I will travel a long way for good Greek food — it is always top of my dining list when visiting Melbourne and Sydney (I have two words for you — The Apollo) where there is so much of it you can overdose. Here in Auckland I gave myself a mild whiplash when I spotted the Aegean Eating House sign going up at 137 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn, earlier this year. As you will read in Ray McVinnie's feature Lokanta's roots are Turkish rather than Greek but it's all Aegean and the food is the same (though locals wouldn't necessarily agree).
The biggest mistake I made on my OE was thinking my Greek idyll was as good as it gets and delaying the trip across the Aegean. The minute I stepped off the boat in Turkey I knew I wanted to stay longer ... But that's my story — the Lokanta team's is much more exciting and they have been as generous with their recipes as they are with their hospitality. Aprons on for a round of minotaur beef, fish pilaki, some tava mussels with skordalia and a baklava with a modern twist.
Also in Bite this week:
