I had it in my head that I had visited Kypriaki Mediterranean Grill not that long ago and should therefore hold off revisiting, despite the restaurant moving to a new, larger, more modern location next door to the original space it occupied for nearly four decades and the introducing of some new concepts to its menu.
Pulling up my original review, I was surprised to discover that it’s coming up on three years since my last visit. I’ve covered a far bit of Greek food territory since then and, visiting Kypriaki again, it became clear that they have too.
The new space, which boasts a bustling Marine Drive patio in summertime, is much larger than the outside betrays, and is divided into a sprawling and warm yellow room (the principal dining hall) and a cool and moody blue room, where the bar is located in addition to two giant screen TVs.
I really appreciate this clear seating division as it is a peeve of mine to have television forced upon me as I try to enjoy a meal. At the back of the yellow room is a take-out window, staffed by a dedicated liaison between customer and kitchen, allowing for swift remote order management that does not disrupt front-of-house service and flow. Kypriaki has this busy restaurant thing dialled.
It is not often that I encounter something entirely new in a cuisine with which I am very familiar, but just such a rarity occurred during my recent visit to Kypriaki with my wife, DJ. On the Casual Fare section of the menu, which is home to gyros and burgers, is an ingenious innovation called the Saganaki Sandwich.
Saganaki, for those not acquainted with this spectacular Greek treat, is breaded, pan-fried cheese, usually a salty and almost un-meltable variety like kefalograviera, most typically served in its pan and topped with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Kypriaki’s sandwich contained a generous rectangle of this fried, breaded cheese, served on a dense, almost pretzel-like bun, and topped with thick, garlicky tzatziki, fresh tomato, and lettuce. The sandwich was positively inspired, a perfect marriage of both rich and fresh flavours.
The dish was greatly enhanced by the accompanying Kypriaki fries, large wedges of potatoes that are deep fried and tossed in Greek seasoning and lemon. If these fries are not already the stuff of legend, they ought to be, presenting an ingenious hybrid of classic Greek lemon roasted potatoes and crispy fries.
I highly recommend giving this welcome vegetarian option a go, even if, like me, you tend towards more carnivorous fare when you go out for Greek.
I ordered an appetizer of truly delicious chicken livers sautéed in red wine and served with tzatziki. The child Chris Dagenais would have wretched in disgust at the previous sentence, but as I have grown older, my tastes have developed significantly and I find liver, when prepared by expert hands, as it was at Kypriaki, to be a consistently enjoyable ingredient.
DJ and I shared another appetizer of Spanakopita. I would suggest Kypriaki does the best spinach pie on the Shore; it is densely packed with nicely spiced spinach and feta, light on the dill component (which is too often over emphasized in other recipes) and packed into flaky, golden phyllo crust.
For my main I chose Black Tiger Prawn Souvlaki. The hearty dish is comprised of six skewer-grilled prawns served with lemon roasted potatoes, rice, Greek salad, pita bread and tzatziki. This is generous meal for $15.50 and showcases the kitchen’s prowess on the grill; souvlaki is arguably Greece’s most famous culinary export and Kyrpriaki realizes the tradition with aplomb.
With an additional Greek salad to share, our meal came to $68 before gratutity. Kypriaki Mediterranean Grill is located at 106-1346 Marine Dr., North Vancouver. kypriaki.ca.
TABLE TALK
Ambleside can look forward to a taste of the Granville Rise next year as two successful retailers in that neighbourhood set up satellite locations in the new Grosvenor Ambleside development. Heirloom Vegetarian Restaurant, purveyor of creative veggie and vegan fare, has garnered some good press since opening in 2012, and will focus on both sit-down and meals-to-go service at the Ambleside location.
Meanwhile, gourmet retailer Meinhardt Fine Foods will call the West Van space home to its third location. Meinhardt has been a consistent leader in the provision of carefully sourced, high-end, imported and specialty foodstuffs since 1996. Meinhardt’s offerings include ready-made meals, deli fare and pastries in addition to its curated grocery wares.
Grosvenor Ambleside, set to open in late 2017, selected Meinhardt, Heirloom and Earls on the food service front after the developer engaged the community to learn their taste for new businesses in the development.
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. North Shore News dining reviews are conducted anonymously and all meals are paid for by the newspaper.
