Date Posted: March 30, 2016

What’s New in the Menu at Cyma Greek Taverna?

After ten years of providing OPA moments to their avid diners, Chef Robby Goco and our friends from Cyma Greek Taverna has decided to celebrate their tenth year anniversary with fresh and exciting menu offers that will keep you craving for Greek cuisine. New dishes, better-quality home grown ingredients, and flexible and customizable serving options mark the new flavor to expect from Cyma.

I’ve been invited to take part in the media launch of the new menu, and I don’t just speak for myself when I say that we were overwhelmed by the number of new dishes introduced at the launch. A lot of time, effort, and skill were put into conceptualizing the new menu, but there were a handful of dishes that sealed the deal for me, and made me realize that I am definitely coming back to Cyma in the near future.

Dakos (Php 120)

You’ll want to start your next Cyma meal with a handful of Dakos, a piece of cretan rusk topped with chopped tomatoes, feta bits, capers, oregano, and extra virgin olive oil. Imagine a salad in bite-sized serving on top of the crispy rusk.  It’s reminiscent of a bruschetta, but the difference lies in the use of the cretan rusk, which is hard to bite into, compared to grilled bread. The Dakos is part of the Mezedes menu, which is Greek for “Something small and delicate,” and features platefuls of delectable treats Greeks start their meals with.

Saganaki with figs (Php 350)

A sweeter and tastier version of the crowd-favorite Saganaki, the Saganaki with Figs is fried kefalotyri (cheese hailing from Greece or Cyprus, and is made of sheep or goat’s milk) with peppered fig jam. It’s probably Cyma’s cheesiest appetizer yet! Try pulling a piece of the Saganaki with Figs from the toast to see just how long the cheese stretches!

Fried Calamari and Black Rice Salad (Php 410 for Solo, Php 590 for Sharing, Php 730 for Family Size)

For the salad, the Fried Calamari and Black Rice salad became an instant favorite, most likely because it’s a salad that doesn’t taste like one. Kids and adults who shy away from leafy greens would surprisingly like this one! The Fried Calamari and Black Rice Salad together with the Roasted Alaskan King Crab Legs are just two of the many considered as Cyma’s “progressive Greek” dishes, a culinary concept that is not strictly Greek, but has come about by using new methods and technology to help keep Greek cuisine evolving and moving forward.

Roasted Alaskan King Crab Legs (Php 1300 for 300g, Php 2450 for 600g, Php 3500 for 900g)

The Roasted Alaskan King Crab Legs is the dish to get your hands dirty for. The prized meat of the Alaskan King Crab should be enough motivation to eat with your hands and crack a few crab shells. The crab legs come in a bath of savory sayce, and accompanied by cashew garlic pasta on the side.

Kreatika Meat Platter (Php 1500 for two, Php 2900 for four, Php 3500 for eight)

If you haven’t found your meat heaven, then you haven’t met Cyma’s meat platter yet. Called the Kreatika, Cyma’s meat platter comes with a serving of lemons, Greek chimichurri, tzatziki, parsley salad, and pita to complement your meal. The one pictured above is good for four, and is comprised of eight lamb Keftedes (meatballs), 2 pieces Pork Chops, 4 Beef Kalamaki sticks, and 4 lamb shoulders. If you and your pals have an appetite to beat the Kreatika, then this dish is your golden ticket to carnivore nirvana.

Lamb Yiouvetsi (Php 850)

Of all the mains we’ve tried, the Lamb Yiouvetsi would have to be my personal favorite. It’s Greece’s version of the paella, but instead of using rice, they use a rice-shaped pasta called orzo. Aside from the fact that the meat is braised for hours on end for it to better absorb the flavor, the dish is oven-baked in a clay pot ceramic (hence, the reason why it’s also served in one. Because of the long meat prep time, diners get treated to a fall-off-the-bone lamb experience.

Ekmek (Left) and Olive Oil Cake (Right)

The new menu also features two new desserts to sample: the Ekmek and the Olive Oil Cake. The Ekmek reminds me of Cyma’s famous Baklava, mainly because of the role of the nuts and shredded phyllo combination in this dish. On the other hand, the Olive Oil Cake had a fluffy texture and is moist minus the grease. Do not be fooled by its name, because it’s hardly oily at all. It’s strongly flavored by the EVOO, and has a light citrus taste. The fruits in syrup that comes with it adds flavor to an otherwise tame dish. If you have a sweet tooth, you might enjoy Ekmek better over the Olive Oil Cake.

I highly recommend the starters I featured (the Dakos, Saganaki with Figs, and the Fried Calamari and Black Rice Salad). However, there are other dishes included in the new menu that you might like, too. The thing that I like best about eating at Cyma is that I get to indulge in delicious, guilt-free food, great for when you want to watch what you’re eating, or if you’re simply craving for lip-smacking recovery food without feeling bad about it after. Drop by Cyma Greek Taverna soon to sample their newest dishes for yourself and have a delectable OPA! moment.-HANA

Cyma Greek Taverna
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