Happy Girl Saves the World!: Feta Mediterranean

Feta. I know that it's a kind of cheese; a Greek cheese. So when I got invited to try out a restaurant named "Feta," I thought that I would be going to maybe an Italian restaurant (because I associate all cheese with Italian food) or maybe a e Greek restaurant. Well, I wasn't entirely wrong.

Feta offers Mediterranean cuisine, which includes both. However, Feta's chef, Mr. Beytullah Koc, is from Turkey, so Feta's food has more of a Turkish influence. I've never tried Turkish food before, and I was about to be delightfully educated.

The restaurant is located in the Greenhills area, so I was worried about parking. Thankfully, they have their own parking space. If it gets crowded, you can just park in Greenhills and walk from there. It's not that far.

The place has a modern, clean, and cozy feel to it. So many seating options! They have tables for families or big groups...

Small tables for maybe an intimate meetup...

Couches for when you just want to have coffee or dessert...

And booths, which I think is perfect for barkada get-togethers. :)

This is where we decided to enjoy our feast:

I also saw a mini-deli where I suppose one could buy food products. I'd have to check this out again when I go back (spoiler alert: I had a great time :D).

They have a brick oven! :) We were told that the bread they serve here is baked fresh daily. They also have a display case where you can see the meat and other ingredients that they use in their food. You can also see their kitchen through a glass window. Certainly, this place is not afraid to show people what goes into their food and how they make it. :)

This is Chef Koc. He relocated from Turkey to the Philippines in order to share with us his wonderful food. He doesn't speak much, but he is very hands-on with his work.

We started our feast with their Mezze Platter served with Puff Bread.

According to about.com, a "Mezze" is an appetizer or a spread of appetizers or small foods. Feta's Mezze platter consists of Hummous, Ghanoush (eggplant, yogurt), Tzatsiki (yogurt, cucumber, mint), Ezma (tomatoes, onions, pepper, her, olive oil), and Eggplant Salad.

We all had our favourites, but mine was the Hummous. It's thick and creamy texture and savory taste got my appetite going.

Mezze Platter (Php 500.00)

It went perfectly with the soft, chewy, freshly-baked puff bread.

Puff bread (Php20.00)

For my drink, I ordered their Yogurt Shake. You can have it sweet or salty, according to your taste. I had mine semi-sweet. Their Yogurt Shake was okay, but I've had better.

The others in our group tried Feta's House Blend Iced Tea. They serve it in these super cute glasses, and with honey. I think I'll try that next time.

Yogurt Shake (Php129.00); House Blend Iced Tea (Php90.00)

I noticed that Feta's menu offers a wide selection of food, unlike other mediterranean places I went to, which focuses on grilled meats. They have pizza, pasta, meals, sandwiches, soups, breakfast items, and even dessert. The items are a bit pricey, but almost all are good for sharing.

I was able to try two different kinds of pizza here.

First was the Mediterranean pizza, which is basically flat bread with minced beef, served with a side salad. Good bread. Good meat. This would be ideal for a light snack.

Mediterranean Pizza (Php150.00)

The second was the Greek Pizza, which to me appeared like a calzone, since the beef filling was baked inside of the brea, although with an opening where it was topped off with cheese and grilled veggies.

Minced Beef Greek Pizza (Php320.00)

This place has good pasta. My favourite was the Pesto Linguine with Walnut and Feta Cheese. Fresh pesto on al dente pasta is always a winner for me, and the feta cheese added extra flavor, while the walnuts gave it more texture.

Pesto Linguine with Walnut and Feta Cheese (Php259.00 to share)

The Verdura Siciliana was a more simple pasta, with light oil and anchovies.

Verdura Siciliana (Php259.00 to share)

I id mention that they serve breakfast here. I wasn't able to try it, but I'm posting this picture because it looks so pretty. :)

Turkish Breakfast (Php300.00)

For me, the star of Feta is their grilled meats. Beef, chicken, or lamb, they are all flavourfully seasoned with spices, and grilled perfectly. I was impressed at how even their chicken was juicy and tender, since other places usually dry their chicken out.

This is their Chicken Beyti, or chicken wrap drizzled with sauce. This is the first time I've tried beyti, and I liked it. It was kind of like a chopped up meat burrito, but healthier, because of the way it was prepared. I also tried the grilled veggies on the plate, and they were good.

Chicken Beyti (Php320.00)

If you are going to this place in a big group, I would recommend getting the Mixed Souvlaki Platter. For Php1,350.00, you will get adana (minced meat), chicken wings, souvlaki (skewered meat), and shawarma. Depending on your appetite, I think this could be good to up to six people. It's served with dips and some veggies too. Everything on this plate is good. Thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Mixed Souvlaki Platter (Php1,350.00)

If you're willing to splurge a little, you have got to try their lamb. Honestly, the best I've had so far. Their lamb chops is served with mashed potatoes and salad so you get a complete meal already. I had to share this dish with the others, of course, so I was super bitin.

Grilled Moroccan Lamb Cops (Php590.00)

If you need to calm your belly down in between all the meat, you can try their Red Lentil Soup. It's very light, with a mild flavor.

Red Lentil Soup (Php140.00)

We all had to rest a bit before going on to our dessert. I am generally wary about ordering dessert in a restaurant, because most of the time, dessert items come off like an afterthought, in that even if that food in a place is good, it doesn't guarantee that they have good dessert. Dessert, whenever I have it, should be "Worth it" for me, because its extra calories :)) This is why I usually go to a dessert place or a coffee place after having a good meal.

I didn't have to worry about that here. Dessert was more than worth it.

I tried their Turkish Coffee, which was served in a dainty little cup. Don't let it fool you though, this coffee is pretty strong. It really woke me up; and that's saying a lot, because I've taken so much coffee I'm practically immune to it already, or so I thought. It also has a strong bitter taste, and it's not at all acidic. I like my coffee bitter, but you can always put sugar in it.

Turkish Coffee (Php125.00)

Mmmm. Feta's Profiteroles. I couldn't find its price in the menu, beut I know that I'll order this again if ever I go back. Flaky puffed bread with a creamy, slightly sweet centre, topped with fudge chocolate, served warm. What's not to like?

Profiteroles

If you want something a little different, try Feta's Kanafeh. It's a pastry made of cheese soaked in a sugary syrup, and topped with vanilla iced cream. The pastry is quite chewy inside and crunchy at the surface. It's more of a light dessert. It's good for up to four people, I think.