Greek food is once again brought to new culinary heights with the opening of Kaia.
The grand central stone bar accentuated by an ethereal pendant.
Twenty years ago it was difficult to locate a decent restaurant in any neighborhood outside of the Back Bay and now it’s nearly impossible to secure a table at any of the many packed, buzzy eateries from Jamaica Plain to Somerville. Not to complain, but sometimes within this plethora of culinary riches comes palate burnout. We’ve gone from having tastebuds eager to be tantalized to becoming savvy critics of each next bite.
The Mastic & Gentian cocktail made with Otto’s Athens vermouth, Skinos house aperitivo and soda.
So although I was looking forward to trying Kaia (kaiasouthend.com) from Xenia Greek Hospitality, whose portfolio includes standouts Krasi, Bar Vlaha and Hecate, I was also skeptical. Could this group really open another Greek restaurant that feels unique and different from the others while still being equally as good or was this simply another conquest on their rise to a hospitality kingdom? I am here to tell you that they have truly done it again.
Chargrilled octupus served with staka glaze, savory crunch and avocado pistou.
Kaia’s brightly lit dining room beckons in the new luxury condo building The Harris on Harrison Avenue, steps away from the newly-formed, little restaurant row at the Ink Block. The 100-seat, mostly white space designed by Panos Efstratiou of Greece-based RFORM is dotted with earth tones and golds, its minimalism warmed by raw, textured materials like ceramics, wicker, stone and weathered metals. The weather outside was brutally cold and wet with rain but stepping inside Kaia made it easy to imagine we were sitting on the shores of the Aegean Sea.
The grilled whole fish drizzled with sauce tableside.
The menu is an homage to the spirit of the Greek Isles. Culinary director Brendan Pelley and executive chef Felipe Goncalves offer a well-curated, seafood-forward selection and each dish surprised us with its complexity and creativity. Some favorites are the crispy zucchini chips, which alone are a tasty vessel but made remarkable with the addition of caviar, the tuna crudo which earns depth when mixed with sunflower tahini and the cabbage, elevated to new heights when served with house miso, sweet goldenrod and almonds.
The cabbage with house miso revithada, pickled allium and almonds.
But perhaps the two most unforgettable dishes were the whole fish and the gyro. Both familiar in name only, they are reimagined on the plate. There are three options for enjoying whole fish at Kaia—we chose the purist’s simply grilled version with orange blossom honey, ladolemono and a herb bouquet. The fish arrived, splayed naked on the plate until a server drizzled sauce and snipped fresh herbs on top. It was perfectly cooked and so well balanced that each flavor shined without taking away from the fish itself. The gyro is unrecognizable from its usual haunt as a late-night grab-and-go. The lamb was both crispy and tender, the zucchini pita chewy and the accompaniments on the plate included sunflower yogurt and a caper jam. I craved it even before it was gone.
In the dining room raw materials mix with flowing curves that echo the tides.
The wine list is entirely from the Hellenic islands of the Aegean, a rare selection most of us aren’t familiar with. But there is no need to feel intimidated with the expert guidance from Kaia’s staff. Our server Randy was a wealth of knowledge and he took the helm, perfectly pairing each dish with wine. It turns out this somewhat spoiled Boston diner can still be greatly impressed.
Photography by: BIRCH
