Restaurant Review: Yiannis Taverna

YIANNIS TAVERNA

10444 Whyte Ave | yiannistaverna.ca

Instagram: @yiannistaverna

Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew

Yiannis Taverna has been a longtime fixture in Old Strathcona for as long as I can remember. They opened back in 1990, proving that their traditional Greek cuisine - 35 years strong - is a reliable mainstay, withstanding decades on the vibrant and ever-evolving Whyte Ave. It's been a hot minute since my last visit and I figured that it was due time. They were named Best Mediterranean Restaurant 2021 in the Edmonton Journal and this was enough to stoke my interest. A reservation is best, especially on a warm summer evening when their large garage-front doors are open to the outside air. Parking can be tricky on Whyte but with some luck you might grab a spot out front. I visited on a Saturday evening and despite my reservation, I was still unable to snag a coveted patio table beneath their signature blue and white awning. There was an empty table near the patio that they also wouldn't let me occupy because it was "already reserved." (Didn't I have a reservation?) I settled on a spot further inside the dining room, lovely nonetheless. The dining area is quite large, occupying two levels. Full of original exposed brick and beautiful painted murals, the space is designed to embody the feeling of sitting in a Greek taverna. The most striking element of decor is certainly the wall of glowing kako mati, or evil eyes, used to protect against negative energy. I had heard that traditional dancers entertain on Saturday evenings but no such dancers appeared. Maybe I was dining too early in the night? To start my visit, I was looking for a summery cocktail that would match the Greek feast that I was prepared to enjoy. Between the Ouzo Lemonade and the Aegean Fizz ($14.00), I chose the latter.

Greek brandy, Cointreau, lemon, soda.

This drink succeeded at being a fun effervescent summertime cocktail, however it was very boozy. I had a difficult time finishing it because the alcohol was quite strong. The menu is ideally crafted for sharing and in Greek tradition you can imagine large families feasting together over plentiful platters of various foods. This exact spirit is captured in Yiannis' Mezethes menu, filled with an abundant selection of appetizers. Why try only a few when you can simply order the Mezethes Platter ($49.00) and taste them all? (Or at least a lot of different items.) The dip platter arrived first, followed by the second course of everything else later on.

Dip platter.

Consisting of Melitzano Salata (Roasted Eggplant Spread), Revithia (Hummus), and Taramosalata (Caviar Mousse), all served with pita bread, it was fun to dig into this dish and to sample each of the different flavours. The Melitzano Salata made with garlic and tahini was my favourite because I liked the rough texture and full-on garlic punch. The Revithia was fairly standard, made with garbanzos and tahini. And finally, the Taramosalata was quite exciting with its mayonnaise-like consistency, made with lemon and infused with oil. As a caviar mousse, this dip felt the most luxurious. The pita itself was nothing special and somewhat hard and dry. It could have been purchased at a grocery store, for all I knew. The rest of the Mezethes arrived on a big platter and consisted of many colourful items to explore.

Greek salad, dolmades, meatballs, spanakopita, and kalamari.

Served with an ample helping of Tzatziki (Cow's Milk Yogurt Dip) made with dill and garlic, it's the ketchup of Greek food! It goes with everything! I loved trying each and every item on the plate, inadvertently taking myself on a little Greek adventure through food. The Horiatiki Salata (Greek Salad) was very fresh, bursting with bright juicy tomatoes, English cucumbers, peppers, onions, and kalamata olives. (I was happy to find kalamata olives dotting every dish.) Adorned generously with creamy feta cheese, the salad was excellent. The Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves) were a surprise! Stuffed with minced beef and rice, I often find them dry and unremarkable. However, at Yiannis the dolmades were full of juicy flavour and one of the best items on the plate! I never thought that I could be impressed with dolmades and here we are! The Keftedes (Yiayia's Meatballs) were a similar experience. Made with minced beef and onions, the meatballs were juicy, flavourful, and not at all dry. Yiayia knows what she's doing! (But of course she does.) The Spanakopita (Spinach & Cheese Pie) is another dish that I often find underwhelming in other restaurants. Not so at Yiannis! Light phyllo pastry was wrapped around fresh baby spinach, dill, and creamy feta, creating a delectable bite. Maybe some of the best spanakopita that I've ever had! Finally, the platter included Kalamarakia (Crispy Squid) served with diced onion and tzatziki. I found the crunchy batter to be really heavy-handed and it was difficult to tell if there was any squid within each bite at all. Overall, there were a lot of great things about this platter and it was an optimal way to share with my co-diners and for us to taste a lot of what Yiannis has to offer. The saganaki went by a few times, ablaze in flames. I lamented not ordering one and would certainly do so on a future visit. Onto the yevmata (main course), we really only needed one last big thing to complete the meal since the previous platter did such a good job of filling in the rest. Finding Arni Kleftiko (Market Price which was $50.00) on the menu filled me with joy because it's my absolute favourite Greek dish! I was willing to pay whatever the market price turned out to be! Arni Kleftiko is traditionally characterized as a juicy slow-roasted leg (or shoulder) of lamb with potatoes. It's a celebratory Greek dish in which the lamb and potatoes are cooked together until meltingly tender. Probably my favourite preparation of lamb of all-time; juicy, unctuous, and fall-off-the-bone incredible. I was weary when I read that Yiannis' description of the dish was a "Spring Rack of Lamb" - I've never seen Arni Kleftiko presented as a rack. I ordered it anyway, hoping for the best.

Lemon potato and mixed vegetables.

I was pretty taken aback when I was, in fact, served a rack of lamb (even though the menu clearly stated that this is what it would be) because whenever I've had Arni Kleftiko in the past (including in Greece) it was not prepared this way. Although, I will say that the plating was quite striking and I can see why this dish is their big statement piece. It's just not what I expected (or wanted). We were asked how we wanted the lamb to be cooked to which I replied "however the kitchen recommends" and the server stared at me for a moment before replying "...medium then, I guess." I find the meat tougher in a rack and you get much less of it. The lamb looked very showy and the meat tasted decently good but it certainly wasn't anything to write home about. It was an incredibly far cry from other versions that I've eaten. There was also a breading crust on the lamb and I've never seen the dish prepared this way. It added an interesting texture but only sparked more questions. The potatoes are usually a huge highlight for me, lemon-infused and tender. However, these ones weren't great. They were dry and barely tasted of lemon at all. The vegetables were completely forgettable. It was an OK dish. My expectations were clearly way too high. But at this price point it should have actually been Arni Kleftiko and not something else entirely.

I needed the meal to end on a happier note and ordered the Ek Mek (Yiannis Special) ($11.00) for dessert.

Layers of cream, custard, on cinnamon-glazed kadaifi.

Happy indeed! This dessert was unique and delicious! Ek Mek is a traditional Greek dessert made up of three layers. The bottom layer is made of kataifi pastry (shredded phyllo dough) which is baked and then soaked in a sugar syrup infused with cinnamon. The middle layer is a creamy vanilla custard. And the final layer is a whipped cream topping that is slightly sweet. I believe that the dessert is usually served with chopped pistachios on top, but for this version they opted for almonds. Light and sweet, I enjoyed this dessert a lot! I feel conflicted about Yiannis Taverna because many aspects of the meal were quite good while others felt borderline inexcusable. The cost for this meal was incredibly high and I do not feel that it was worth the price. This restaurant has a lot going for them and they reside in a wonderful location. I think that sometimes these longstanding spots can grow complacent and I fear that this has happened in this case. It wouldn't take much for Yiannis to course-correct and to regain some of their former glory.