Count on Kouzina - NYC

This pretty, clean-cut, no-nonsense Greek establishment sits nestled on 70^th and 2^nd of the UES. Pop in if you’re up for chatting over good Greek wine, and/or your hypertension (and your doctor) clamor for a Mediterranean meal.

As for the meal, the Octopodi appetizer was a tasty starter…Is there really anything objectionable about a cephalopod world-cup psychic, chopped into a tasty appetite-whetter? Am I really the only person who wanted to eat Paul more than I cared what he predicted?

The Lavraki was a sticking point for me. The way it was presented conjured the image of the large chef who tormented poor Sebastian from the Little Mermaid. You know…

Les poissons, les poissons,

How I love les poissons,

First I cut off their heads
Then I pull out their bones…

Growing up as a Chinese-American and later gallivanting through Italy, France, NYC, and Boston, I’ve had my fair share of deboned whole fish. Unfortunately, this very literal presentation of fish-on-a-plate made it obvious what had happened to the fish right before it hit the table. The fish was fresh, but I expect a lot more creativity and unique flavor from the Upper East Side.

The staff politely informed us that the Arni Youvetsi was in the oven and would take some time to cook, but lamb is always worth the wait, and this was no exception. I’m not a huge fan of tomato sauce, but this time the sauce complemented the lamb. Loved the smooth texture added by the orzo. One humble suggestion: after deboning the fish, reheat it so that my friend who patiently waited for my lamb doesn’t feel like you made her fish wait for my lamb too.

There’s really nothing bad I can say about Kouzina. The one word that accurately describes it is RELIABLE. The food is reliably good, and it’s reliably well-prepared with all the reliable polish of the Greeks. That being said, there’s also nothing that makes this place stand out. However, I did enjoy swallowing the food (see my criteria for earning 3 stars), but my pleasure wasn’t quite 4-star quality. However, don’t let the unremarkable-ness of Kouzina keep you away on a regular night. There are better places to go on the UES, but Kouzina is still reliably good.