-infused, yogurt-marinated grilled chicken is juicy and delicious. This has a delicate, but fragrant flavor.
It comes with a light, fresh salad that is just perfect with the juicy chicken.
Giovetsi (P195) – this is orzo pasta in a sweet, delicious tomato sauce, served with some lamb meatballs. If you like sweet spaghetti, you’ll like this, only this is way better. Again, the meatballs were fried too much for our liking, and we found the meatballs dry. The first time I had this, it was called Arni Me Kritharkia, and that tasted so much better and meatier. The good experience with the Arni Me Kritharkia was why I ordered this dish on my second visit.
For dessert, we got the Baklava (P195) – this was really delicious – flaky, buttery filo pastry layers with nuts and fragrant sweet rosewater syrup. A must try if you love sweet, flaky pastry! I wish they had a bigger piece! I would be happy with a bigger piece with less nuts… This one was like a 3″ square, and I really loved the flaky pastry.
We also took advantage of the Greek Coffee + Loukoumades promo (Weekdays, 2 – 6 PM, ONLY P99). The Greek coffee comes in a small cup, and is rich and sweet. If I am ever in the area, I will definitely stay for an afternoon pick-me-up of the Greek coffee.
The Loukoumades were very heavy, doughy balls of bread! They pair well with the Greek coffee, I think you dunk them in the Greek coffee? They are covered in sweet syrup, but take note, are very, very heavy and will get you full with just a few pieces.
SUMMARY
Prices at Kos are definitely more attractive now. The flavor of the food is very good, and you can tell that Kos really makes an effort to use authentic Greek ingredients and spices whenever they can. I totally recommend the Chicken Souvlaki. However, since students are manning the kitchen, I think consistency might be an issue, as evidenced by our over-fried meatballs during my second visit.
It’s still worth checking out — the Greek coffee is unique, and paired with their Loukoumades promo, a great deal for an afternoon snack at only P99.
Kos Greek Ouzeri
Ground Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KosGreekOuzeri/
