On a gorgeous New Year’s Day like today, I can’t help but feel pleased with the perfect California weather that we Angelinos are blessed with all year round. The beautiful days we’ve been having lately has inspired me to blog one of the most sensational experiences of my life!
I couldn’t help but reminisce on my adventure touring the city of Athens this year. One of the most unforgettable memories from the trip was seeing the famous Acropolis for the first time! Sitting valiantly atop a high flat rock above the city of Athens, housing the most momentous ancient buildings of immense architectural and historic importance — the most renowned of them all is the Parthenon — a scene that left me breathless and in awe!
Style Details
Dress | ASOS
Purse | SALVATORE FERRAGAMO
Sandals | GUCCI
Jewelry | TURQUOISE JEWELRY
After checking out the many famous landmarks in Athens, we decided to pay a visit to a wonderful restaurant near Athens’ well-known Plaka called MONO. We arrived at the famous restaurant after the lunch time craze feeling so grateful that we were able to meet the chef and esteemed owner of MONO, Vasilis Vasiliou.
He shared with us the outstanding story of his thirteen years of culinary restaurant career. Recently, he has settled in Athens after pursuing his culinary passion in multiple hotels in the Greek Islands. He intends to share his extensive Greek culinary practice to the big city of Athens and all the tourists that visit this magnificent and historical city. Though he certainly introduced many amazing features of his restaurant, there is only one way to experience it fully. As I sat inside, little did I know that I was in for one of the most phenomenal gastronomic experiences of my life!
Our server and hostess, Zioda, was very friendly and knowledgeable of the dishes and ingredients used by the chef. When ordering, we requested for the most remarkable and unique recommendations for us to try. To start, they prepared for us an enticing basket of fresh bread and some enjoyable bread sticks. The bread was served with fresh Greek olive oil and thick black pepper that had just the right hint of saltiness. They also brought us some incredible Peloponnese white wine which was a very smooth and sweet wine. The food certainly tasted quite divine!
The very first appetizer that was presented was called The Secret Egg. Featured in this dish were greens marinated in mango and wasabi dressing. It absolutely had a wonderful blend of juicy mango flavor and texture with delectable swift light kicks emanating from the distinctive wasabi. The name “Secret Egg” was artistically selected as they featured a creative opened egg shell on the dish. It also had some delicious pieces of shrimp which complemented the freshest of healthy greens. At first, I was worried as the dressing was already distributed throughout the salad. Fortunately, the flavor and moist to crisp balance was perfect. It did not feel soggy, nor did it feel like it had too much dressing. Everything tasted so perfectly right!
Our second appetizer, the famous Mono Salad, highlights a generous amount of seared tuna on a delightful mix of watermelon, avocado, baby leaves and lemon wasabi dressing. The salad had a sweet and tangy flavor hinting a taste of sesame seed. The seared tuna served was incredibly fresh and soft to taste. It contributed to the amazing experience when enjoying this dish. The small traces of wasabi distributed throughout the dish provided some fun and thrill to the already unique salad.
The next exclusive plate bestowed on our table was primarily made up as something that I have never known to be of use as a primary ingredient before — watermelon! The Risotto Violone was a warm beautiful blend of watermelon and parmesan cheese topped with feta cheese. When walking around a sunny day in Athens, this dish will certainly satisfy both your taste buds and the call to stay refreshed. Sincerely an ingenious fare!
An exceptional main course served was a very soft and rich fish fillet. I’m happy that they had left the skin on the salmon as it granted an even more delicious flavor to the dish. The combination of onions on top and the luscious leek below the fish truly blended together beautifully. The freshness of the fish was evident as it naturally melted in my mouth. Truly scrumptious!
The second main course was a truffle steak served medium. It had a light texture while maintaining a salty flavor. The truffle oil was very much evident in texture and flavor in the dish. Naturally, the mashed potatoes complimented the steak very well. A nice touch to the dish was the grilled tomatoes drenched in strong balsamic sauce. This was the first time seeing tomatoes served in this way. I was very impressed with its creativity.
For dessert, we had the Cream Almond Crumble and the Chocolate Bitter Nut Pie with Homemade Walnut Ice Cream. The Cream Almond Crumble had a gratifying lemon tarty taste which was superbly complemented by the Almond Crumble. Sadly, we quickly finished the almond crumble with about half of the lemon cream left. The Chocolate Bitter Nut Pie had richness to it and was definitely fabulously moist and thick. It was bitter as dark chocolate was used as its primary ingredient. The walnut ice cream tasted supreme to my aesthetic taste. Bitter and sweet tastes so heavenly in the palate while its hot and cold nature also elevated the overall flair. This dessert is an excellent finale featuring the best of both worlds!
Treat yourself to an ethereal dining experience at MONO Restaurant Tapas & Bar located at the Plaka in Athens! Impeccable and lovely, this elegant hotspot will truly leave you wanting for more after a day of touring The Acropolis: A perfect itinerary to yet another magnificent day spent in Greece.
A heartfelt gratitude to Chef Vasilis Vasiliou and his fabulous staff for the warm welcome!
MONO Restaurant & Tapas Bar
Benizelou Palaiologou 4C | Plaka, Athens, Greece
I sincerely wish you all a Blessed and Happy New Year from the bottom of my heart!