Dining Out – Yassou Greek Kitchen, Little Eaton
We are huge fans of shared eating so Yassou suited us down to the ground and evoked memories of dining at restaurants over in the Dodecanese, especially the historical ‘capital island’ Rhodes. The huge contrast was that we set off on a freezing cold evening with coats and scarves on, rather than in the gentle balmy evening heat decked in T-shirt and shorts. But, as they say, you can’t have everything! Situated on Alfreton Road (B6179) running through Little Eaton, Yassou is an easy place to access from the A38 Little Eaton roundabout. Having parked outside on the main road we entered the warm inviting entrance and were soon immersed in the gentle strains of the traditional Greek folk music, which set the scene for the evening. In the short time Yassou has been open it was clear to see that they have built up a nice reputation based on presenting traditional Greek dishes prepared and cooked from scratch. Zoe welcomed us and after supplying us with drinks, chatted about the restaurant and how it was very much a family affair with David the Greek chef cooking healthy Mediterranean dishes in a simple traditional oven. David and Zoe are business partners and own the restaurant. Family members each play their part. A lot of the inspiration for the menu comes from Dave’s mum Zafiro – or Rula as she’s called in this country. Zoe’s sister works in the kitchen, the chefs son washes pots and the waiting staff are sisters/cousins. It’s a real family and team effort. It’s been quite a while since we were in Greece, and apart from thinking Moussaka and dips we had to dig deep to remember our nights in the Greek Tavernas. Zoe however was there to recommend some of the most popular dishes, encouraging us to order a few from the menu which she would bring to the table as they came out of the oven. You have to remember that you’re not just ordering your dish, but dishes that can be shared by the rest of your friends similar to Spanish Tapas. Pitta is a staple diet in Greece so its not a surprising that this came to the table first when we ordered it with our selection of dips, from which we chose Sweet Chilli Hummus (mildly spicy with chilli flakes and feta), Melitzanosaltava (rustic Greek aubergine with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil) and our third dip Hummus (Chickpeas blended with Tahini, lemon and garlic). The menu made me smile as it said clearly at the top…“All our Mezze plates come out of the kitchen as and when they are ready”. Good, we like that too, no rushing just a very relaxed evening, with plenty of opportunity for good conversation and gentle humour in true Greek style in between. With pitta bread, dips, a bowl of olives and some Halloumi fries served with a sweet Chilli sauce, we were on our way. Closely followed by Kalamari, Cajun fried crispy squid served with garlic mayo. Zoe recommended the Moussaka; layers of finely minced meat, aubergine and potato layered with Bechemel sauce, a pleasant contrast to the squid. Arriving with a generous number of chicken pieces on the skewer was the Souvlaki chicken. Tender marinated chicken char-grilled and interspersed with peppers and red onion, served with Tzatziki. The best choice for both of us! As you can imagine the evening was moving on and we were pretty full by now, so decided to share a dessert which we tucked into ….and then remembered we should have taken a photograph, oops sorry! However the Lemon tart which was homemade with a rich buttery pastry, a tangy filling and came with Greek Yoghurt and honey, was delicious. The thing is we have left ourselves plenty of choice for our next visit, Stifado, Soutzoukka, Pikilia or Chicken Gyros to name but four or maybe try the evening special. Next time we will take along a couple of friends as this is the place to chat, drink and graze. Booking really is important as it isn’t a large restaurant and when we left there wasn’t a spare table to be had. Open Wed – Friday: 17:00 – 22:30, Saturday: 16:00 – 22:30 Telephone 07368 483725 yassou-greek-kitchen@hotmail.com 00
Restaurant Review – The Little Kitchen, Little Eaton
On our travels Susan and myself have eaten breakfast in some very memorable places: an ‘all American’ diner on I50, somewhere near Williamsburg, Maryland, overlooking one of the many picturesque creeks that litter the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. In the roof top restaurant of the Hotel Bristol, Sorrento, Italy, with its magnificent view of the bay of Naples, watching the ferry depart for Capri. And on a Boeing 747; the TWA ‘red eye’ from Chicago to London; memorable for all the wrong reasons. It was a warm mid-week morning and we’d been invited for breakfast at the Little Kitchen, Little Eaton; a venue we’d passed many time and remarked on how busy it looked. For many years, what is now the Little Kitchen, had been, primarily, a newsagents run by the husband and wife team, David and Donna Baxter. They expanded the café and dining venture as newspaper deliveries declined, eventually developing Little Kitchen in to the bistro style venue it is today. The entrance to Little Kitchen is through a Parisian café influenced, pavement forecourt with dark grey waist high wooden planters along the boundary. These are topped with glazed panels keeping the area bright, and along with the gazebo keep it shielded from the odd rain shower. The interior of Little Kitchen is ‘industrial-vintage style’ from the bare ceiling lights with their exaggerated filaments to the mid-century, steel framed chairs and workmanlike tables. There is an open kitchen at one end of the building and a well stocked bar at the other. It was a warm, sunny morning and I said that we’d like to sit outside. And so we were escorted through to the garden court. An intimate area dotted with gazebos and a selection of tables that can seat from two to eight diners. With so much outside space it’s no wonder the eatery is also dog friendly. The friendly and knowledgeable waitress asked us what we’d like to drink from a selection of various coffee combinations and teas. We both went for the double espresso and it was excellent. Golden brown with a good crema. A rich flavour, not too bitter or watery. The breakfast menu ranges from the loaded full English, through hot sausage or bacon breakfast rolls to pancakes with maple syrup, fresh fruit and Nutella. Plus there’s a ‘specials board’; it’s a roll of brown parcel paper hanging from the wall with daily offerings written on it. I selected the lean bagel stacker. Sandwiched between a split and toasted bagel, spread with cream cheese, with a generous portion of wilted spinach topped with sautéed mushrooms. Plus a grilled, thick cut, rasher of bacon and a meaty, country style, sausage. The latter sliced length ways to stop it falling out of the stack. The final touch was half of a grilled tomato. The whole tower held in place with a wooden skewer. The bagel was what it should be; simple and a little chewy. The spinach was tasty and along with the mushrooms was a delicious combination. The bacon and sausage was just the right amount of meat for this well balanced breakfast combination. The alternative mean stacker has even more ingredients. Susan’s choice was more brunch than breakfast: eggs royal. A round of farmhouse toast covered with a small pile of sliced smoked salmon. This was topped with two perfectly poached eggs and accompanied with a smooth hollandaise sauce. The slightly salty salmon provided all the seasoning the meal required. Little Kitchen is versatile. The spectacular display of home-made cakes, ready for the afternoon teas, caught my eye. They also cater for parties and are popular with cyclists. Their weekend evening menu features ‘add your own topping’ pizza. It’s only a few miles north of Derby and is open every day at 8am and on Monday to Thursday they close at 5pm. Friday and Saturday they close at 10.30 and on Sunday: 6pm. And yes, we did visit Tiffany’s in New York. It was early on a cool Autumn morning in 1984. But, back then, they didn’t do breakfast. 00
