Kouzzina ~ Authentic Greek?

[Mousemommy1]

Pondering making an ADR at Kouzzina, but I am married to a Greek guy and am used to the very authentic cooking of his family.

I have never really gotten Greek food outside of his families cooking and I am wondering if we will find the flavors to be "authentic Greek". Especially the spanikopita, pastitio, and the lamb.

Any Greeks out there loving Kouzzina???

Thanks!!

[scojos]

im not married to a greek so cant comment on that, i am however married to a french head chef, so very used to french cuisine and can say that cdf was a good, if watered down version of french cuisine...
i think if you go with the anticipation its not what you re used to at home, then it can only be a good suprise, or avoid it.
we enjoyed cdf...except... the waiter was whining about our kids (they refused to eat off the kids menu so we paid oop for them to eat adult meals) and how he could do without the hassle of "the princesses"....oop...i speak fluent french and heard him... called the manager over and ripped them both to shreds about how unproffesional it was... we were offered champagne and he apologised but it left a sour taste in my mouth, you d never experience that in a real french bistro and personally couldnt see what the issue was. (unknowingly to us, he didnt charge the oop to the room, nor take the TS credits either, so we got a "free" meal but that wasnt the point.. next year we are upgrading to the BDF and hopefully will get a better quality meal!! soory about the rant lol!!

[Mousemommy1]

Originally Posted by scojos

im not married to a greek so cant comment on that, i am however married to a french head chef, so very used to french cuisine and can say that cdf was a good, if watered down version of french cuisine...
i think if you go with the anticipation its not what you re used to at home, then it can only be a good suprise, or avoid it.
we enjoyed cdf...except... the waiter was whining about our kids (they refused to eat off the kids menu so we paid oop for them to eat adult meals) and how he could do without the hassle of "the princesses"....oop...i speak fluent french and heard him... called the manager over and ripped them both to shreds about how unproffesional it was... we were offered champagne and he apologised but it left a sour taste in my mouth, you d never experience that in a real french bistro and personally couldnt see what the issue was. (unknowingly to us, he didnt charge the oop to the room, nor take the TS credits either, so we got a "free" meal but that wasnt the point.. next year we are upgrading to the BDF and hopefully will get a better quality meal!! soory about the rant lol!!

Wow! I can't believe they talked about you!!! (and thought you wouldn't understand...)

Glad you said something!

Yeah, the menu at Kouzzina looks pretty good, and I think we would all find stuff to order on it. Maybe I should give it a shot!

[scojos]

Originally Posted by Mousemommy1

Wow! I can't believe they talked about you!!! (and thought you wouldn't understand...)

Glad you said something!

Yeah, the menu at Kouzzina looks pretty good, and I think we would all find stuff to order on it. Maybe I should give it a shot!

tbf the speed he was rattling it off you d have to be pretty good and fluent with slang to keep up....

i think the bfast menu looks pretty good, not used to greek cuisine so think it would be a gentle introduction esp for the kids, that said, the 3 sampler plate looks pretty awesome...hrmmm.... decisions decsions... when are you going, maybe you could give me a heads up weather you think its worth it??

[Mousemommy1]

Originally Posted by scojos

tbf the speed he was rattling it off you d have to be pretty good and fluent with slang to keep up....

i think the bfast menu looks pretty good, not used to greek cuisine so think it would be a gentle introduction esp for the kids, that said, the 3 sampler plate looks pretty awesome...hrmmm.... decisions decsions... when are you going, maybe you could give me a heads up weather you think its worth it??

The kiddos love Greek food, they have been brought up with it. They eat lamb, feta, olives...love it all, lol!

We are going in April! I think I might make a reservation!

[pilferk]

Originally Posted by Mousemommy1

Pondering making an ADR at Kouzzina, but I am married to a Greek guy and am used to the very authentic cooking of his family.

I have never really gotten Greek food outside of his families cooking and I am wondering if we will find the flavors to be "authentic Greek". Especially the spanikopita, pastitio, and the lamb.

Any Greeks out there loving Kouzzina???

Thanks!!

I'm not Greek..but...we have a couple high end, VERY authentic Greek restaurants in our neck of the woods. Family owned and operated "small" places that have been around for YEARS.

Kouzzina is a much pricier, "watered down" version of those places. I've never seen Dolmades, or Tyropitakia. And the Souvlaki (app) is decidedly not traditional, IMHO.

