Through a wonderful set of coincidences I ended up at the promotional evening of restaurant Mazie in a small, charming side-street of the Noordeinde, oozing History and character.
The theme
of the evening “when East meets West” was brainchild of cook Takis Panagakis, originating
in his half Greek heritage and passion for Japanese cuisine. Mixing Greek and
Japanese? I was not so sure… though he did point out a large amount of
similarities in ingredients used.
Let alone
tasting a large variety of his culinary creations, the evening also involved
three demonstrations:
-
Takis’s
Greek lentil soup (family recipe)
-
Harbour
Club chef prepared sushi
-
Van
Rangelrooij demonstrated how knives were made and sharpened and showed footage
of their visit to knife makers in Japan
This
charming, stylish restaurant, which usually caters to around 36 guests (plus a
private dining area of 10-12 upstairs) was set up for the occasion in long
tables d’hotes where guests (mix of long standing clients, new ones, friends
and family - the event was sold out in one day!) mingled with wonderful
spontaneous warmth as we enjoyed, delighted and discussed the many tantalising
dishes which came our way, all presented like mini works of art and complemented
by delicious Greek wines and Japanese beverages (sake, Japanese Beer and plum
wine).
Not one dish
lacked in subtlety and originality: this was an exceptional evening for the
taste buds.
Dishes
included sashimi of langoustines served with ponzu vinaigrette, augotaracho,
greek salad sorbet, kyuri cucumber served with freeze dried Japanese tomatoes;
and Lamb kleftiko style with smoked aubergine salad with soya sauce, puree of
fasalada, retsina, pita bread yakitori and tsatsiki. Just to give you an idea!
My mouth is watering as I write.
Enhancing
this wonderfully intimate setting and joyful atmosphere was undoubtedly the
conviviality of owner Koen Cramer and of chef Takis, everyone was relaxed and
open and conversations filled the air, punctuated by outbursts of laughter.
The
three demonstrations brought a learning complement to this most magical of
evenings and I left feeling indeed I had discovered a pearl and eager to come
back and experience the cuisine on a “normal” night too.
None of us
could believe how late it was once we had had our third dessert; time had
disappeared as we enjoyed our heart-warming bubble of pleasure. To soften the departure
we were presented with a beautiful bag bulging with goodies donated by the
sponsors including a jar of the Lentil soup cooked in front of us. I have just
enjoyed mine: A divine, hearty soup exploding with taste enhanced by a point of
vinegar.
And now I
shall book my next meal.
The
restaurant opens for lunch on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (on reservation) and
is closed Sunday and Monday.
And because
sometimes it is good to share secrets: www.restaurantmazie.nl
