Kiki’s is a new Greek spot deep in the heart of Chinatown that is over flowing with hipster, Lower East Siders and a ton of people who read the review in The New York Times. The perks of Kiki’s is that it keeps your wallet and your stomach full. You can try so many dishes and they just keep on coming making it a night. The downfall is that the wait time can be nauseating. We were told it would be 30 minutes but sadly it ended up being an hour just FYI. Kiki’s is cool because there are several different rooms and nooks to sit in. The very back room has communal high top seating which gets you nice and close to your neighbors. The zooming service is fast and plates hit the table just as soon as you have a chance to look up and wonder where your next dish is.
Octopus
Start with the cold small plates meaning the dips, obviously. At $6 a pop, try a few such as: Tzatziki with Greek yogurt, fresh cucumber, dill and garlic; Tirokafteri with spicy cheese and peppers; Taramosalata with salty, rich fish roe spread. All of these are great and make sure you order the Zucchini Chips with kefalograviera cheese to dip them in. This takes the whole chip and dip game to another level with this crunch and extra cheese decor. I also loved the Sautéed Shrimp with the shell on that bathes in olive oil, garlic and an ouzo anise cream sauce which isn’t overly creamy (in a good way). This is only $11 and for 7 pieces, it’s a great deal to throw in. Although the traditional no-lettuce salad looks unbelievable in the homemade wooden bowl with chunky tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, olives bell peppers, and feta. It’s missing some flavoring/dressing here. Another fun dish is the Strapatsada which are scrambled eggs, tomato, onion, loukaniko, kefalograviera cheese (again this makes every dish amazing), and french fries. Eggs never tasted so good at dinner time. They are fluffly, a tad creamy, and a nice addition to the table. Hold on the Moussaka layered eggplant, tomato and beef and pork dish. This is like a Greek-style lasagna without tomato sauce and a touch of cinnamon. Save room for dessert instead.
Zucchini Chips
The cheesecake is the perfect way to end a Greek meal. Every dish with unique cheese here topped the next so why not go for this. The graham cracker crust tasted like those amazing European Digestive Biscuit cookies. It’s hard to break into and pairs perfectly with the soft cream and berries on top. If you can sneak into Kiki’s without suffering a wait, then it’s worth it. If you get slammed with a two hour wait which probably means you’ve showed up after 7 p.m., I’d say trek elsewhere.
Cheesecake