Crafty Crete: Volume Three – Bites and Beverages

Are you ready for something to sink your teeth into? Can you smell the garlic and oregano on the air? I was lucky enough to sample local dishes from a decent smattering of restaurants around Malia and beyond.

I’m going to try and just focus on the food and drink themselves, and not other things like service or decor etc. Fear not, however, as if you are curious for any extra details, I’ll include a link to my TripAdvisor review so you can digest that as well.

Come marvel at the awesome traditional food we got our grubby little paws on and hear my recommendation for a Cretan meal to remember!

Pork Souvlaki

On our first night, I had Pork Souvlaki: essentially grilled pork skewers. The waiter said the pork was the more traditional option, but you can also have chicken. The meat was really nice and tasty and was a good sign of things to come. It came with a dash of Tzatziki which really makes the meat pop, in my opinion. Chips were naff but the meat was the main event. Click here for my TripAdvisor review of The Loft.

Cretan Salad

I don’t often see the value in eating a salad in a restaurant as the portions are tiny and the pennies charged are many. But this is Crete and they make a salad a meal. A very satisfying meal. No limp iceberg on this plate. No sir.

The Cretan Salad: Pork Bits, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Onion, Artichoke, Olives, Boiled Egg, Local Cheese and, of course, Olive Oil. Reading up on Cretan salads, there are many variations but the common denominators are barley rusks, tomatoes, cucumbers and a Cretan cheese. So, I was missing some rusks, who cares. Better actually, as it was lighter. Exactly what I wanted after roasting on Spinalonga Island and scrambling up and down rocky hills. I really enjoyed this salad: it was fresh and filling. Maria’s Tavern Review here.

Prawn Saganaki

This next dish I swear I had in Corfu a couple of years ago and it’s a favourite of a friend of mine. As soon as I saw the Prawn Saganaki it on the menu, I wanted it. I made the mistake, however, of ordering this kind of dish from a restaurant specialising in steaks. Don’t get me wrong, it was nice enough but it didn’t blow my socks off. I don’t think the dish was as rich as it could have been – perhaps a bit weak on the herbs and spices? Anyway, for 9,50€ I thought this was not a good choice. Especially when I also found a stone in my dish which was SUPER unpleasant. We didn’t have a great restaurant experience: click here for more details.

The word Saganaki refers to the pan in which this dish is cooked, and is not to be confused with the fried cheese appetiser mentioned later.

Moussaka

I’d been looking forward to a moussaka since touching down on Cretan soil. The warm gooey comforting mound of minced meat, aubergines, bechamel sauce and potatoes was calling to me. But… I think the signal was a bit dodgy because the one I tried from a local restaurant in Old Town Malia tasted like a microwave meal. While filling, it was not comforting nor melded together. Also, as you can see, it doesn’t look pretty or appetising at all. It’s a bit sad when the best thing about your moussaka, is the block of feta cheese on the side salad.

In honesty, the I would avoid this restaurant as the food was incredibly mediocre and the waiting time was ridiculous. This was the Elisabeth and Stablos: click here for more information.

Saganaki

This can be made from a bunch of different cheeses, varying in strength and flavour. The first one I had was nice and all, but it was not super flavourful and memorable. It was alright.

The second version I sampled was Cretan Cheese Saganaki. This was absolutely beautiful. The cheese had more oomph to it and the coating was much nicer, in that it was better breadcrumbs and seemed more expertly made. They served it with a jam/chutney that was absolutely beautiful too. It reminded me somewhat of fried brie and cranberry sauce, although I much preferred this Cretan version. Even if the dead wasp in my side salad was not so beautiful. It’s a shame we had such a bad experience at Avli, read about that here.

Fried Zucchini

Tzatziki

Dipping, scooping, smearing. It’s all welcome here. This white saucy goodness is perfect for a snack, starter or a whole meal if you’re wanting something light and satisfying. Made with Greek natural yoghurt (above 5% fat is apparently best), garlic, cucumber and dill as a base, it also accompanies many meals such as gyros and souvlaki.

The best version I had in Crete this August was on the Safari Experts Cooking Lesson where the neighbour whipped up a batch very quickly. The taste was impactfully good. The garlic was strong but not deathly, and everything sang in harmony. I don’t like my Tzatziki too liquidy/creamy; I like a bit of bulk. I found the other versions I tried in Crete to be yoghurt-heavy and the flavours not as well mixed.

In the Malia Star restaurant, the white wine was fairly soft but with a bit of a kick at the beginning. It tasted quite strong. The rosé also tasted strong but this had a much harsher taste. Literally as if someone had poured red and white wine together. It started off with a more ‘white’ taste, and then the ‘red’ taste kicked in. The rosé in the here wasn’t super pleasant if I’m honest and there was a wee bit of sediment at the bottom. I could honestly believe these were homemade. Although, I couldn’t do better myself so who am I to judge?

In Elisabeth and Sablos, the homemade wine was a lot smoother. It was light and fruity. It wasn’t served as cold as it could have been and I think this would have been better but either way, it was very enjoyable.

That’s all true; that happened. However, when we went back to The Bull Steakhouse, this time with the parents, the experience was completely different. Let me tell you how.

