Nieuw visrestaurant in Hersonissos
Drie woorden verklaren formule: Verse Vis Fusie !
Kreeftsalade met sinaasappel en Grand Marnier dressing, maar ook vlees.
At the new CoastMed Restaurant in Hersonissos, three little words are all that's needed to express its view on food: Fresh fish fusion. And, nowhere have "three little words" meant so much.
"Everything on our menu, especially our fresh fish and shellfish dishes, is prepared according to our own fusion-inspired recipes," explained the restaurant's owner and guiding force, Emmanuel (Manos) Gerokostas. "We combine certain spices and ingredients from other countries to give a unique taste to some otherwise familiar dishes."
When Mr. Gerokostas, and his head chef, Thanasis Manos, speak about "ingredients from other countries," they aren't just quoting from some foreign cook book; they both have been trained at prestigious hotel and catering institutes in Switzerland and have hands-on experiences working in some of the finest restaurants around the world.
Born in Athens, Mr. Gerokostas traveled to many different countries before completing his formal education in Hong Kong. From there, his life-long interest in catering took him to Switzerland where he studied hotel management and catering at the famous Glion Institute. After graduation, he set off to compile a resume that would be sure to impress André Michelin himself.
“My initial training period was for a restaurant in Geneva, and then as a cook for a restaurant in Thailand,” Mr. Gerokostas said. “Once I had the necessary basic experience, I was able to attain positions as food and beverage manager for some of the big hotels, like the Ritz Carlton in Virginia and the Marriott group in Beijing. It was an invaluable experience, working with some of the best chefs in so many different countries.”
About a year ago, Mr. Gerokostas, 28, felt that the time was right to put his years of training and experiences to work for himself. Since he always had an affinity with Crete (his mother is from Iraklion), he returned to the island and began looking for the perfect venue.
“I decided on the Hersonissos beachfront because it is the perfect setting to present our new concept of seafood cuisine,” Mr. Gerokostas said. “And, at the same time, I was fortunate to meet up with Chef Thanos, who, with his international experience, is of the same mind when it comes to the fusion concept of cooking.”
Mr. Manos also studied in Switzerland, but at the Lausanne Institute, and then attended the Stockholm Academy of Gastronomy. Following his studies, he worked in the Grand Hotel in Stockholm for several years, before moving on to his own restaurants in Paros and other islands in the Cyclades.
“In 1997 I came to Crete, married a wonderful Iraklion woman, and worked in restaurants in Hersonissos and Elounda,” he said. “Then, I met Emmanuel, liked his ideas, and decided to work with him in this new and unique venture. We both feel the time is right to introduce our concept of fusion cooking, together with fresh seafood, to the local area.”
Mr. Gerokostas and Chef Thanos put their heads together to create, what they felt, was the most unique menu on the island. On the seafood side, there are dishes like lobster salad with orange Grand Marnier dressing and fillet of grouper with wild Cretan greens and lemon-ginger sauce, and for meat lovers there’s a tender beef fillet with rocca leaves and parmesan cheese flakes. Even standard Greek fare goes international, with creations like saganaki with a sesame-seed crust.
Coast Med is located seaside in Hersonissos, with a spacious terrace overlooking its namesake, the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, it has its own beach area with drink and snack service, plus a cozy room indoors. Mr. Gerokostas told us that, for now, he’s only open for the summer season, but has not ruled out the possibility of going year-round.
There’s more than one local seafood lover who would like to twist his arm!
Bron: Ko-go
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