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THE REAL GREEK: Watermelon Menu Review


Last week I was invited back to The Real Greek to sample their summer, limited edition Watermelon Menu. Watermelon I hear you say? What more can you do with that?! Well, quite a lot actually. Three unique dishes perfectly brought together with the refreshing taste of your favourite summer fruit, Watermelon.

During the hot summer days in Greece, you’ll find watermelon at the centre of every table. We want to bring that spirit of Greece in summer to the UK, taking pride in offering diners only the freshest watermelons on the market alongside delicious combinations such as halloumi and pomegranate.”

As per our last visit, The Real Greek were once again very accommodating. We were able to order my favourite Tzatziki dip (Greek yoghurt with cucumber and garlic), and hummus along with crudités and Greek flatbread to start us off. These are what’s known as cold & hot 'mezes', which are traditionally served first, and then followed by the grilled 'mezes' such as lamb cutlets with lentils and minted Greek yoghurt and halloumi and vegetable skewers. My favourite, Tiropitakia (creamy leek, spinach, and feta filled filo pastry parcels (that’s a mouthful isn’t it? No pun intended, HA)) and the Gigandes Plaki (butter beans in a rich tomato sauce) were also amidst the table.

However, the three dishes we were really there to try were:

  1. Greek watermelon, grilled halloumi & pomegranate salad with lemon dressing
  2. Greek watermelon, feta cheese & mint salad with honey and saffron dressing
  3. Greek watermelon and lemon sorbet with crushed pistachios.

Of course, the two savoury dishes were served first.

GREEK WATERMELON, GRILLED HALLOUMI & POMEGRANATE SALAD

emmapharaohrealgreekwatermelon

Okay, so may I start off firstly by saying what a surprisingly delightful combination cheese and watermelon is. “The combination of watermelon with cheese is a Greek favourite, similar to grapes and cheese, that satisfies both the sweet and savoury tooth.” I like halloumi, I don’t love it, not like some of my squeaky cheese adoring friends anyway. Halloumi is quite a salty cheese, in my opinion, but the watermelon takes away that saltiness and leaves you with a mouth-watering combination which is actually really good! The pomegranates add another pop of flavour to the mix along with the lemon dressing which evens it all out.

GREEK WATERMELON, FETA CHEESE & MINT SALAD

A similar dish in terms of the combination of cheese and watermelon, but very different in flavours. The watermelon to the feta cheese had a very similar effect, in that the cooling watermelon neutralized the feta cheese, taking away that twang you sometimes experience. A non-feta lover could quickly learn to love this. I didn’t notice much of a taste of the dressing, but I wasn’t fussed.

GREEK WATERMELON & LEMON SORBET

*Apologies, it was so good I forgot to snap a photo*

Okay, so I’m one of those people who think anything lemony is just not lemony enough. But this dessert proved me damn wrong. After our mains, we were very full. But this dish acted as a refreshing palette cleanser, and even after my fullness it somehow helped with the bloat and I become less full. How’s your logic there? The tangy lemon mixed with the cooling watermelon, again, evened the other out to create a delightfully refreshing dessert which is exactly what is needed as an adventurous finish, along with the crunch of the pistachios to give you a mouthful of complementing textures.

A lovely experience once again at The Real Greek, with 3 delightful dishes perfect for the summer sunshine, to cool you down on a hot day or mix up your palette for an alternative lunch option. I highly recommend you try these mixes of ingredients, at first sight, a mismatched pair but at first taste, the perfect arrangement.

The Watermelon Menu is currently available at all restaurants throughout the UK, whiles stocks last. 


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