The staff remembered us from the previous time, making a joke that “Remember you must eat your salad”. Believe me, I had already warned everyone to eat their salads or risk a telling-off from the Greek Mamma. But the food came out in 15 minutes flat this time. My boyfriend’s and my steak were noticeably medium and not medium rare as requested, but we put it down to ours being smaller than our parents and they probably threw them all on together for the same amount of time. Still super tasty though.

I ordered the Steak and Shrimps Parmesan at 20,50€, my boyfriend got the Steak Portobello and my parents-in-law got the Rib-eye Steak served with pepper sauce for 24,00€. Thankfully, my prawns were stone-free this time and also de-shelled and without body parts. The Parmesan cheese sauce was just dreamy. Right up my street. So yeah, based on THIS meal, I would totally recommend this steakhouse. Just don’t get something that isn’t a steak.

A chain restaurant specialising in noodles and sushi. Not one of my usual cuisine types but I love my boyfriend and love trying new things. He went straight for the Shrimp Dumplings and the Wasabi Special. Taking all of 5 minutes to vacuum this up, he was extremely satisfied. It was a simple setting and I had a view of the kitchen gantry, where I could see the chef sautéing things with expert control. Click here for my TripAdvisor Review.

I ordered Peking Duck and did not regret my choice. I really enjoyed rolling the pancake up and the sauce was really nice. It was a great little step outside of Crete for just a moment and a great meal with my family. The duck was really nice with a lot of flavour. I picked a lot of fat off, but my boyfriend was waiting and willing to vacuum that up too <3.

We had a couple of mediocre cocktails on the first night in the hotel but it’s really not the same when it’s 10€ for two but they’re served in tiny plastic cups… On the last day we had a decent pair of hotel cocktails: note the difference the glasses make. I also couldn’t help but notice all the plastic straws etc….

From The Loft, my partner had a Pina Colada: it was alright, my sources tell me.

In Wasabi I had an amazing Zombie. Really tasty, and came in a wonderful tiki-style glass. Now that’s what you want when you order a cocktail: some pizzazz.

Whilst I was sampling local beers, my beer-detesting partner sampled some cocktails and found the second love of his life. The Street (featured in Volume Beer) sold a huge list of cocktails which looked incredible. The June Bug was his favourite and he would highly recommend this.

The waiting staff were really friendly and welcoming. They brought us a complimentary appetiser of black eye beans and salad/bread. I’m not a bean gal, but man, these beans were the bee’s knees.

A staff member gave me an introduction on how to eat my Snails in a Casserole, using cocktail sticks. Another brought over the homemade bread I’d ordered, still hot and wrapped in a tea towel. There was some oil and herbs inside the steaming loaf.

The snails were really tasty. Their texture was not all rubbery as I’d first imagined (having tried them in France), and they had a great flavour from all the herbs and spices. They were not spicy, but had a deep, rich taste. I’d order them again in a heartbeat. My boyfriend ordered meatballs and said they were the best food of the holiday. Did not fall apart, yet melted in your mouth.

Rooster cooked in wine, with homemade Cretan pasta and grated Cretan “Anthotiros” cheese was my main dish. My friends know I don’t like pasta, so will be surprised at me for ordering this, but I wanted to try the Cretan version and was eager to try the rooster. As it happens, the pasta tasted like normal pasta but had a slightly softer texture. I didn’t love it but if I liked pasta, I’m sure I would have done!

The rooster was beautiful. It was as if we had explained to aliens what a chicken was, and they made one with technology. The bones of this animal were huge! The meat heavily resembled chicken, but with a darker colour. Together with the cheese and the sauce, it was an incredible experience. I saw this dish on a couple of other menus, but I’m so glad I choose it here.

My boyfriend got practically the same dish but with Goat, and his cheese came on the side. His goat was so tender and flavoursome (I obviously stole a wee bit).

Geitonia means neighbourhood, and I’d definitely be knocking on their door again! Highly recommended. For my full TripAdvisor review, click here, but I think I covered the main points.

The food here was a joy to behold. The effort in the presentation was more than commendable and the taste was fabulous. The dishes really were a thing of beauty.

My rather simple starter of sweet and sour cheese pies was adorable and the side salad was delicious. Nobody else got a starter but I had exactly zero regrets.

The main courses were a work of art; especially mine. I ordered Lamb Kleftiko. Further research tells me that ‘kleftiko’ means stolen. It’s thought that originally, the Klephts (loosely translated as Greek thieves/bandits) would steal lambs and cook the meat hidden underground to avoid being caught, but also to seal in the flavours and aromas. These days, traditionally, it’s slow-cooked in parchment.

I also tried to count the number of different vegetables that were in my dish and I think I got lost at 10? So much variety and so much colour and hearty goodness. All for 13.50€. I’d say it was worth it.

My family got gyros, souvlaki and pasta. I noticed the pitta bread for these dishes came fried. I’ve never seen this before, and I don’t think I’d prefer it personally, but they enjoyed it.

The chocolate cake came drenched in syrup and was very tasty. I’d definitely recommend getting it cold and not warm. The temperature outside in August is already warm enough, especially after a hearty, rustic meal as I had.

Click here for my full TripAdvisor review.