In the industrial district on the east side of Lund, among car dealers and warehouses with concrete facades, an unusual aroma of oregano and grilled meats infuses the surrounding air. The origin of this fragrant smell is a nearby food truck, famous for serving one of the best Gyros in Norway. Inside, the owner performs a choreography of precise and swift movements to prepare and serve comfort food, inspired by his family traditions and a passion for authentic cuisine. Here we meet the Greek Chef Iosif, who along with his wife Lydia opened Kristiansand’s first Greek restaurant back in 2022.
“In the beginning, people were sceptical because they didn’t know us,” remembers Iosif. A surprise visit from a food critic, followed by a positive review in the local newspaper, attracted the first customers. “It was at peak times during a football match; we didn’t know [the critics] were coming.” Shortly after, many of the warily curious passersby became regulars, with some going as far as ordering special catering for special family events like ceremonies and confirmations.
The Greek Chef on Wheels embodies the value of philoxenia — the tradition of hospitality that originated in ancient Greece, and shaped the country’s culture. The term implies that strangers (“xenos”) are received and hosted as friends (“philos”). Hospitality is a recurring theme in Greek lore; word has it that even the Trojan war is the result of violating this custom. In modern days, the idea of philoxenia is at the foundation of the Greek hospitality industry, that we experience when traveling to Greece, and that visitors receive at Iosif and Lydia’s food truck.
In Greece, the reality for many in the hospitality sector consists of long and taxing hours in summer, to make up for the quiet and desolate winter months, when tourism slows down and opportunities are scarce. Stuck in this cycle in early 2022, overwhelmed and working more than 350 hours per month, Iosif faced a life-changing decision. Striving to make ends meet in Greece, or take a leap of faith and move abroad, leaving behind his family and the stunning landscape of Crete. Though he had visited Norway before, the decision to move came with many questions and uncertainties.
The Beginnings
“The original plan was to stay in Kristiansand only for a few months, but then the idea of opening the first (at the time) Greek restaurant in town convinced us to stay”.
Iosif got his first local gig at Patricks Pub, before he and his wife hatched a plan for starting the first Greek restaurant in Kristiansand. The dream was to open a restaurant with good food, generous portions, and friendly prices.
Iosif’s first encounter with cooking goes back to his teens when his pateras prepared meals for the family at home. Before mastering speed, control, and precision in the kitchen, Iosif was training for a profession at a whole different altitude. As a kid, he wanted to become a fighter jet pilot, but had to give up the dream when the army disqualified him for shortsightedness. Nevertheless, this didn’t discourage Iosif, who found a way to express himself through his passion for authentic food and devotion to quality. Before opening the mobile restaurant in Kristiansand, he gained experience as a cook for 13 years in restaurants all over Greece, from traditional taverns in Crete to Italian ristoranti in Athens, where he’d start his days kneading pasta dough and making fresh ravioli.
The Food Truck
Given the high costs and financial risks behind opening a brick-and-mortar store, the food truck business model is a solution with less at stake, more likely to guarantee returns in the short term. In the last decade, mobile restaurants have become a popular and flexible way for first-time entrepreneurs to turn their dreams into reality. The modern food truck has evolved from chuck wagons and pushcarts serving roadside chow, to cowboys and blue-collar workers in the 20th century. The concept was revamped in the 2010s when manufacturers started equipping them with fully operational mobile kitchens. Now, the industry is booming worldwide and has become a cultural phenomenon, boosted by social media and food delivery apps. Whether it is touring festivals or being parked in designated areas, food trucks have specialised in a wide variety of gourmet, local, ethnic, and fusion cuisines, making them attractive destinations for families and foodies alike.
“It’s the future of food,” claims Iosif, whose blue truck, decorated with Gyros doodles, features pictures from Crete and “I love Greece” magnets.
