About a year ago my eye was caught by something very special happening in Thessaloniki. I saw on social media people talking about the “Two chefs who turned their house into a restaurant” or “Uma’s house in Thessaloniki”. I was already tempted to have a private cheffing experience in Uma.
On a beautiful hill, just above Thermi dam, Sissy and Andreas welcomed us warmly in Uma’s house. They are a couple in life and the inspirers of this whole experience, called Uma chefs home experience.
Sissy and Andreas, the inspirers of Uma private cheffing home experience
Sissy is a pastry chef and an incredible hostess with the greatest smile. Andreas is the executive chef with an absolute passion for flavors, cooking styles and ingredients. We enjoyed a welcome drink, relaxing for a while in the lovely yard along with Mrs. Poupoulo, one of Uma’s cheerful kittens. We gazed at the sunset, watching the clouds all aflame. Then Sissy called us to join the dinner table.
The table’s decoration matched perfectly, with its modern elements and minimal mindset. The same goes for the house atmosphere. We were served wine and fresh cocktails. My friends chose rosé xinomavro wine, Hatzivaryti Chloe, to start dinner and I tried a cocktail with gin and Mediterranean herbs.
Our menu in Uma
Pagrus cheviche
The first dish arrived and it was very impressive. A pagrus cheviche in espelette pepper vinegar, lime, passion fruit, cream of ripe avocados and fresh herbs. The flavors kept coming on and on, escalating from the freshness of the sea to the slightly spicy and sour explosion of the pepper, leaving as a finisher a fruity soft feeling.
Clams in seafood broth
As a second course, we tried clams in seafood and verbena broth. The dish was accompanied by mashed potatoes with lemon notes. It was also highlighted by a shrimp and crayfish croquette. Absolutely fantastic. The seafood broth completed the dish beautifully, creating a warm summer appetizer of particular interest.
Fig salad
Then we were served a fig salad. Spicy arugula with fresh figs, basil, ricotta cheese, prosciutto and honey vinaigrette. It was a tender salad with sweet notes dressed in a perfectly balanced vinaigrette. One could say that the fig salad is the aftertaste of August. All your sweet memories of summer wrapped together. A classic salad dish, perfectly carried out.
My friends changed their wine label, continuing with rose xinomavro Gerovassiliou for the rest of our meal. I tried the next cocktail with sweet and bitter elements. It was a combination of Gin Bitter vermouth, chokeberry, chocolate and citrus. A little more intense in taste than the first one, but absolutely enjoyable until the last sip.
Salmon fillet on mangel leaves
As a main course, we had salmon fillet on mangel leaves, enriched with mayonnaise from octopus and lobster bisque. Andreas explains the way he marinates the salmon fillet with excitement and waits to hear our thoughts. In my opinion, although I don’t usually prefer salmon, the dish was at least magical. Full of flavor and beautiful combinations, this dish definitely was the most memorable.
Choux profiterole
Just before the end, it was time for dessert. A delicious profiterole arrived with crispy choux filled with cream patisserie. Next, there was a smooth chocolate sauce made of 85% bitter chocolate. My love for bitter chocolate definitely found its destiny in this dish. Choux pastries were really crispy, releasing hidden notes of fresh butter. All in all, this dessert was a great way to end our experience at Uma.
In the end, the best part of our visit in the chefs’ home came up. Sissy and Andreas had a drink with us, shared their experiences and ideas. They talked about their plans and the dishes they are thinking of creating in the future.
They revealed delicious experiences from their travels and secret ingredients they use in their kitchen. As a family, they love traditional Greek recipes, such as Gemista. In the afternoons, they enjoy playing in their yard with their sons, or whenever they have time to do so.
Sissy and Andreas, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this private cheffing experience. See you again soon!
See more flavors and food suggestions on my blog.