Kouzina - Doncaster

Name: Kouzina modern Greek & mezze bar

Address: Westfield Doncaster
Shop 2001
619 Doncaster Rd (Cnr Williamsons Rd)
Doncaster 3108 VIC
Phone: (03) 9840 6055

Food: Modern Greek
Average prices: entrees - $11, mains - $25, desserts - $12.
Complimentary - nothing.

We ordered:

Entrees: Pork kebabs - $12.50.


Ryan said they were juicy and tender but definitely needed the tzatziki for flavour.

Flaming saganaki - $13.50.


I'll give points for theatrical display by lighting Metaxa poured over the saganaki. However, the Metaxa completely overwhelmed the cheese which needed nothing but a squeeze of lemon.

Mains: Vegetarian moussaka -$22.50.


This was Layers of eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, feta, lentils, tomatoes, kefalotyri Béchamel baked in a clay pot served with a Greek salad. I felt this was overcooked as the topping was quite papery whilst the lentils on the bottom were dry. I also don't feel the lentils added anything whilst I could not taste the feta at all. It was basically slices of zucchini with tons of bechamel. The Greek salad on the side was average, no dressing so was a little dry.

Veal yiouvetsi - $21.50.


Tender veal ragout with roma tomatoes, root vegetables, orzo pasta, three Greek cheeses slow baked in a clay pot. Ryan said this was full of flavour and the meat was falling apart it was so tender.

Desserts: Dessert sampler for two - $26.50.


'Chios' mastic chocolate mousse; tasted a little like cheap chocolate in that it didn't have that deep chocolate flavour and tasted like 'cream' whilst not being super creamy in texture. Couldn't really taste the mastiki. The berries (previously frozen I think) were also a little bitter.

Baklava; moist and syrupy but there was way too much cinnamon and it became bitter.

Fig brulee; this hardly had a sugar crust and it was runny and grainy with some pureed fig in the center.

Pistachio and rosewater ice cream; this tasted more like a vanilla and honey icecream nice consistency and Ryan's favourite.

Honey and sheep's milk yoghurt panna cotta; this was really lemony and was served with pomegranate seeds which were unpleasant to eat and did not compliment the dish.

Cost: $96.50 for 2 entrees, 2 mains and 1 dessert platter.

Service: Great. Our plates were cleared almost immediately and they were pretty good with topping up the water. We told them we wanted to eat and go - our entrees arrived 10mins after ordering, the mains took 20mins after our entrees were cleared and the dessert came 15mins after the mains.

Atmosphere: Good. Very lively. It's in the newly refurbished Westfield Doncaster which is almost like Crown in decor - really lovely and stylish.


We went on a Saturday night and the restaurant was practically full,. There are seats at the back in front of wall length windows with a gorgeous view of the city skyline, we arrived just before sunset and watched the beautiful view.


Those seats were full as were most of the seats outside the front of the restaurant in the shopping centre so we sat adjacent to the bar on a communal table on stools.


Parking: Ample - the shopping centre has hundreds of car spaces. Parking is free for the first 3hours or 4hours if seeing a movie.

Website: http://www.kouzina.com.au/index.html

Hours: Daily 11am-11pm.

Would I return: No - it's decent but not great