In China, there are very few restaurants that serve Greek flavors, and there are only one or two restaurants that specialize in Greek cuisine in the whole city of Beijing. One of them is Athena's Greek Restaurant in the Sanlitun Embassy District, which opened in 2000 and is the first Western restaurant in China to serve Greek flavors.
Greek cuisine is a typical Mediterranean style, with a wide range of uses of olive oil, wine, vegetables, spices, grains, and is also influenced by the diets of Persian, Turkish and other places. Many Greek cuisines are more suitable for Chinese tastes, but there are also some dishes that are difficult for Chinese stomachs to accept. "Tzatziki" cucumber yogurt is a classic Greek dish, made with sour sheep's milk mixed with cucumber, garlic, salt, olive oil, vanilla, etc., fresh and refreshing, with a strong sour taste, with a fermented milk aroma, strong flavor, can be eaten on its own, or as a sauce with grilled meats, pastries, etc. "Moussaka" Mushaka is a must-try when you come to the store, the meat filling, potato chips and eggplant are baked with layers of crust and cheese, the aroma is attractive, the taste is delicious and refreshing, not as strong as the appearance, dipped in sweet and sour tomato juice, the aftertaste is long, almost tailored for the usual taste of the Chinese people.
The specialty dessert "Baklava" baklava is also worth trying. This is a baklava dessert that originated in Ottoman origin and is very popular in Greece, Turkey and other countries. The phyllo dough (puff pastry) is filled with a variety of nutty fillings and poured with a rich syrup, resulting in a very sweet and nutty flavor.
Barbecue is also common in Greek cuisine. Athena's Greek Restaurant is served by Pita Gyros, a common Greek street food made with a Greek dough "Pita" rolled with freshly heated roast meat and vegetable fillings. The hot barbecue is delicious and filling, but Athena's Pita cake is obviously not authentic, and the thin crust does not have the thick and firm taste of Greek pastry, and it tastes more like a Chinese pancake, which is a pity. In addition to Pita, customers can also try Athena's barbecue platter, which is a generous portion of pork and sheep and chicken steak fillet with salad fries.
Athena's Greek Restaurant is located on Sanlitun West 5th Street, and the Santorini-style blue and white color scheme is very eye-catching on the street. The restaurant is small in size, with arches, frescoes, wine bottles and picture albums and other decorative elements that all reflect a strong Mediterranean atmosphere. The restaurant also has an outdoor dining area, and on a nice day, dining outdoors in the sun under a glass canopy is another vibe. In fact, there are not many dishes in the restaurant, but the weekday lunch buffet is worth recommending, you can taste a lot of special dishes, and the price of 78 yuan that has not changed for many years is also quite cost-effective.
At present, there are not many Greek restaurants in Beijing, except for Athena, "Argo Restaurant" located in Wudaoying Hutong is also a Greek restaurant. Argo is a typical alley shop, the owner is Greek, and the reputation of the restaurant is less than that of Athena; Friends who visit Wudaoying can also pay attention to this restaurant, and it will not be detailed in the list.
