Travel Gem #7: Mykonos - Octopus Grill Experience with local chef

Octopus Grill on the Greek Island is a must try when you do Island hopping in Greece.   I am always fascinated by fresh octopus hanging on the clothes line getting dried.

Yesterday I mentioned about tasting the yummy Octopus  at Santorini.   

Mykonos is also a great place to see these octopus hanging everywhere.

Here is the chef preparing the fresh octopus grill for us.  He is so friendly to take the picture for us. He said that no one had ever taken notice of him all these years in grilling octopus. Look at his eyes, almost popping out.  We thanked him for preparing the dish for us and left a Hong Kong souvenir for him for taking part in our life travel journey.

Look at those fresh octopus legs on the grill.  Don't they look appetizing?

Travel Gem:  When you travel, get to know the locals.  Get to know the chefs that are behind all the dishes. I actually learned this from my dad.  When I was small, whenever we went to new restaurants to eat, I noticed that he would take time to get to know the chef. The chef often comes out entertaining us at the dinner table. They tell you lots of stories. That is when we learn a lot about their culture and life.

The name of this chef is Kimon.  He has lived in Mykonos all his life. He does not have the money to travel yet and one day he said he would like to join us in our travels. He wants to experience life like we do.  Right now, he is working hard in this grill restaurant because it is his father's business.  Early in the morning, he puts the octopus out shining under the sun to get dried.  It is his daily routine.

I asked: "How many octopus do you cook each day?"

He said that it depends on the season.  In the summer, they grill about 100 a day.  But in the winter, there is hardly anyone around so they close up the shop for 4 months.  Wow, they only work 8 months a year. That's pretty good.

Usually he grills about 50 to 60 octopus each day on the average.

I also asked him:   "Do you believe in God?"

He said he does.  But he does not know how to get to know him.

I said to him:  "You know what?  The New Testament Bible was originally written in Greek."  

He said: "Oh really? That's good to hear."

That was the best gift I could give to him that day, more than the money I paid for the octopus grill. He speaks Greek and so can understand the Bible in its original language than many of us.  

I watched the chef taking these steps in his cooking:

 1.  Place the octopus on the grill 

2.  Sear the legs for about 3 minutes on both sides. 

That's it for the cooking!

Put the grilled octopus  on a serving plate. 

It is the following that makes it extra TASTY:

1.  Drizzle the octopus with extra virgin olive oil

2.  Sprinkle dried Greek oregano on top

3.  Add a little bit of sea salt

4.  Squeeze  fresh lemon juice on top.

Make sure you stop by in one of those taverns where you see octopus hanging on their roof top!

When you go, let me know about it,

Rosa

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Rosa @rosatravels