I had first noticed this restaurant as I was on the way to Kemang, via Prapanca. Claiming to be an authentic Greek restaurant, it certainly piqued my interest, since I am always fascinated with Mediterranean flavours (such as in Turkish, Middle Eastern cuisines, etc). So when I finally found an enthusiastic partner in crime, who is as adventurous to try out Yamas, I was more than happy to check the place out. Although the timing was not exactly ideal for taking photos: it was Saturday evening and the interior was dimly lit. So, I just have to make do with my hate-it-but-this-is-what-i-can-afford camera. I'm terribly sorry for the lack of photos to show what it's like inside the restaurant and for the poor quality of food photos. Most of them turned out blurry (grrr...my shaky hands!) or very grainy (from the high noise). These ones I picked are the most decent ones.
The name Yamas came from a Greek phrase that means "to your health", it is something said when you have a toast, like a French phrase "à votre santé" with the exact same meaning. It is possible that the two languages share the same roots (this is my assumption only).
The food menu was quite limited, but they're all authentic (so authentic they're so complicated to pronounce, you could make a tongue twister game out of them! LOL). I thought the beverage (and wine) menu was more extensive than the food, maybe that's why they picked the name.
The food menu was quite limited, but they're all authentic (so authentic they're so complicated to pronounce, you could make a tongue twister game out of them! LOL). I thought the beverage (and wine) menu was more extensive than the food, maybe that's why they picked the name.
Our food came pretty quickly, and every single one of them actually tasted good and very much similar to Turkish food. I especially love the fried appetizers: Spanakopitakia (can you repeat it 10x flawlessly? haha), which some like to describe as mini spinach pie, but I personally prefer to say it's a filo pastry filled with Feta Cheese and spinach. I've had something similar: Borek at Turkuaz, and if you ask me, I'd actually prefer the latter, but this Greek version is quite good.
Charcoal Toasted Bread + Tzatziki Dipping Sauce (basically thick yoghurt sauce with cucumber or herbs). Another hit with my dinner buddy. And we also had the Lamb Kebab, each serving came with 2 skewers, potato wedges, and herbed yoghurt sauce on the side. I can't really remember how the kebab tasted, but judging from my lack of memory, I guess it was pretty average, or maybe because I'm just not into lamb...
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| Left: Melitzanopita (filo pastry with eggplant filling) Right: Lamb Kebab |
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| Charcoal Toasted Bread, comes served with Tzatziki Dipping Sauce |
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| Spanakopitakia |
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| Baklava (sorry for the poor quality, this pic was taken using my phone) |
*) My partner in crime picked up the tab and I didn't take photo of the menu (sorry!), will update this post with prices a.s.a.p.
Yamas Authentic Greek Restaurant
Jl. Prapanca Raya No. 37 C
Kemang - South Jakarta
Ph: +6221 29501040
Make your reservation via Qraved, it's quick and easy!
Hi Ellyna,
ReplyDeleteEverytime I go pass this restaurant on my way to Kemang area, I had always wondered why most all the time the parking area is fully-packed. Now reading this review of yours, somehow I can understand a little and feel intrigued even more. Thanks for sharing! :)
Hello! I see you're back to blogging again! We've missed your blog updates. Thanks for dropping by ya Pinkcherry :)
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