Sand Under My Feet: Feta Mediterranean Restaurant

I love being a Filipino and I love Pinoy food, but there are times when I really don't want to eat another serving of sinigang or adobo and my palate is looking for something different. Being a working woman, most of the time I get to eat only what’s available from our office pantry or from nearby fast-food and casual dining restaurants – which to be honest have a very limited variety and it slowly gets unappealing. Sometimes you just want to try something out just to break the monotony and you would probably agree with me when I say that once you satisfied your craving for some foreign cuisine, it’s oh so fulfilling.

It’s been awhile since I really got to eat something under the category of Mediterranean food, if I can even call it that from where I usually get my middle eastern palate fix from. I don’t know if one of my blogger friends, Aldous of aldousatetheworld.com is some psychic or what because it was so timely that he invited me in one of the food tasting event he was organizing featuring Feta Mediterranean Restaurant in Annapolis, Greenhills in San Juan.

Mediterranean cuisine is the food from the cultures adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. Although this region spans a wide variety of cultures, the historical connections of the region, as well as the impact of the Mediterranean Sea on the region's climate and economy, have led to there being many common elements in the foods. Mediterranean food is a mixture of cuisine from these different countries: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Libya, Lebanon, Jordan, Macedonia, Malta, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Provence, Serbia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. Whew that’s a lot! But notable among all these when it comes to Mediterranean food are Greek, Moroccan and Turkish cuisine.

Feta Mediterranean is on the higher end of the side of the spectrum, although it is still a casual dining restaurant. The location of the restaurant fits well with its market of class A-B people. Annapolis was once and still is a street full of upscale and well known establishments. The interiors are ok for me, being a sucker for restaurants with great interiors, but great/cozy interiors does not equate good food anyway. I really can’t tell what they were going for with the whole feel of the restaurant, but I actually noticed that most Mediterranean resto don’t really concern themselves with how their restos would look like. Or then again, maybe because one cannot really put a boxed concept of a Mediterranean design since it is composed of so many different cultures and aesthetics.
So here's all the Mediterranean food we got to try:
Appetizers:

Puff bread (ancient puff hollow bread), Plain bread and Mezze Platter (Ghanoush, Tzatziki, Ezme, Eggplant salad, Hummus) I've only seen this ancient type of bread on TV and online and I was excited to try it for the first time. The breads are baked in their wood fire oven ohhh just like the ancient times! I enjoyed eating it with hummus! I have a new found love with hummus! Feta's was good!

Lentil soup (mashed lentils, carrots, potatoes, dry mint, rice, chilli flakes)

Main dishes:

Turkish breakfast (menemen with ekmek, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, butter, feta cheese, egg, plain bread)- This such a hearty breakfast actually and good enough for 2 already. I love the feta cheese it reminded me of kesong puti but firmer and more sour and saltier.

Vegetarian Moussaka - This is baked eggplant and tomatoes topped with mozzarella cheese and comes with a huuuge plain bread. This is already good for 2!

Lahmacun or Mediterranean pizza - At first you will think it's just one if those pizzas. But this one is different, the staff told us that you should put Sumac (onion salad) and tomatoes on the pizza then squeeze some lemon, roll it up and eat it. And oh my! It was good! This my fave of all the dishes actually (besides the lamb).

Keftedes (Mediterranean meatballs) - I am kinda not loving the ground beef for the keftedes and beef adana kebab they were to minced for me but the yoghurt compensated for it though. They culture their own yoghurt btw.

Greek Pizza - A healthy choice! Love the cheese and the grilled tomatoes

Grilled Moroccan Lamb chops - Ooohhh the lambs were tender, smokey and just the right thickness! I am a sucker for lamb chops actually and it is good that Feta's didn't get rancid even after it got cold.

Mixed Souvlaki platter - Mixed which is already good for 4 just order additional puff or plain bread. I got to try the beef souvlaki and the beef strips here and they were all tender and best with yoghurt!

Verdura Siciliana (linguine with anchovies)- I love this pasta, there were just enough anchovies in it so the saltiness was perfect!

Beyti (grilled ground beef or chicken wrapped in lavash topped with iskender sauce and Haydari sauce)

Beef Souvlaki (skewered meat kebab) - This was tender, cooked and seasoned well! I love the smokiness of this too.

Beef Adana Kebab (grilled minced meat)

Pesto linguine with feta cheese and walnuts
Drinks:

Yoghurt shake - it was yummy you can opt for sweet or salty and House blend iced tea comes in this super cool container

Turkish tea love love love!

Turkish coffee - comes only in one small tea cup and in one shot because it is strong! It has the fruity lemony aftertaste.

Desserts:

Profiteroles - I actually heard about profiteroles in the Minions movie where Stuart mentioned it. I didnt know it was actually a pastry. It reminded me of cream puffs but less sweet.

Kanafeh - I love this dessert! The combo of filo pastry vanilla ice cream and crushed pistachio nuts was mind blowing! This is a must try! Feta also has a deli counter where you can buy Mediterranean ingredients and food items.

Aside from the great Mediterranean food that is truly authentic, yes cooked by a Turkish chef (you can't get any more authentic than that can you??), I also love Feta's service. Their staff have a knowledge of their food menu, very eager to answer questions, accommodating and friendly! You guys got to try Feta Mediterranean restaurant, I bet you'll love something different from your everyday food intake!

Have you been to Feta? How was your experience? Let others know and rate FETA MEDITERRANEAN by using the app from PH OpenSnap.com For more restaurants and food finds, download OpenSnap app from App Store or Google Play.

FETA MEDITERRANEAN Ground Floor, Intrawest Center, 101 Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan City, Philippines

Store Hours: Mon-Sun 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

Phone: 02-7057238