CHEF and blogger Paul James writes for our paper.
I’ve been visiting Kassiopi for three years now and I’ve always gone to illusions bar, which is an excellent, friendly music bar close to the harbour so as soon as I found out that the owner Akis and his lovely family were opening up a cafe/eatery just round the corner from there I was very happy.
‘Illusions kitchen bar’ has only been open a couple of months but the reviews I’ve read and from what I’ve been told by friends, it’s more than popular.
So we thought that we would have to give it a go.
Everything on the menu looked so appetising but I went for the Greek breakfast, which had the most perfectly cooked eggs you could have wished for, the deep yellow yolk slowly oozed out in to the equally perfect tomato sauce (no Heinz here) olives that were salty but not over salty was balanced by the ‘cheese pie’ , drizzled with honey and sesame seeds.
Jay tried the pancakes with seasonal fruits and honey, which he commented were the best he had ever tasted – that is a massive compliment considering he devoured pancake after pancake for breakfast in New York a couple of years ago.
With the double Greek coffee was superb and freshly squeezed orange juice, this was without a doubt the best breakfast so far, which takes some beating as the quality of the restaurants in Kassiopi are excellent.
With the lovely staff and even lovelier sisters Nikolina and Christianna (Sorry Akis but it’s true) what more could you ever wish for?
We just wish we had another couple of nights to sample the other dishes on the menu. Trust me it will not be the last time I’m coming here.
As I’ve done a similar version of ‘Feta in phyllo pastry’ before I thought I would give the pancakes a go.
Greek pancakes are called ‘tiganites’ and are popular across Greece. They are slightly thicker than crêpes and can be sweet or savoury.
There was going to be no way that the girls at ‘Illusions Kitchen Bar’ was going to give up their secret of how they made their own ‘pancakes’ so I had to try and create something similar.
Okay, so the verdict – my lad said my version was nice, but it was nothing compared to the taste from the ‘Illusions Kitchen Bar’ – how could I ever compete?
As well as the food, the bar also has stunning views over Kassiopi Harbour.
If you are in that part of the world, check it out – facebook.com/illusionskitchenbar/
Visit recipesfrommytravels.com for more of Paul’s recipes and blog.
GREEK PANCAKES WITH SEASONAL FRUITS AND HONEY
Ingredients (Makes 10-12 pancakes)
225g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
3tbsp Greek honey plus more for drizzling over at the end.
150ml Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
100ml of water
olive oil
Seasonal fruits
Method
1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl.
2. Add the honey, yoghurt and eggs and beat well until a thick, smooth batter forms.
3. Add the water and beat again until you have a batter the consistency of cream.
4. Heat a large non-stick frying pan until hot, drizzle a little oil over the centre.
5. Wipe the oil around the pan with some kitchen paper.
6. Add three or four spoonfuls of the mixture to the pan and cook over a medium heat for 6 to 8mins, turning over once until the pancakes are golden brown.
7. Remove carefully from the pan, transfer to a warm plate and repeat.
8. Serve the pancakes warm with seasonal fruits and honey.
