Chef Dimitris Skarmoutsos gave an interview to Time Out magazine and Michalis Christodoulou, on the occasion of the launch of "Pier One" in the Old Port of Limassol, where he admitted that the Cypress stands out from the Cypriot products!
The well-known Greek chef Dimitris Skarmoutsos collaborates for the third year with the well-known Cypriot restaurant company PHC, signing the menu of its new restaurant located in the renovated area of the old port. "Pier One", as the new place is called, is an all day restaurant that will serve coffee, breakfast and brunch, fine dishes for lunch and dinner from the international cuisine with elements from both the Mediterranean and the Far East and Latin America.
"Pier One", as he mentioned, is a beautiful and refined space in which special attention was paid to the decoration and the quality of the raw materials of the recipes. The new restaurant which opens in the coming days is located in the first and largest elevated building of the Old Port, near the pier, offering a wonderful sea view.
On the occasion of the operation of Pier One, Time Out met Dimitris Skarmoutsos and talked to him about the new restaurant, what we will taste there, his work in Cyprus, the Cypriot cuisine and the trends that are currently formed internationally in gastronomy.
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| The new restaurant "Pier One" |
Read the full interview in Time Out magazine
What flavors will we try in the new restaurant?
At Pier One you will find cuisines from all over the world with elements from East, West, Europe, Mexico and subtle touches from all over the world. We are not limited to the Mediterranean. You will taste excellent sushi rolls from a very small and special menu which are inspired by Japan but with Mediterranean elements. That is, you will eat sushi with roe and other such ingredients.
What is your bet on this new beginning?
Let the people come in the morning to enjoy their coffee with a small accompaniment and enjoy this beautiful view of Limassol that the store offers, and if they can sit until dinner for dinner.
What does a chef take into account when creating a new menu?
Creating a new menu has a lot to do with where you are. Because many times we forget that we cook for our audience, we make the mistake and make the things we like. And here it is usually that we press it in menus that are not very successful. The chef must listen to the public - which is very important - to know the trends and to be able to understand what likes and dislikes in the world who will come to eat in his shop. This is the starting point and then you put your own touch. At the same time, you need to know what the city where the store will operate from the raw material sector can give you. In recent years, excellent work has been done in Cyprus with the raw material, the level has risen a lot. I have been working in Cyprus for several years and I consider that it has risen a lot lately. Fortunately I work for a company that is very high quality. He seeks quality and when something is requested he brings it immediately.
At what level will the prices of the new store be?
This will be something that will surprise you because if people see how the restaurant is set up and its location, they may be surprised at how "relaxed" our prices are. This is a very neat shop but we live in a difficult time that does not allow us to be very expensive and we realize that.
What do you consider to be Pier One's strong dish?
That's hard to answer. I believe that all dishes are equal. You will try them and you will tell me.
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| Dimitris Skarmoutsos in Naxos from the shooting of a show for Mega Greece. Photo: www.megatv.com |
Cyprus, cuisine, local products and zucchini
What is your opinion about Cypriot cuisine?
I love her!
Do you use ingredients from Cypriot cuisine in your recipes?
I use some materials produced by Cypriots, yes. I think that the island can produce excellent products because it helps a lot the climate, the soil which is quite important and also sometimes the lack of water and constant watering makes the products much more intense in taste. I have in my mind very much the way they cultivate in Santorini with the way they cultivate in Cyprus. The reduced moisture in the product intensifies the taste.
Are there any of the products of Cyprus that stand out?
One of the products that I stand out from Cyprus is the kolokasi which is going up very recently in Greece but we find it difficult to find it and they bring it to us at very high prices. This product has been neglected in recent years by Cypriot cuisine. In Athenian cuisine it goes up a lot and I inform you that it can reach 14 and 15 euros per kilo, if we manage to find it.
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Photo: www.megatv.com
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Back to the roots is the new trend in the kitchen
Do you notice today that some new trends are being created worldwide in the kitchen?
What prevails today is a return to our roots, which is very important. I think that for several years the kitchen was gone, just like us cooks. We lived the big fashion with the molecular gastronomy that we all wanted to do the incredible, the apparition of food. This madness is over, fortunately, and we are back and looking for our roots again. Our roots are very important because they give us impetus, knowledge and by taking the modern methods that currently exist in cooking we can perfect several recipes. On the other hand, I see a shift in local and quality products. Consumers in recent years are more suspicious. In the past you could sell a lot of things that were not very high quality because there was ignorance about what had to do with the raw material.
Do you think that this shift also contributed to the change of the way of focusing?
Of course. Take as an example the way of focusing in Cyprus a few years ago and compare it with today. At the moment, remarkable efforts are being made by young people on the island. I am happy, because there is a shift in quality. I am not saying that things will change overnight, but what is happening is hopeful.
See the full interview in Time Out magazine by clicking here