What I Got: Handmade Sourdough & Local Pita, Lionfish Ceviche, Smoked Mackerel Fillet, Tuna “Kontosoulvi”, Black Risotto

Price: $$$ to $$$$

Location: Rhodes, Greece (New Town)

Review:

I recently visited Greece.  I was excited to try the delicious seafood Greece is known for.  Ostreon by Dinoris is a seafood restaurant on the island of rhodes.  Their food is so delicious I ended up getting dinner there twice during my short stay in Rhodes.  From the fresh fish to the house-made olive oil, no other restaurant can better show off the delicious, fresh flavors of Greece. 

Handmade Sourdough & Local Pita – The sourdough and pita are optional, but you must get them because they are not just your average “bread basket”.  The warm, slightly toasted sourdough is drizzled with Ostreon’s house-made olive oil and seasoned with salt and herbs.  The wonderfully crafted bread with a subtle sourdough flavor lets the flavorful olive oil shine while the salt and herbs compliment the oil.  The pita is thin, tender, and brushed with olive oil.  It is so delicious I had to restrain myself from eating every single piece on my own.

Lionfish Ceviche – Ostreon’s ceviche can be made with any of the daily fresh fish.  I got it with lionfish.  It is made with citrus juice, fresh coriander, mango, raisin emulsion, onion, and chili pepper.  With the lionfish, they cut it into thin slices more like carpaccio rather than the cubes typical to ceviche.  This allows the fish to have a tender and smooth bite.  The lionfish is light and not too fishy.  The ingredients alongside the fish compliment it and add depth of flavor without overpowering it.  It was super fresh (caught that day), so the flavor is  incredible.  The citrus juice lightly “cooks” the fish and adds a wonderful bright flavor.  The mango and raisin sauce brought a sweetness.  The pepper and onion contributed subtle sweet and savory flavors.  My favorite part is that the head, tail, and fins of the lionfish are included around the plate which displays how truly fresh the fish is (it’s also super fun).  This dish is one of a kind in flavor and visuals! *Eating lionfish is also great because they are an invasive species.  Eating them means there are less invasive fish in the water and no waste!*

Smoked Mackerel Filet – The Smoked Mackerel Filet includes smoked mackerel with onion, parsley, and olive oil-lemon sauce.   The smoked mackerel has a wonderful smokey and salty flavor.  It is cooked through yet remains perfectly moist.  The fish has the skin on, which I find always makes it more flavorful.  The olive oil-lemon sauce has the perfect balance of citrusy flavor and rich olive oil flavor that cuts through the saltiness of the fish.  The parsley brought fresh herbed flavor which complimented both the fish and the savory onion.  I absolutely love smoked fish and this appetizer blew me away.  The ingredients are so fresh, and the mackerel is packed with flavor,

Tuna “Kontosouvli” – The Tuna “Kontosouvli” includes tuna and cherry tomatoes cooked on a metal skewer served with daily vegetables.  The tuna is lightly cooked on each side and gorgeously deep red inside.  It is tender, juicy, and seasoned to perfection with salt, pepper, and olive oil.  The juicy cherry tomatoes compliment the tuna with their sweet, bright flavor.  Just like all the fish at Ostereon the tuna is delicious because of its incredible quality.

Black Risotto – The Black Risotto is a risotto with scallops and cuttlefish ink.  The risotto is creamy and perfectly cooked.   The cuttlefish ink gives the rice a salty, umami seafood flavor.  The scallops are cooked to be perfectly tender with a nice sear on the outside.  Their subtle sweet flavor melds with the risotto beautifully.  I love risotto but usually find it too heavy to eat very much.  This risotto has a wonderful lightness because the base is cuttlefish ink rather than cheese or cream.  The combination of lightness and delicious seafood flavors makes this one of my favorite risottos I’ve ever had.