One of the most memorable meals I have ever eaten was on the Greek island of Crete, several years ago. Some friends and I had taken a jeep tour up into the mountains to see the sights and catch a glimpse of what life was like for people living on a plateau up there.
All the food they made for themselves; they worked the land, raised their own livestock, and farmed all the veg you could want. In the afternoon, our driver took us to a small, family run restaurant who would often cater for tourists. The food was very simple; meat, potatoes, salad, dressing. But my word, it was exquisite. The most fresh and flavoursome dishes I had ever put in my mouth, and a meal I will always remember.
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The finest compliment that I can give Zorba The Greek in Chelmsford is that it reminded me of that meal. We all heard the very sad news this week that Zorba, based in The Arches near Chelmsford Train Station, would be shutting its doors for good this Saturday (February 11) after six years. I had been recommended Zorba by some friends, but sadly had never got around to trying it, so the news was disappointing to hear.
However, I decided to change that and see what the fuss was about before the chance went away for good. I couldn’t attend the restaurant in person before closure, but I ordered a meal to my house this week. I opted for the mixed grill version of the Chargrilled Souvlaki – a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer.
My meal contained chicken, pork, beef and chorizo along with a very healthy portion of chips coated in oregano and salt, plus a Greek-style salad and small pitta bread. I was immediately impressed by the packaging and portion of the food – it arrived in very good time (25 minutes) and was packaged neatly with all food intact.
One mouthful of each item told me that I was onto a winner. The meat was perfect temperature, tasted fresh and was easy to eat, with so much of it that I couldn’t even finish the last piece. My favourite was the chorizo, as I’m a sucker for the more tangy and zesty flavour from usual pork or beef offerings, but the beef and chicken pieces were also well coated in seasoning and cooked perfectly.
The Greek salad was as you’d expect – a healthy drizzle of olive old and a good balance of greens, red onion and tomato, and the pitta bread was equally satisfying, coated in herbs and olive oil. Everything tasted so fresh and was so well presented I felt like I was back in the mountains of Crete, eating food which had been raised and prepared less than a mile away.
While chips are not what you’d call authentic Greek food, they were also a highlight. The crips, golden finish they had along with the coating of salt and oregano was absolutely perfect, and they’re some of the best chips I’ve tasted from a takeaway in Chelmsford.
In the end, the amount of food was too much for me, and I had to turn down the last chunk of meat I had in my box, but what a meal it had been. I was thoroughly satisfied, but also extremely sad that I had only just discovered this lovely little eatery now, days before closure. At £19.99, it was on the pricer side for a takeaway, but for what I got, the price was worth it.
For anyone thinking about trying Zorba before its closure this weekend, I heartily recommend it.
Source: Essex Live
