Taramosalata, dolma, souvlaki, moussaka: Even the briefest roll call of these classic dishes will trigger intense Pavlovian salivation in anyone who has ever visited Greece. For most people in Tokyo, though, these foods have been off the radar. The arrival of The Apollo looks set to change that in a big way.
Occupying pride of place on the top floor of the newly opened Tokyu Plaza overlooking the Sukiyabashi Crossing in Ginza, it is a big, buzzy, impressive operation that looks little like anyone's preconceived image of Greece. But that's because The Apollo comes to us from Sydney, not Athens, and its culinary DNA is as much Australian as it is Greek.
Jonathan Barthelmess and Sam Christie, who own and run The Apollo, are both Aussies of Greek descent. They have taken the alluring flavors of the eastern Mediterranean and married them with the fresh, healthy ingredients and lightness of touch that characterize the best of contemporary Australian cooking. And they present it all in a package that is stylish, easygoing and hip, with not a single tourist poster, ancient amphora or Greek knickknack in sight.