David Adamson gets all wrapped up in the new food offering from YES, and sips on a fancy drink
I’ve never quite got over the gyros I had at George’s Corner, Gaios, in the summer of 2018. Sat with my family, a conveyor of Mythos beer regularly plonking down on the table as we watched the World Cup group stage belter between Spain and Portugal, the context was an ingredient of its own.
While the gyros on offer at YES doesn’t come complete with sun bouncing off white painted tiles, photos of leathery Greek patriarchs on the walls or a friendly restaurant cat nestled next to the menus, the ingredients are more than up to scratch.
That’s all very well and good, but what about the chips?
Irreverently attached to Bowie’s Berlin masterpiece ‘Heroes’, the new food menu from YES offers up more enjoyably silly allusions from ‘Karen from Accounts’ (halloumi) to ‘The OG’ (chicken). I went for ‘Live. Lamb. Love’ (£8.95).
The kofta was a ‘smashed’ blend of lamb and beef, and anyone who cooks a decent bolognese knows that the well-balanced mixture of two meats can bring out the best in both of them. The lamb (not usually a chubby animal) is given a streak of much-needed succulence from the fat of the beef, which is turn is made more receptive by the lamb to the sorts of flavours that are essential parts of a good gyros.
Tzatziki (try spelling that after a few Fancy Drinks) is of course the essential distinguishing element, and should be so garlicky you need quarantining after it. While I wasn’t calling for a hazmat suit, it certainly had a bit of a whack to it. The addition of scotch bonnet mayo was most welcome, making for another dynamic duo.
The liberal addition of pickled red onion and red cabbage was key in bringing in that crucial contribution - texture. Suitably soaked but still crunchy, their tartness had that vaguely addictive hit to them that carries you through until the whole thing has gone.
Yes that’s all very well and good David, but what about the chips?
I sometimes find gyros can be muddied by chips that are too fat and fluffy. Instead of performing a nice accompanying harmony, they grab the mic and try and make it all about them. These knew their place - slim, crunchy, well-seasoned.
I had it all with a pint of Guinness (£5.70), which you might think would just greedily coat your palette, but was a solid accompaniment for standing it to sharp flavours. Before the gyros and Guinness though, I had a Fancy Drink.
I went for the Pink Negroni (£6.95), made up of a trio of spirits that have the potential to turn your face inside out; cherry gin, Lillet rose vermouth and Campari. Instead it just brought a satisfied smile.
Some people prefer their cocktails with a side order of spoken word, cirque du soleil and a leather apron. This one came straight out of a tap, and wiped the floor with plenty of the highfalutin offerings in lowball glasses that I’ve had in the past.
We’ll always have Gaios, but in the interests of moving on I can’t think of many better surroundings outside of the city’s Greek restaurants that delivers on the gyros like this does.
