Yiannis Providakis: “Good cooking starts with a good product”

Eat & Drink foodNicosiarestaurantTop News Yiannis Providakis: “Good cooking starts with a good product” Providakis Relevant News Yiannis Providakis: “Good cooking starts with a good product” 25 August 2026 Things to do on Tuesday, August 25 25 August 2026 Cyprus stays mostly sunny with isolated mountain showers possible through Friday 25 August 2026 Diana Aza 25 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Guided by seasonality, clean flavours and ingredients from Cyprus and his native Crete, Kuzuba’s executive chef talks about his kitchen philosophy and the flavours that shaped him. Kuzuba has built its own identity on Nicosia’s dining scene. What do you think are the elements that make it stand out? Kuzuba has built its identity through consistency, without trying to follow every new trend. Our philosophy is based on contemporary Mediterranean cuisine, centred on Cypriot and Greek produce, seasonality and clean flavours. We want every dish to have a reason for being, and every guest to leave having experienced complete hospitality. On the new summer menu, which dishes would you highlight as the most distinctive of this year’s season? What we tried to do with the summer menu was pair good Cypriot ingredients with selected produce from Crete. If I had to pick out a few dishes, I’d say the ceviche with fresh fish of the day, Cypriot unripe olive oil and cucumber juice, and the wild greens pie with carob-flour pastry, Cretan galeni cream cheese and fresh herbs, dishes that express our kitchen’s philosophy. That said, I think the ones that will steal the show are the pasta with lamb, sauced with its own broth and dry anari, and the kebab with roasted tomato sauce and handmade pita. As a Cretan chef working in Cyprus, what similarities and differences do you find between the two cuisines? There’s quite a lot in common between the two cuisines, good ingredients, good olive oil, the amount of oil you use in stews and in the pot, fresh herbs, these are things that connect them. On the other hand, Cypriot cuisine has its own Middle Eastern influences and a different intensity in its aromas and spices. Living and working here, I try to combine creative elements from both cuisines without distorting the character of either. Which Cypriot products do you like most and use in your recipes? There are many excellent products in Cyprus. I won’t mention halloumi, because it’s a category all on its own, the ones I use most are fresh anari, commandaria, carob flour and trahanas. We always try to make sure each product plays a real role in the dish, rather than just being used as a local reference. Which dish do you think best expresses your cooking philosophy, and what’s the story behind it? I’ll mention two dishes currently on the menu. One is the beef osso buco, cooked for seven to eight hours, which is a deconstructed meat pie in a more contemporary execution. It reminds me of the meals we had with parents and friends, where there was always a pie like that, whether beef or lamb. The second dish I worked hard to get the flavour right on is the pasta with lamb. I remember at every Sunday family meal with my parents, my grandfather making his speciality: macaroni, lamb broth, fresh tomato, olive oil, salt and grated cheese. How important is it for you to work with local producers, and what criteria do you use to choose your ingredients? Working with people who know their product and produce it consistently gives us quality and stability. I choose ingredients based on flavour, seasonality, the reliability of the producer and, of course, consistency in quality. I believe good cooking always starts from a good product. Sustainability has become a key concern in modern gastronomy. How is it applied in the day-to-day running of your kitchen? Sustainability isn’t a trend, it’s a way of thinking. Day to day, we try to limit food waste, use as much of each ingredient as possible, and design the menu in a way that reduces losses. At the same time, we support local producers, work with seasonal products, and keep working towards a more responsible kitchen. Is there a childhood experience from Crete that still influences the way you cook today? I think my strongest memories are family meals and the smells from the kitchen, whether it was one grandmother standing over a pot, or another making pies, or my uncle grilling antikristo. That’s where I learned that good food doesn’t need excess. It needs love, the right ingredients and people around the table. That simplicity and authenticity is something I try to carry into my dishes today. What are your next goals for Kuzuba? To keep developing without losing our identity. To keep improving the experience we offer, to showcase Cypriot products even more through a contemporary Mediterranean approach, and to offer an experience people will remember. At the same time, to invest in our team, because I believe a strong kitchen is built first from its people. We want Kuzuba to remain a reference point on Cyprus’s dining scene and to keep evolving year after year. 54 Kyriakou Matsi, Agioi Omologites, Nicosia. Tel: 99 865444. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Things to do on Tuesday, August 25 Cyprus stays mostly sunny with isolated mountain showers possible through Friday ITV Studios apologises to Cypriot community over Coronation Street reference to Cyprus ‘sides’ University of Nicosia students win global architecture prizes with Gaza project 21-year-old dies after going swimming in Limassol’s old port The Mecca Agreement is not a regional NATO, but it is not to be underestimated Who Is the “Second Israel”? The Kurds — or Turkey? Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.