According to restaurant critic Epikouros, Baku is “the best restaurant in the southern suburbs of Athens”
His critique about the new restaurant Baku at The Margi Hotel in the area of Vouliagmeni, is characterized by ounces of enthusiasm and a highly flattering description...
Here is his critique as written by Epikouros himself.
BAKU 20/12/12
There might be hurdles for Greek gastronomy’s sustainability in such difficult times, but nonetheless the new generation of Greek chefs have indeed found and followed the right path...Most of the ones I have in mind would have managed to transform Greece to a top gastronomic destination, if only they had the funds to support and portray their talent via their personal venue...their own restaurant.
The latest generations of chefs have had the opportunity to study the culinary arts next to Greek and foreign chefs that conveyed freely, both their passion about cooking and their ethos. It is within particular “nurseries” that the best chefs flourished and Spondi restaurant makes the top of our list in that respect, both as a restaurant but also as a school. Graduate chefs that have passed from its kitchens constitute today la crème de la crème of Greek chefs. Yesterday evening I had the pleasure of meeting up with Panagiotis Giakalis - who is one of those graduates - and is nowadays thriving in the kitchen of the newly created restaurant Baku...the new precious jewel of The Margi hotel in Vouliagmeni which basically gives lessons of hospitality and pampering to its guests. I do not often talk a lot about the venue as such, in respect to its inner world...What usually interests me more is the food a restaurant serves. But as far as Baku is concerned, the ambience is so relaxing and so elegant and cozy that I thought to myself that it is worth the visit even though the food may end up being a disappointment. Thankfully, the food was good...in fact it was very good. Possibly the best I have tasted in the southern suburbs of Athens.
Chef Giakalis manages to keep the perfect balance between what connotes to sophisticated gastronomy -as opposed to heavy tastes- and what is haute cuisine (in a sense of combining the culinary arts with quality basic ingredients). I tried five different dishes the night I went to Baku and out of the five, I distinguished the three. It is not that the other two were not good, but it is just that I was overwhelmed by enthusiasm about the certain three and my moral about the future of Greek gastronomy was especially boosted. One of the three dishes, was barley pasta with buffalo milk cooked like a risotto with lots of butter and beetroot, while -at the same time- it was wisely garnished with smoked mackerel from the area of Chalkidiki and a light garlic cream.
Panagiotis Giakalis knows how to add a “tasteful intensity” without spoiling the harmony of flavors. Smashing! Which just made me remember that second dish I tasted...the cooked sous vide lamb, with its delicate skin leaving be literally speechless of its relish! When the dish was placed in front of me, I was very impressed by its presentation and it smelled so good that it brought me memories of my childhood when I would carry home the Sunday roast from the bakery...back in the days when not all of us had an oven at home.
This lamb dish was simply...Exquisite! The dessert of chocolate mousse with a biscuit base drenched in a caramel of spices was also extraordinary. At this point I should mention that the cost of a three course dinner, with the dessert being the third dish, is around 40 – 45 euro. Not bad at all...taking into account the superb surroundings, the quality of ingredients and the fact that the food is cooked by yet another member of the most talented generations of Greek chefs...
