Kebab Lunch @ Limassol *by JS*

This posting is long overdue but well....better late then never :)
*it's been late 3 months*


In Cyprus going for a Kebab lunch is like us in Asia going to the food court or hawker centre or for that matter the English going for a fish and chips.


Kebab originated from the middle east and spread as far east as China and the far east so thanks to the silk road. I remember eating kebabs and mezze like dishes in the Xinjiang province of China some years ago. Well, nowadays it is eaten as far as New York but that's putting things in a slightly different context and perspective. 


It is not known as to when the first kebabs were eaten but definitely more than a millennium ago! My theory is that our Malaysian satay probably originated from this humble meat dish and later adjusted and modify to our liking and taste. 


Kebabs can be made from any meat such as beef, lamb, chicken or pork and even fish but traditionally its lamb. It is usually eaten with a mezze spread which consist of many type of pickles and dips and good ole pita bread. 


For our lunch we headed downtown to Limassol city square and really this is by far my favorite kebab place in Limassol. Its no other than Famagusta Restaurant operated by Yiannis and Elena and it is located in the city (or is it town??) square. 

As soon as we were seated, the good old pickles and greens were served immediately even before orders were made. 
Its like our Malay ulam (raw vegetable) i guess. 

The green leaves that was served is a type of leaves call "Cyprus Vetch". Its nice, crunchy and very refreshing. 

Olives are part of the Cypriots dietary requirement. 
In this case the olives that has been freshly soak in brine are very different from the ones we get here......it has still got a "green nose" and very refreshing.....and you get the aroma of fresh cold press olive oil. 

Then there is the pickled chili peppers and cauliflower, etc. well, anything thats sour does stimulate the appetite just before a meal. 

thats Couchie George going thru the rituals.....quite dramatic :)

You done yet?? :)

thats a typical greek salad comprising of tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, feta cheese, onions and a dash of oregano and all brought together with a good drizzle of Cypriot virgin olive oil.

If you walk into a kebab shop alone, the kebabs will most probably be served in a pita bread filled with the spit roasted meat and in this case pork cubes. 

Alongside you will get loads of cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, etc. 

very healthy. 

don't be fooled.....its damn big portion!

But cypriots tend to be more communal and sharing so its usually served on a platter to be shared and yes, you have to squeeze the lemon over the pork so the acidity of the lemon juice cuts thru the fattiness of the pork in your mouth. 


The pork pieces are seasoned minimally (salt and pepper) and carefully roasted with some fatty bits so as to keep the meat moist. 

This is called Seftalia. 
It's basically minced pork and fat and rolled into a sausage shape and wrapped with the pork lace fat (in chinese "chee mong yau") and spit roasted over charcoal fire. 


This I really like and don't mind having everyday. 
The minced meat is carefully seasoned and I caught a hint of ground cinnamon and cloves and it transfers your senses immediately into that unique region of the world.

Today's special and you don't get this everyday. 
It's a stew comprising of potatoes, okra, tomatoes, etc. 
very nice and I did enjoy this side dish very much. 
I would say its 100% comfort food even for my very Asian palate. 
Cyprus potatoes (or patatas as it is known) are also quite well known and highly regarded. 


This plate of sliced potatoes was deep fried and really it's like fresh chips but only a lot nicer and crispier due to the thinness. 
Just salt and pepper and you are good to go.


A slight diversion here.....we in this part of the world love stir fried sweet potato leaves.....and the one billion question.....can potato leaves be eaten like sweet potato leaves?? just imagine the possibilities.......it will probably help to partially solve the Eurozone problems!!

Thats the dips I was talking about. Think one is chickpea dip whilst the other one is a sesame dip (Tahini). All very healthy food indeed. 

and thats the pita bread. 

just look at that texture.....you can never find such pita bread here in this part of the world....maybe its the flour.....or is it the water.......or the baker's technique? 

