…..SoSuterBill…..

BILLY SUTER took up an invitation to review the colourful, welcoming and increasingly popular Kalamata Crazy Kouzina restaurant at 600 Kassier Road in Westown, Shongweni. He arrived as no great lover of Greek food and left as a big fan. Good news is that the site is offering a R500 prize gift voucher to dine at the restaurant. See the end of this post for competition entry details.

A CONFESSION – and many foodie friends are surprised by it. I have hitherto never been a fan of Greek cuisine. Granted, I had sampled only very few Greek dishes and had only enjoyed the occasional moussaka or baklava. Dolmades, uh-uh, no thanks.

Confession two – I have now changed my mind, big-time, about the food of the country noted as the cradle of Western civilisation and the birthplace of theatre, democracy and the Olympic Games.

It happened at the weekend after meeting a right royal charmer with a beard, black-and-white sailor cap, apron, broad smile and open arms. He is amiable Aleko Manganas who, with two of his three brothers, runs the very popular Kalamata Crazy Kouzina restaurant in the square alongside The Barn complex, at the fast-growing Westown in Shongweni.

Greats news is that I have a R500 voucher to give away to the restaurant. For competition entry details see the end of this post.

Kalamata, for those not in the know, is both the name of a Greek city and of the purple olive associated with it. Kouzina is the Greek word for kitchen.

Having originally opened in Durban North’s MacKeurtan Avenue in 2017, before moving to new premises at Sunningdale Centre in 2020, the restaurant uprooted again in January this year and settled in its current premises in Westown on April 19. It has been pumping ever since.

Kalamata is a family affair, with emphasis as much on fine, authentic, traditional Greek cuisine as it is on exemplary hospitality. You are in the right place if you want great grub and genuinely warm welcomes, attentive service and fun experiences that include occasional Greek dancing by customers encouraged by staff, and, of course, the occasional traditional smashing of plates.

Besides being manager, sometimes chef and general Jack of all Trades, Aleko is part of a 19-member team that includes his brother, Ari, in the kitchen, and his youngest brother, Andrea, who runs the front bar.

Dishes on the restaurant’s menu are mostly recipes from Aleko’s mother, Aristea, who, for some 15 years, has spent six months each year assisting at a restaurant in Greece run by Aleko’s uncle, and six months each year lending her expertise to Aleko’s eatery.

Aleko also has a third brother, George, his oldest sibling, who runs Caffé Java coffee bar and restaurant in Durban North, and, says Aleko, will soon be joining the Kalamata team.

The family restaurant is an airy, cheerful spot with seating for 188 people, and there is indoor dining as well as outdoor seating alongside a kiddy playground area. A landmark yellow, black and white Vespa is parked outside the entrance of the restaurant which has an open-plan kitchen where one can watch staff preparing multiple, long skewers of meat over open coal fire.

Decor has a feel of relaxing on patios in summer, with patterned blue tiling in accent arches on walls, explosions of pink bougainvilla trailing up and over white pagolas, wicker light fittings and an abundance of blue, yellow and white cushions.

Ushering us to our seats indoors, Aleko explained that the family patriarch, dad Dimitrios, who passed away two years ago, also had a strong connection with food, having run Durban city centre’s legendary and now-defunct Model Diary, in Gardiner Street, for some 55 years.

Aleko speaks with much fervour of the importance of family and friends; of the kitchen being the heart of a home; of the rich rewards he gains from sharing flavours that tell stories of heritage, love and bonding. He’s a big ‘people person’ and comes across as genuinely so, not just a good publicist with a gift for the gab.

The menu, he emphasised, is a testament to the rich heritage his family cherishes – from the traditional classics to the innovative creations, each dish is created with precision and passion.

The menu is diverse, including what many rate as the finest of gyros (pita wraps with meat and other ingredients) and the popular Spanakopita (spinach and feta pies). However, before we could make any choices, Aleko insisted we sit back and allow him to prepare us a spread of dishes – something which he says 85% of his customers like him to do, once they decide on how much they wish to spend.

