MANILA -- Travelling to the Mediterranean isn’t going to be possible for most of us in the near future. But having a restaurant serving Greek food may be the next best thing.

Oh My Greek! formally opens this Saturday, serving up its fun take on Greek cuisine.

While its first branch on the side streets of Legaspi Village has been open for some time, the team behind this Greek concept took their time polishing it up before its grand opening.

Locally, Greek food has the reputation of being expensive and served in fussy dine-in restaurants.

“We wanted Greek food to be very accessible, a fast-food style of cuisine whereby people who order their meal at an affordable price point and receive their meal within 15 minutes,” said John-Michael Hilton, CEO of Visum Ventures, the group behind the Oh My Greek!

Hilton said one of the inspirations for Oh My Greek! came from the Filipinos' love of shawarma and pork.

Authentic shawarma cannot use pork as filling since the wrap has to be halal from its Muslim heritage. But the gyro, the Greek version, can use pork. And it gives a very different flavor profile compared to the shawarma due to the way they cook their meat and the tzatziki white sauce.

Even the 7-inch gyro is filling as it has hand-cut French fries in the wrap. They have a chicken gyro for the health-conscious, and a rice plate for those who want a heavier version.

The Salcedo Village branch has been open for some time attracting nearby condo dwellers with its sweet and strong combo of Greek coffee and loukomades.

Loukomades or Greek donuts go great with their coffee. The donuts are traditionally topped with honey and cinnamon, or Nutella and crushed almonds.

Coffee lovers looking for something off the beaten path should check out Greek coffee. It is similar to Turkish coffee where it is brewed in a sand pit with a metal pot called an ibrik. The resulting brew is a strong sweet cup of coffee. While traditionally served black, the restaurant can serve it with milk upon request.

For those who are not into coffee, Oh My Greek! has an assortment of lemonade-based drinks. The lemon with red grape bits is a standout in this collaboration with Pure Nectar.

The team said the spanakopita, made with spinach, cheese, and filo pastry, is a favorite of repeat guests.

Prior to Saturday's launch, Oh My Greek! has added some premium items to its menu including fresh pulpo (octopus), pan-fried haloumi cheese, and calamares with lemon aioli.

For pasta lovers, Salmon and Feta Linguini. Linguini is a great choice as it retains its al dente-ness even during transit during delivery.

Even if Oh My Greek! presents itself as a fast-food outlet, their lamb chops won’t be out of place in a fine dining restaurant. These Greek-style lamb chops are marinated in yoghurt. No need for mint here as the lamb is flavorful on its own served on a bed of Greek rice with vegetables.

To celebrate the formal opening of its Salcedo Village branch, Oh My Greek! is giving away hoodies to the first 50 customers on Saturday and free loukomades for every P500 purchase all day.

Oh My Greek! has other branches in BF Homes Paranaque and SM North Edsa. Delivery options are available on Foodpanda or GrabFood.