Zoe’s is a glorified fish and chip shop that really wants to be a restaurant. The menu along the wall, the food warmers, the open kitchen area and even the staff behind the counter make this place really look second grade. They’ve tried to spruce it up a bit with the white table cloths and astronomical prices, but this place just doesn’t have that restaurant feel.

Tonight, I ordered the Mediterranean Open Yiros. The meal arrived 15 minutes after ordering and was nicely presented. The lamb and chicken were well marinated, and the meat was tender and succulent. Both the meats were a bit cold and felt like they had been sitting around for a few hours. The portions were also conservative.

The grilled mushrooms, the caramelised onions, the semi-dried tomatoes and the feta cheese all worked perfectly well with the meat. It was just a pity there was so little of it. The Greek salad was nice as the vegetables were fresh and crisp. The salad dressing, in particular, was fantastic.

The chips weren’t too bad either; nice and crunchy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. The garlic sauce was of a nice consistency. The proportions of yogurt, lemon juice and garlic were just right. The pita bread on the other hand was a huge let down. It was left way too long on the grill and it became so hard, I could barely cut it with a knife.

The staff were a bit arrogant and the service was average to say the least. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was not worth the serving size. I was charged $27 for something that should have cost half as much. There was not enough meat and too much of the other stuff. I must say I expected more when coming to this place.

WHERE: 164 King William Rd, Hyde Park