Yamas Review
Yamas is a new authentic Greek restaurant that just opened on Balcones Dr. in North Austin. The restaurant feels like a trip to Greece. The building has white walls with bright blue accents with gorgeous paintings and decorations on the inside. The staff is friendly and helpful and makes you feel comfortable. They have a wide variety of drinks and dishes, and there is a beautiful patio great for cooler evenings.
The Menu and Food
The menu at Yamas is not extensive, but they specialize in each dish they have. There is a “mezze” section which is appetizers and small plates, a salad section, a sides sections, a raw bar section, a pasta section, and a section for both sea and land.
We mostly got to try items from their mezze section including fried feta, shrimp mikrolimano, zucchini pancakes, and grilled octopus. We also got to try their marouli salad and the hamachi cavite.
We got the marouli salad first and it was a perfect starter. The salad is light and refreshing with feta, lettuce and scallions. The feta and scallions create a great combination and I wanted to keep eating more.
The fried feta with mixed sesame was delicious. It’s served warm and topped with honeyed walnuts. The sweetness from the walnuts pairs perfectly with the salty feta and the sesame seeds add a lovely crunch. This is a great shareable appetizer to start.
The shrimp mikrolimano is a shrimp dish with tomatoes, feta, and fennel. The shrimp is perfectly cooked and the tomato sauce is warm and nicely flavored. The feta added a great saltiness to the dish.
The grilled octopus was an adventure for us. But, the octopus is cooked perfectly with a slight crust on the outside and its seasoned so well. The lentil salad also complemented the flavor nicely and is quite refreshing.
The zucchini pancakes are simple and divine. They are cooked to a perfect crisp and served with a delicious tzatziki. They are another great shareable small plate.
The hamache cavite was served with a passion fruit marinade. The marinade created a great sweetness that paired well with the fish.
The Drinks
Yamas has a large variety of drinks and signature cocktails and mocktails. We tried the Taso Old Fashioned from their cocktail list and the Athena from their mocktail list. The Old fashioned is delicious, it has a light spice from the cinnamon and nutmeg cloves syrup and wasn’t too bitter. The Athena is like a gorgeous fizzy pink lemonade. It isn’t too sweet or sour and matches the refreshing menu perfectly.
Overview
Yamas is a beautiful little Greek restaurant with traditional Greek food that may require some to adventure out from their normal cuisine. It is light food that leaves you feeling full and satiated without being too stuffed. Their drink menu is impressive and pairs well with the menu. Yamas is a great place for a date night or night out on the town. It has an upscale feel and makes you feel like you could be on a beach in Greece.
