Dazzling Greek at Kristina's

I am consistently amazed by the dazzling array of authentic and tasty food options in Winnipeg from a large and varied selection of cuisines. Greek food has been one such cuisine that I had grown fond of over the last year. Exemplified by its large Greek population, numerous high quality establishments currently call Winnipeg home. One of the more popular and well regarded is Kristina's on Corydon.

Corydon Avenue needs little introduction. Previously described as Little Italy, the populous street houses numerous great restaurants and bars. With so many options available, diners can often be overwhelmed by everything there and so Kristina's does a nice job of creating a pleasant and modern restaurant that is appealing to the eye and the palate. The large signage is crucial for busy Corydon Avenue to draw customers in while the modern sleek restaurant with attentive wait staff keep them coming.

The menu is a simple three pager featuring the usual classics that one would expect from any Greek restaurant. A nice choice of appetizers is available; including the ever popular saganaki and calamari. An authentic Greek salad begins the lists of soups and salads while the classic souvlakis adorn a large selection of entrees. Kristina's offers a nice array of gluten free options as well for those with gluten intolerances.

I have always loved the visual spectacle associated with Saganaki & Pita. Greek cheese is flambeed at the tableside with a house liquor, drizzled with lemon and served with crisp pitas. The key here is the crisp exterior created by the flambeed heat which accentuates the soft and ooey interiors well. An intense initial note of lemon flavour is muted by the inherent sweetness and saltiness of the cheese and finished by the starchiness of pita bread.

These Mussels in Basil and White Wine Cream were simply delicious! The large serving of seafood are braised perfectly, tender and still maintaining the smell and aroma of the sea. Coupling them is a strong creamy white wine sauce that has a hint of lemon and aroma from basil.

Every entree at Kristina's begins with their house Greek Salad. While a nice starter to the meals, this was entirely boring and average. Fresh greens are topped with feta cheese, olives and a sweet and salty vinaegrette; the salad serves as a road map to the rest of the meal but is itself altogether dull.

Wanting an array of options I ordered the Duet of Chops & Souvlaki. The two medium rare lamb chops were cooked well, juicy and full of rich gamey lamb flavour that went well with the more diminished notes of the lemon potatoes and steamed vegetables. Unfortunately, the included Chicken Souvlaki portion was overcooked and dry; robbing it of any marinated flavour that it was supposed to have.

One of my dining companions ordered the Aphrodite's Chicken. A tasty concoction, the dish consists of a grilled chicken breast that is subsequently stuffed with wild rice, mushrooms and cheese and topped with a white wine cream sauce (same as the mussels). The key here is in the perfectly grilled chicken breast that was juicy and flavourful while also acting as the house for the chewy white rice and mushroom mixture. The dish is finished with a couple wedges of lemon potatoes and steamed vegetables.

Kristina's deserves its popularity in Winnipeg as one of the top premier Greek restaurants in town. While the price they charge hover on the higher end of the spectrum, the combined value of large portions of tasty authentic Greek cuisine cannot be argued. Worth a visit for anyone craving Greek on Corydon Avenue.