It's actually al fresco style dining although you can opt to sit inside the restaurant.....
but for such a beautiful spring afternoon.....sitting outside is the way to go. Kalimera Dinos the Great.....why are you snarling at Couchie George?? :)


Way to go Yiannis.....Keep it up and I can't wait to go there again soon :)

Thanks once again Bro George for the treat........Every time I look at these pictures, I feel like I am back in Cyprus :)


Yiannis & Elena Famagusta Restaurant
Old Limassol Market Square,
Limassol, Cyprus.

His International debut

kekekekekekeke
JS's sunset pics made it international in Europe
:P
in the newspaper :D
me so proud hehehehehe
coz JS is not even a professional photog
just his hobby and past time.....if he has got any left after his 1st and 2nd hobby
that's Golf & Cooking of coz


Congratulations!!!!!
*clap clap clap*
**applause**


his next debut is in an affluent Luxury Asia Pacific magazine
still waiting for its publication


for more sunset pics taken on the same day as the above
*click here*


Thank u to Dinos the Great for the submission :))))
Happy Friday folks!!!
I'm definitely lookin forward to another exciting Monkey-ing weekend!!!!
wooooohoooooo~~~~~~

Mediterranean Sea

JS watched sunset alone 

not just any sunset but a rather beautiful one :))

yes I know u missed me :D

 he photographed very beautiful moments these days

afterall they said a pic speaks a thousand words

hehehehhehehe

Mediterranean sea almost never have a tide system because it's landlocked from north to south

but it's so beautiful with the deep blue color

shall we plan Greece and Cyprus again next late Spring/summer? 

:D

at this rate, I need to do sabbatical leave for 12 months :))))

hehehehehehehehe

thank u for roaming the Earth with me

:))))))))))

that's the most beautiful thing ever :)))))))

I am going home.....*by JS*

I have been away for about 2 weeks now......and Saint Veeny(my sister) is alas on the road to recovery and should be discharged tomorrow.........there were moments of anxiety but good doctors and faith in god pulled her through at the end of the day......So its now time for me to go home.........and one more post before i start my journey tomorrow. This post will be about some pictures i took and places i visited in Cyprus albeit the tight schedule.

colorful buildings and windows and doors are a norm in Cyprus.

This was Limassol library. It is being converted to Limassol university library. Used to be some sort of palace!

Arnother view of Limassol castle. Remember i told you guys the significance of this castle......well, if you like history around the Byzantine to Crusaders era, then you will enjoy visiting the many historical sites in Cyprus.

well, much of Cyprus is countryside so you do get quite stunning views and landscapes. Its winter now but i assume it would be nicer in the summer.

This is actually a very old prunned olive tree. Cyprus is famous for it's cold pressed virgin olive oil and in actual fact the whole island is planted with olive trees and some of the trees are almost 1000 years old.....and still bearing fruits!!!

This was actually part of the port structure of Amathus. The ancient city of Amathus dates back to BC. It's history is kind of mix of myth and facts but it's existence is real for sure.

On the right hand side you can see the archeological excavation of part of Amathus. Note the Greek columns.

Amathus was actually quite a large city in it's time. On this hilltop you can see find the old mosaic design on the floor and on this very hill was the temple of Aphrodite!!

Limassol is also a popular destination for tourist in the summer as it has a very long beach facing the Mediterranean sea.

do you see what i see???

yes, it's a pussycat!!

Infact the whole island is full of cats!

History has it that St Helena came to Cyprus around 400AD. She noticed the island was deserted(from a long drought) and the place was infested with snakes. On her return from Constantinople (Istanbul today) she brought with her ship loads of cat and left them on the island to get rid of the snakes. Today there is a church called St Nicholas of the cats and it's situated on the southern most tip of Cyprus neat to Kolossi castle........yes, and the church is full of cats which are probably decendants of the cats brought by St Helena.

It was also a known fact that St Helena brought part of the cross of Christ and left it in a church cum monastery which she built in Cyprus.......I have actually been to this monastery which sits precariously on a hill near to Larnaca and it's call Stavrovouni monastery.....and i have personally seen and touch this piece of the cross. It's wrapped in some metal sheet probably to prevent it from decomposing!!

