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Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Yiassoo's Gaime Quinones holds up a plate of moussaka, one of the many Greek specialties offered at the restaurant. Yiassoo means 'hello,' 'good-bye,' and 'bless you' in Greek.
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Yiassoo: 'Cooked 100 percent like in Greece'
By PAM MARINO
Joel Quinones isn't from Greece, but he loved Greek food so much he bought not one Greek restaurant, but two.
Quinones is the proud owner of the Yiassoo eateries in Cupertino and Campbell. The Mexican native worked for the Greek family that originally founded Yiassoo, which means "hello," "good-bye" and "bless you" in Greek. He loved the work, as well as the food, so he jumped at the chance to purchase the Campbell store. Shortly after he purchased the Cupertino store.
He follows the same authentic recipes that the original family used.
"We do 100 percent like somebody cooks in Greece," Quinones said. Everything is "homemade," not canned or pre-prepared. "Whatever you see here, we prepare it here," he said. Even the pita bread and desserts like the baklava are made at the restaurant.
Quinones takes great pride in the authentic gyros and souvlaki, two favorites among customers. Moussaka and spanakopita are also very popular. Other Greek dishes such as pastitsio, a lasagna-type dish, are also on the menu.
Quinones tells anyone who asks that Yiassoo "serves the best Greek food in the Bay Area."
Not everything is entirely Greek, however; Yiassoo offers a falafel sandwich, for example. The restaurant also serves decidedly American meals like hamburgers and a steak sandwich--but some come with a special Greek twist. The Yiassoo Special Burger, for example, is made of 100 percent ground beef mixed with spices like Greek oregano, garlic and others.
The roast chicken, called the Greek Lemon Roasted Chicken, is also marinated with Greek spices. "We make a good chicken," Quinones said. Half a chicken served with French fries and green salad is $6.25; a whole chicken to go is $6.
Prices are reasonable at Yiassoo, with sandwiches running between $3.50 and $4.50. The Greek salad is $3.25, and smaller salads sell for $1.99. The plates, which can include sandwiches, or servings of items like moussaka, run between $6.25 and $6.75, and come with salads; sandwiches come with French fries and other items come with pita bread. A piece of baklava is $1.25.
Service and cleanliness are important to Quinones. Though Yiassoo is a fast-food restaurant, meals are often brought to the table by the staff.
With notice, the restaurant provides party trays and catering.
The only difference between Yiassoo and a sit-down restaurant, Quinones said, is the price.
Yiassoo is at 10660 S. De Anza Blvd., Cupertino. The phone number is 253-5544. The restaurant is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