My partner, Gordon, and I were very happy with what was served – a veritable feast which included a standout, shared plate of ribs alongside chips just the way I love them: golden, crisp and crunchy. The ribs were great, well coated (but not drowned) in a terrific mix of barbecue sauce, honey, cinnamon, orange juice and apricot jam. Super-yummy.

Other big winners were sections of octopus arm that were served with a wedge of lemon and were truly sublime, and a plate of fried, crisp, battered brinjal chips served with a little pot of garlic and mashed potato for dipping.

Our huge lamb chops (200 grams) were delicious, although I would have liked mine just a little less well done. They were enjoyed with traditional roast Greek potatoes, advertised as a bite of happiness and which were just that – crisp and buzzing with flavour.

Also among our spread was a pita bread from a recipe from Aleko’s great grandmother. We relished dunking it into assorted dips that included Tarama (salted, cured fish roe with lemon) and Tirokafteri (spicy feta cheese), while later a Tzatziki sauce (yogurt, grated cucumber and garlic) was lapped up with some darn good fried Greek cheeseballs.

More family stories – when Aleko darted off to bring us dessert he told us his four-year-old son, Elia, is already following in his footsteps, and has a sailor cap and apron matching dad’s. The little fellow is already charming customers, we were told, telling them Aleko ain’t the boss, he is.

Aleko returned with one of the best puds I have had in yonks. A firm favourite with customers, it’s Portokalopita, an orange phyllo pastry cake that’s worth every cent of its R55 a slice. It is heaven – essentially layers of fine, flaky, phyllo pastry drenched in orange sauce. We also got to taste the Greek coconut cake, but even better were the doughnut-like Loukoumathes – fluffy, honey puff balls, with nut sprinkles, which are a very good deal at R28 for five or R65 for 20.

Among other items on the menu are vegetarian options such as traditional Greek salad, Mama’s Cabbage Salad and Brinjal Saganaki, while signature meals include those aforementioned meat or seafood skewers, offering a choice of lamb, chicken, pork or crayfish, all served with a choice of side dishes. Also available are prawns, fried fish, calamari, a range of cocktails (priced from R80 to R130) and various Greek combos for two, four or eight people, ranging in price from R425 to R1 300.

I am looking forward to trying the Tiropita (traditional feta pie with honey), each R63. Also an eye-catcher is Haloumi Fries with sweet chilli sauce (R95), while I am told the traditional beef mince meatballs (R80) are a must-try.

Note that Kalamata has a smaller branch, Little Kalamata, in The Barn section of Westown, manned by a staff of five.

The main restaurant’s hours are 10.30am to 10pm daily, with the exception of Sundays, when closing time is 6pm. The number for bookings is 082 387 3927.

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WIN A R500 KALAMATA RESTAURANT VOUCHER!

Care to put yourself in line to win a R500 voucher to dine at Kalamata Crazy Kouzina in Westown, Shongweni?

You simply have to be a follower of the SoSuterBill site to win.  At no cost.

If you are not already a follower, click on the word ‘…..SoSuterBill…..’ that appears under Billy Suter’s face on the red curtain at the top of this post. Next, scroll down a little and leave your email address in the blank space alongside the ‘Subscribe Free’ banner. You will then be a follower, and receive email notification whenever a new story is filed on the site.

Once you have subscribed (there is no cost), send your NAME and PHONE NUMBER via email (NOT THIS SITE’S CONTACT FORM) to sosuterbill@gmail.com and place the words ‘KALAMATA KOUZINA GIVEAWAY’ in the subject field. 

Note that the competition closes at 6pm on Thursday, October 30, and the winner will be contacted soon after. His/her name will be posted in this spot thereafter. (The lucky winner of a R500 meal voucher is Donovan Loubser).

NOTE: PLEASE READ ENTRY DETAILS CAREFULLY AS SOME PEOPLE ARE ENTERING COMPETITIONS INCORRECTLY.

ALSO NOTE THAT ONLY ONE ENTRY PER SUBSCRIBER WILL BE CONSIDERED.

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