Cyprus is an interesting place don't you think?? i can actually go on and on with more stories.......but it's late now and i need to retire :)

πιατάκια *by JS*

πιατάκια(pronounce PIATAKIA) simply means little plates in Greek. As we all know cypriot dishes are very mezze like and comes in small plates hence the name piatakia but however when you come to this restaurant, you can forget about all the traditional cypriot tasting dishes(eg:- kebabs, mousaka, meatballs, etc)and start thinking international instead!

Owned by celebrity chef Roddy Damalis(who is Cypriot offcourse!)the restaurant is situated just off the famous Makarios Avenue in downtown Limassol in a very hip setting and environment.

Having stayed in South Africa for many years, chef Damalis is also a well travelled man and this is reflected in the dishes he created. He uses classic Cypriot ingredients and spices and employ techniques used by other cultures to create unique dishes. For most of us Asians, the taste and flavors of traditional cypriot dishes is somewhat "unfamiliar and sometimes quite lost" if i may sum it up that way......but for dishes created by Chef Damalis, i am treading on familiar grounds.

The external of the restaurant is decorated with olive trees.

It is winter so obviously there was no one sitting outside!

As you enter the restaurant you will notice the decor......the walls are decorated with plates ....all sorts of plates actually.

The red walls also give the restaurant a cosy atmosphere.

Very clever....the specials of the day are written on the beam that stretches across the restaurant......yes, BTW, thats Dinos the great!

our host for the night is none other than hotshot lawyer come developer Artemis(far right).

smooth operator this guy :)

and that's the chef/owner Roddy Damalis.

Errrrrrr......mr hotshot Artemis trying to explain how to ride a horse to her royal highness and she does looked impressed.....or was it too many drinks :)

that's kebab and it's a traditional cypriot accompaniment during meals.

this one is very special. It's actually celery leaves dipped in a batter and deep fried. Like a tempura i suppose and i sense middle eastern spices in the batter.

A very nice salad incorporating seasonal fruits on a bed of greens and for this season it's figs. Pomegranate and probably pomegranate molasses was used in the dressing.

A very refreshing salad for the winter months.

Baked Feta cheese wrapped in filo pastry and drizzled with honey. This is indeed one of chef Damalis signature dishes.

Feta cheese is very common in this part of the world but unfamiliar for the far east.

The use of filo pastry and honey neutralizes the saltiness and richness of the feta cheese. superb!!

This is the deep fried soft shell crab and it's served with a chutney like sauce. The japs love to eat this small soft shell crabs. It's a different species from the ones we have in South East Asia.

Octopus is widely eaten in Europe and Cyprus is no exception. This grilled octopus drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice is soft and succulent and tasty.

Roast potatoes drizzled with freshly squeeze lemon juice. Here in Cyprus it's common to drizzle almost everything you eat with lemon juice. Quite refreshing actually.

this is actually minced goat meat NOT lamb. i like the texture and flavor of the goat meat. Middle eastern spices was used as seasoning.

Duck meat cooked with walnut skin. Very unique!

Gammon ham with some chutney.

Lamb shank cooked to perfection.

berries and sorbet.

a pavlova

It was definitely a hearty meal. Thank you hotshot Artemis for hosting this dinner and thank you chef Damalis for your recommendation and your creations. It was an adventurous evening of many surprises and I must say....pleasant ones too. The total dining experience was unique in its own special way. The food was superb. The service was up to the mark. Well done!!

We will definitely return and would not hesitate to recommend to our friends in the far east!

Chef Damalis has also just published a book. We actually brought our own copy to the restaurant and asked the man himself to sign on it!

Last but not least, how can you go to a restaurant and say you have met the celebrity chef himself if there was no pictures taken with him as prove.....so here you go sister!

yes, that my sister Eveline with chef Damalis and the book too!!

Noticed how tall is my sister next to chef Damalis :)