I’ve had a few friends visiting Greece recently and the pictures they have been posting on Facebook have literally made me want to lick my computer screen.  If I wasn’t already reeling from the costs of a recently European holiday AND home reno’s then I would be on the first flight to Santorini (wouldn’t we all!)  In the meantime the new Greek charcoal barbeque restaurant, Odyssey Kitchen, is undoubtedly the next best thing!

MS and I headed down to check it out on Tuesday night since the only plans we had were watching the latest episode of The Walking Dead and we were pleasantly surprised with what we found!  We were greeted by the lovely owner Pepi and her husband who have recently moved over here from Greece.  After the recent troubles in Greece they decided that they would have a fresh start in Cairns opening Odyssey Kitchen only six weeks ago.

Pepi showed us to our table and I asked her for some recommendations from the menu since it all looked fantastic, we had trouble choosing.  The menu is very reasonably priced with nothing over $27.  First off Pepi recommended some Mythos Greek beer for MS a glass of Rose for myself.  We chose a selection of entree’s and main’s from the menu and waited for our meals to arrive.

For entrée we ordered the Baked Fetta with slices of tomato, onion and capsicum with Greek spices ($11.50) and the Grilled Octopus Tentacle Garnished with Salad ($14).  Both MS and I literally swooned over the Baked Feta.  It was insanely good and we later found out that Odyssey Kitchen imports their own fetta from Greece.  That would explain why the feta that I buy at Coles doesn’t even come close to this stuff!

Oven Baked Feta with Slices of Tomato, Onion and Capsicum ($11.50)

The Octopus was unbelievably tender and even MS who is notorious for not liking seafood (especially something like Octopus) couldn’t get enough of it.

Grilled Octopus Garnished with Salad ($14)

Our third entrée was the Greek Country Salad with Tomatoes, Onions, Feta, Olives, Capsicum and Capers served with a Greek Version of Croutons ($12).  Again the Feta made this dish absolutely sing.  Not often does a salad get completely demolished when we go out to dinner together but I can safely say there wasn’t a skerrick left in the bowl when we finished.

Greek Country Salad – Tomatoes, Onions, Feta, Olives, Capsicum and Capers served with a Greek version of croutons

It seems that we may have bitten off more than we could chew with our entrees as they were bigger and more filling than we had expected but nevertheless we still had a bit of room for our mains.  As we couldn’t make a decision we opted to share the Pastitsio ($18) and the Chicken and Bacon Charcoal Spit ($27).  The Pastitsio is described on the menu as Risoni Pasta Mixed with Feta and Parmesan, Covered with Mince, Topped with Béchamel Sauce and Cooked in a Clay Pot.  This dish was rich and creamy with flavours of cinnamon and nutmeg.  Basically carb heaven in a clay pot.

Pastitsio – Risoni Pasta Mixed with Feta and Parmesan, Covered with Mince and Topped with Béchamel Sauce. Cooked in a Clay Pot ($18)

The Chicken and Bacon Charcoal Spit (chosen because, well, all men love bacon don’t they?) was served with salad, chips, pita bread and dip.  We had earlier watched the chef cooking the large skewers of meat over the charcoal grill not far from our al fresco table.  I let MS consume the majority of the meaty skewer because I was pretty much up to Pussy’s Bow as my dad would say.  Could have totally eaten more of that feta though.

Chicken and Bacon Charcoal Spit – 1 Mega Skewer of Chicken Fillet Pieces Wrapped in Bacon Slowly Cooked over the Charcoal. Served with Salad, Chips, Pita Bread and Dip ($27)

And finally there was dessert (I know I just said I was full but no one told me there was dessert)…  We tried three off the menu including the Baklava (my favourite), Halva – a semolina sweet filled with dried fruit and nuts dipped in syrup and the Yogurt and Homestyle Sweet – yogurt and traditional syrupy sweet made of fruit and sugar.  It was a tough contest but the Yogurt and Homestyle Sweet was my favourite.  It reminded me of a delicious sweet that my mum used to give me when I was a kid.

After all that food Pepi nearly had to roll us out of the restaurant and back to our car.  Now I know why they call it a Greek feast!  The hospitality and generosity we received from Pepi and her wait staff was some of the best we’ve received in a very long time.  From the beer to the baklava at Odyssey Kitchen they are serving up delicious home style Greek cooking at very affordable prices.

Odyssey Kitchen – 41 Shields St, Cairns QLD 4870

Ph: (07) 4041 2112

Opening Times: Lunch 11.30am – 3pm, Dinner 17.30 till late (closed Sundays)

http://www.odysseykitchen.com.au/