Early Days
The Chef’s specialties have been lauded on multiple occasions. The love is spread by customers who praise the food across platforms. With stellar reviews all over the Internet, the Greek Chef on Wheels is one of the best-rated spots in town: from users confessing that “every bite was pure heaven-flavourful” and appreciating the “extra-large servings”, to others gleefully posting about unique experiences and that the staff are “lovely people.” Though even the Chef recognises that it’s hard to please everybody’s palate, he likes to adapt and experiment with food combinations that deliver an authentic culinary experience, to meet his customers’ tastes.
The Menu
So, what kind of delicacies are on the menu? Some of the crowd-pleasers include Pita Gyros, Gyros plate, and Skepasti: a pita sandwich filled with gyros meat, shredded mozzarella, beef tomatoes, all drenched in special pink dressing and, to crown it all, fries. For those not slobbering with drool like Xenomorphs in Alien, the selection extends to pancetta: a pork belly cut slow-cooked in sous vide for hours, to produce a tender and juicy texture. Before being seared on the grill and served on a bed of Greek salad, fries, pita, and homemade tzatziki. Or, for the adventurous type, complemented with an assortment of meats like bifteki burgers and gyros on a platter called “The Greek Feast,” an explosion of mouthwatering flavours to ravish the inner gourmand. The cherry on the cake is the signature spice mix, with Cretan wild oregano picked in grandpa’s village.
Running a business in the recent economic turmoil has posed its challenges. When a restaurant’s tenet is to deliver quality food in generous portions, at an affordable price point, it is challenging to balance the financial side while keeping customers satisfied. Unstable inflation rates have taken a toll on many local businesses that are battling to counter the soaring prices of goods, while staying competitive in the ever-changing culinary landscape. Next to staying true to his ideals while keeping customers happy, the Chef is receptive to change, and strives to recruit staff members who understand the value of providing an authentic culinary experience to customers.
The Future
What’s next for the Greek chef? “I’d like to offer cooking courses for people to explore Greek and Italian recipes,” but the even bigger dream is to open a traditional Greek café in the city centre, where locals can enjoy a curated selection of authentic Cretan products: from hand-made bougatsa and phyllo dough pastries, to local cheeses, like Myzithra. The Chef wants to bring a slice of authentic Greek food culture, and share the pleasure of a traditional culinary experience with locals in Kristiansand.
Kristiansand
“It’s family-friendly and people are polite,” says Iosif about the city. Next to being the place where he opened his mobile restaurant, it’s also where Chef and his wife have recently welcomed a newborn. The family is planning to stay for years to come, also reassured by the many opportunities when compared to life in Greece.
Iosif reveals that, like many other expats living abroad, he has no hopes of returning home, discouraged by the high inflation and a stagnant economy, that forces young generations through cycles alternating unemployment with hectic summer seasons, when people take up multiple jobs to survive. For this reason, he’s sceptical of speculations about Norway joining the EU, given the way the Greek economy suffered the transition that led to the sovereign debt crisis, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.
“As an immigrant, you have to prove your worth and earn respect by working hard,” claims Iosif, who’s been hustling since the day of his arrival and sees work as his personal antidote to the cold and dark winters in Norway. Importantly, the Chef reveals that he couldn’t have made it this far without love, family, and his passion for preparing and enjoying food with others.
The Secret Recipe They Won’t Reveal
“For Greek people, sharing is caring, and food is more enjoyable when you share it with your loved ones,” states one of their posts on Instagram. So, don’t forget to invite some of your peers when you cook the Chef’s student-proof oven roast recipe:
In an oven tray, place chicken legs or breast, your choice. Then, peel and slice potatoes and toss them in the pan. Finally, add a squeeze of fresh lemon, a teaspoon of mustard, oregano, and drench it in olive oil. Shove the whole thing in the oven at 180°C for an hour.
Too long of a process? You can always order it straight from the Greek Chef on Wheels – don’t forget your 10% student discount!
Kalí Orexi!
