LOULA'S || A Mediterranean Dining Experience to Whisk You Away to The Greek Islands
It seems as though we have fallen for Greek cuisine lately, and who can blame us?
Who can say no to creamy dips, fresh fish from the grill, and delicious, seasoned prawn souvlaki? We visited Loula’s this week, a new collaborative venture located at 1608 Commercial Drive by the restauranteurs behind Nammos Estiatorio, Sopra Sotto, and Minervas.
The interior design brought me back to the late summer evenings I spent in Greece, where vibrant florals are set against pure white buildings and striking royal blue accents. Lush greenery and colourful florals adorn the walls at Loula’s to create a photo-worthy backdrop. From the tiles to the decor, arched doorways and an open dining atmosphere where the energy flows out onto the street, the team has captured the essence of a dining experience in Greece.
Grab a seat by the window to breathe in the summer air.
Arched doorways remind us of the beauty of the Greek islands.
Now, the first thing we would recommend is to set the tone for the meal with a tasty cocktail. We enjoyed the Gaia’s G+T, a twist on the regular Gin and Tonic with the addition of masticha liquer, giving the cocktail a nice herbal scent and taste. There are plenty of other options as well from Okanagan wines to craft beer and non-alcoholic drinks, but with the ambiance feeling as though we were on vacation, it only felt right if we had a cocktail in hand.
Delicious cocktails await. Pictured here is the All Rhodes Lead To… and the Gaia’s G+T.
Everything on the menu is designed to be shared, and for two people, a light meal would consist of four plates, whereas for those who are hungry, we would recommend six items to share. The delightful lemon roasted potatoes we remember fondly from Nammos Estiatorio is also available at Loula’s, so we would suggest adding this to your meal.
Between the two of us, we shared one of the signature dips, lamb chops, prawn souvlaki, lavraki (whole Mediterranean sea bass), chicken boutakia and a dessert. Evidently, we had saved our appetites for this visit!
We usually opt for the Tzatziki dip but this roasted eggplant dip with paprika was a lovely surprise for our taste buds.
The house-made dips make for the perfect starter dish to share. There’s plenty to go around!
My go-to house-made dip is usually the Tzatziki, but the friendly service staff recommended that we try the meliztanosalata, made with roasted eggplants and paprika. It was the second-best surprise of the evening, as the spread was hearty and the spices added just enough flavour; we even asked for an additional portion so that we could enjoy the tip throughout our entire meal and just as a starter.
The lamb chops were also delicious, with the savoury flavours balanced by the citrusy and creamy tzatziki dip.
Prawn Souvlaki with melitzanosalata and bread
One can never skip the lamp chops at a Greek restaurants
I had mentioned that the eggplant dip was the second-best surprise, but the best surprise was the Lavraki (whole Mediterranean sea bass). There were a few things that made this a standout dish for us.
The first would be the ease of consumption, because a lot of people may be intimated by eating a whole fish with bones in; I, for one, would fall into this category. Our waiter taught us to cut a straight line down the centre and to part the meat to either side; this method proved to make it a lot easier to debone the fish.
The second highlight of this dish is the texture of the fish. The meat was juicy yet firm and thoroughly absorbed all the flavours from the grill. We frequently encounter fish at restaurants where it’s been overcooked, but this sea bass was done perfectly. As soon as the fish was set down on our table, the rich and aromatic scents made our mouths water. Make sure to eat the skin as well, because the delicious fish oils are on the skin, and the crispiness paired with the tender meat is a match made in heaven.
We secured one of the last ones for the evening — the Lavraki, a whole Mediterranean sea bass.
Chicken Boutakia
When it came time to select the closing note to our meal, the dessert, our waiter suggested that we try the Ekmek, and we are sure glad we did. The structure of this dessert is what makes each bite so delicious. From top to bottom, Ekmek has sliced almonds to add crunch at the top, in the middle lies the slightly minty and herbal masticha cream custard, and finally, shredded phyllo provides a solid yet unstructured foundation at the bottom. But that’s not all, it’s also drizzled with syrup. Every bite is a medley of textures and contrasting flavours that is still light and refreshing.
What we enjoyed about our visit aside from the tasty food was the vibrant dining atmosphere and the ability to share plates among friends. We plan to have this as our secret summer meetup spot, but we anticipate that this will soon become a popular local hangout for food enthusiasts in Greater Vancouver.
Ekmek with shredded phyllo, masticha cream, custard, sliced almonds
Taking my time to study the menu.