Daphne’s Greek Cafe
10889 Lindbrook Dr., Westwood
$5-9
3.5 Paws Out Of 5
Go Greek!
Daphne’s Greek Cafe in Westwood offers affordable Greek food that will entice the taste buds of ethnically adventurous diners, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
Walking into the restaurant, it was surprisingly empty at dinner time. This created some doubt as to the quality of the food, but I decided to venture in anyway.
The cafe is somewhere between a restaurant and fast food: You order at the counter but eat on glass plates with real silverware. This is probably what keeps the prices down compared to a restaurant that offers more ambiance.
Nevertheless, the restaurant was meticulously clean with light Greek music playing in the background that made me want to stand up and belly dance. The servers were quite friendly, without resorting to the forced “they are paying me to be nice” smiles commonly seen on workers.
This is beneficial because the average student will probably want to ask several questions before ordering ““ especially if he or she has never had Greek or Middle Eastern food. There are no descriptions on the menu.
Daphne’s menu includes traditional Greek fare, such as falafel, chicken, steak, shrimp and calamari (squid) offered on salads, gyros and combination plates. The prices range from about $5-9 per entree.
I ordered the hummus and falafel plate. If you are a vegetarian tired of grilled cheese for every meal, this is the dish to get. While I am not a vegetarian, I still found the plate to be flavorful. It came with a small Greek salad, rice, hummus, pita bread, falafel and tzatziki sauce. The Greek salad and rice were nothing special; they were fresh and tasty but not notably savory.
Having been raised on homemade hummus, I have learned to love the delicate balance between chickpeas, garlic and lemon that is usually mashed to the texture of peanut butter and served with pita bread.
I was afraid that Daphne’s would offer the unrecognizable, disgusting mush of which store-bought, dining hall hummus usually consists. Luckily, the hummus was quite enjoyable, with a texture that was not overly lumpy or too thin. The flavor definitely was not as exquisite as my daddy’s, but it was still impressive.
The falafel, which looks like slices of fried zucchini cut in half, is actually made out of chickpeas and spices. Daphne’s falafel was cooked to perfection: a nice smooth texture on the inside, with the outside a little more firm yet not crunchy. It is served with tzatziki sauce on the side, which is a refreshing mixture of plain yogurt, cucumber and mint that tastes something like sour cream. All of this flavor was packed into the plate.
The piece de resistance of the meal was Daphne’s baklava, which costs $1.50 for a small triangle. It is literally a finger-licking delectable combination of filo (pastry) layers and walnuts covered in honey and cinnamon. Crispy and sweet, the baklava alone is worth the trip to Daphne’s.
Daphne’s is a treat for vegetarians, while still being flavorful and substantial enough for meat-eaters.
But for those who are still hesitant to eat a plate half composed of chickpeas, at least go try the baklava.
E-mail Aoun at kaoun@media.ucla.edu.