Argh… I was really rooting for Papadias, but it just wasn’t good enough. Was it bad? I don’t want to say that because the service was friendly in the local sense and we felt most welcome, but the issue I had was with the food and some of the preparation of it. We started off well with a simple Greek appetiser and the giant beans were acceptable I suppose, (however they didn’t change my life) but things started to take a turn and go downhill after this. The grilled squid was unappealing, and it was rubbery- They should visit their neighbours and the chef at Ouzeri Tou Psara across the street for a class in squid cookery. Then the Greek langoustine (crayfish) gave off a strong scent and hadn’t been cleaned. The anger inside of me started to rise as I saw black inside the flesh of the crustacean, and I forked it out completely in disgust. Do you really think I am going to carry on eating these after that? Upset, I put my knife and fork down. My guest also looking very unhappy turned to me and said, “Why did you bring us here?” “Good question” I replied. Because the funny thing is, my gut told me to walk past Papadias, but I didn’t listen to it. Note to everybody reading this: Listen to your gut. There should be no excuse for me, I am very practised at dining globally, but I still made a mistake. I was clearly having an off day… And for the record, I am not forgiving anybody who doesn’t clean their shellfish properly.
The other day I had a chef tell me that I should in his words ‘just go with the flow’ when I eat out, not to take it too seriously. This is the kind of chef who will never serve his customers a pomme puree with a single lump, yet if he went out himself to eat it like that, it’s OK. Where is the logic in this?! I wanted to say to him “Are you sure you are a chef?” He isn’t wrong about the serious part, that’s because I do care, and not forgetting I am always looking out for fellow diners/chefs who eat out, who share the same passion as me, who simply want to avoid bad nights out. I will not just ‘chill out’ when it comes to food, no serious chef or cook does.
Moving on: What I will say to Papadias is this: Invest some time and some resources into elevating your cookery, because you have a wonderful place bang in the middle of Porto Heli with some serene views. What is letting you down greatly is your food. Go out and taste and see what your comrades are doing. Don’t stay being a tourist trap with tourist prices because it will not last forever. I want this place to be great, but things cannot change without some home truths. I will not come back right now, but maybe in the future if there is new air making its way onto the horizon.