Keep in mind, it's not bad..but it's Greek food to appeal to the masses. It's certainly a step above "chain restaurant" food, and we've enjoyed it both times we've been (and we're returning next month, so there's an endorsement in itself). But if you go in expecting authentic like mama makes...you're likely going to be a bit disappointed.

[Mcert01]

Originally Posted by Mousemommy1

Pondering making an ADR at Kouzzina, but I am married to a Greek guy and am used to the very authentic cooking of his family.

I have never really gotten Greek food outside of his families cooking and I am wondering if we will find the flavors to be "authentic Greek". Especially the spanikopita, pastitio, and the lamb.

Any Greeks out there loving Kouzzina???

Thanks!!

Not Greek, but love authentic Greek food, and have eaten at many great Greek restaurants. OPA!

We have been to Kouzzina and can say with confidence it is excellent authentic Greek food (Cat Cora is Greek). The Pastitsio is excellent! We didn't have the Spanikopita. If you want to stop out of the normal try the cinnamon stewed chicken. I actually got the Trio sampler and everything was great!

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Been to Greece several times while working in the Middle East.
2) Kouzzina is Greek in name only.
3) It is so Americanized, one can't tell it is Greek. *

* Think of eating a Gyro at a county fair. It might look like a
Greek Gyro, but ingredients are not authentic. At least in most
instances.

[VillianDiva]

It is nothing like eating traditional Greek cuisine but it is a really great restaurant. We eat a local restaurant almost weekly but Kouzzina is still one of our Disney favorites.

[BEASLYBOO]

Originally Posted by TheRustyScupper

1)
3) It is so Americanized, one can't tell it is Greek. *[/I]

I disagree with this statement.

I'm not Greek, I'm French. I've been to Greece once, and I love the cuisine. I have a Greek friend who's "Yaya" I've cooked with in the kitchen.

We enjoy Kouzzina, and though it is Americanized as is everything in Disney that is ethnic cuisine, there are some dishes that truly shine.

The whole roasted fish, with fennel & olives, de-boned at your table is subtly delicious! Braised short ribs. The Kouzzina appetizer platter offers a selection of olives, pita, hummus, shrimp, lamb meatballs is tasty.

I certainly think they do as good a job with Greek cuisine as Les Chef's does with French! The average Disney population couldn't handle authentic African, Chinese, Japanese, Moroccan, Greek or French cuisine!

Perfect example, at Jiko at AKV, for many years they served their filet mignon with Mac & Chees. Yup, you see a lot of mac & cheese in Africa along with them, there antelope nuggets!!!

It's one meal, seldom have I run across a restaurant that had inedible food. Give it a shot!

[Mcert01]

If by "Americanized" you mean there are dishes familiar to those who prefer meat and potatoes, then yes, most of the Disney restaurants are Americanized. You have to appeal to a wide variety of tastes to make the experience enjoyable.

However, this doesn't mean the ethnic dishes found in the restaurants aren't "authentic". I'm not even sure how you define "authentic".

Not every restaurant, kitchen or YaYa in Greece prepares a dish in exactly the same manner, using the same spices, cuts of meat, etc. This is true of any cuisine. You can't even find a consistent Chili recipe in the US! There are peasant dishes, gourmet dishes, etc. and twists on the classics by chefs who bring their own interpretations, just as an artist does to a painting. Cuisine changes with time and new generations put their imprint on traditional dishes.

Mexican food is a great example of this. Think all Mexican is tacos and enchiladas? Well, the street fare is just that ... and its wonderful. However, if you go to the coast you will find seafood and wonderful ceviches. Chile Rellenos are another example. In Mexico you can get them deep fried or roasted. Chile Rellenos, at the end of the day, are stuffed peppers. There are many "authentic" ways to stuff, prepare and serve them.

The truly Greek dishes at Kouzzina were created by a Greek chef, using traditional Greek spices, and interpreted in a such a way as to give the guest the opportunity to experience and enjoy Greek cuisine. As most of the posters have already said, even if you believe it to be "Americanized" it is still very good.

[wiigirl]

Originally Posted by VillianDiva

It is nothing like eating traditional Greek cuisine but it is a really great restaurant. We eat a local restaurant almost weekly but Kouzzina is still one of our Disney favorites.

Mine too!

[Mousemommy1]

Thanks for all of your input guys. I went ahead and made a reservation. Can't wait to try it!

[Mcert01]

Originally Posted by Mousemommy1

Thanks for all of your input guys. I went ahead and made a reservation. Can't wait to try it!

[scojos]

Originally Posted by Mousemommy1

Thanks for all of your input guys. I went ahead and made a reservation. Can't wait to try it!

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