Blu Kouzina

C says:

I'm usually not a fan of Greek or Mediterranean food, so I wasn't particularly enthused when A suggested trying Blu Kouzina, after hearing rave recommendations from his friends.

How wrong I was. It turned out to be nothing like what I expected. It's an unassuming, homely neighbourhood joint, without any fanciness or fuss.

We started with a pan-fried feta cheese with honey, which was hot, sweet and oozy, followed by one of the best grilled octopus we've ever had - super tender and incredibly charred.

Their signature dish, the beef skewers, was pretty good, but what really impressed were the lamb chops. Grilled very simply without overpowering seasoning, they were perfectly cooked and incredibly flavourful.

I still don't really like Greek desserts - too sweet for my liking, but A really enjoyed the phyllo dough and almond parcels doused in syrup.

Now I know why it's so hard to get a reservation here at short notice - the place is small and the food is excellent. Not exactly a spur of the moment place, but definitely a must-try for the octopus and lamb.

A says:

I like it. Thanks to my friend SL for the recommend.

Blu Kouzina
893 Bukit Timah Road
Tel: 6875-0872
Lunch
Fri - Sun: 12pm - 2.30pm
Dinner
Mon - Sun: 6pm - 10pm

Naxos: Update

C says:

Just thought I’d mention that when we walked by China Square Central the other night, it seems as though Naxos has closed down! Well, either that or they’re renovating but honestly, considering their less than stellar business, I’m almost certain it’s the former.

Since my last experience here was a less than positive one, I’m not feeling very much regret at this recent turn of events.

A says:

I shall miss the bread.

Naxos

C says:

We went to Naxos tonight, a Greek restaurant along China Square Central. Whenever I walk along that stretch of restaurants at lunchtime, Naxos always looks quite forlorn, with just 1 or 2 tables occupied. Fortunately it comes slightly more alive in the evenings, and the place was about 3/4 full tonight.

The tortillas we were served as a bread course came with 3 dips - a standard olive oil and balsamic vinegar one, one with chopped capsicums, and the best one by far was the salsa which had fresh chopped tomatoes subtly flavoured with garlic.

We shared a few tapas and a main course. The tapas were:
- Fried chicken with garlic: Boneless chicken thigh pieces and sliced garlic with a delicate sauce
- Grilled fresh tuna with avocado sauce: Tuna cubes skewered and topped with a creamy avocado sauce. This was amazing. The tuna was still pink in the center and the avocado sauce complemented it perfectly.
- Pork rolled with crabmeat and mushroom: This was tasty but not spectacular, especially compared to the tuna.
- Mushrooms with lemon sauce: Sauteed shitake mushrooms with a lemon butter sauce. This was good - the tartness of the lemon prevented it from being too rich.

Our main course was lamb medallions with spinach, gorgonzola and lavender sauce. After the wonderful tapas, this was a slight letdown, perhaps because we expected lamb slices rather than cubes. This was more like a lamb stew than lamb medallions. I definitely recommend the tapas over the main course.

The service here is great. We ordered a tiramisu to share, but the owner came and told us that he would prefer not serving us the tiramisu as he felt it was dry and not up to scratch. So instead, we ordered the profiteroles which were pretty good, and to apologise he gave us 2 shots of limoncello on the house. A had a sip and I finished the rest. *hic*

A says:

Mii Tuna good good. Waitresses young, smart and friendly, like "almost hot" JC girls. If i heard right, owner said he was from Napoli, which makes him an Italian with a Greek restaurant, which makes him a little kooky, which makes him okay in my book. Comes over to check on you periodically but he's more fun and not imposing like Valentino. Like C says, he gave us discount so i'm definitely going to support.