Mediterranean Musings at Milya Cafe
Posted Sunday, July 16, 2017Sometimes, it just takes a little chicken shawarma to set the tone for the rest of the day. But if "little" is what you're truly going for, then Milya Cafe isn't the place for you. Everything here is super-sized for your eating pleasure.
Milya is a Mediterranean restaurant located in Blue Ash. It's in a strip mall space formerly occupied by the much-missed Puffin's Bistro, which was run by an Eastern European woman peddling her delicious Pirozhki. Milya had some big shoes to fill, and it does so, to the very brim.
The restaurant features all the Mediterranean classics we Americans are familiar with: gyros, shawarma, falafel, kafta, hummus and flaky fish. You can get these classics as individual wraps, or as combination platters, accompanied by two sides (a choice of Greek salad, fries or seasoned rice).
We stopped by one weekend afternoon for lunch after eyeing their new sign and name change (they were briefly called, "Al Amir"). The interior will be very familiar to former Puffin's Bistro fans: virtually everything is the same, from the tables and chairs to the wall murals still sporting the Puffins name. A slick, rotating LCD screen menu hangs from the ceiling, accompanied by rotating images of select items.
My girlfriend ordered the Gyro Wrap Platter ($8.99) with a side of rice and Greek salad. I chose the Chicken Shawarma wrap ($5.99) with a side of "Greek" crinkle-cut fries topped with feta cheese and a Greek dressing ($3.49).
Within a few minutes, our impressively large, somewhat overwhelming amounts of food were served on trays. Take-out boxes would prove inevitable.
Gyro wrap platter 
Chicken shawarma w/Greek fries The chicken shawarma featured seasoned, grilled chicken cut from a rotating spit wrapped in a toasty pita filled with tomato, onion, lettuce and sharp, yogurty tzatziki sauce. The chicken was intermittently crispy and juicy with a mild spice. My pile of "Greek fries" was enormous; the Greek dressing featured a spice profile very similar to what you'd find in Skyline Chili and was very similar to flavors we've experienced in Greece: there were definite chocolate and cinnamon notes despite its savory profile, pairing surprisingly well with the feta cheese. It was a remarkably addictive combination.
My girlfriend's gyro was chock-full of thinly sliced, tender gyro meat, which is typically a mixture of pork, beef or lamb (though we also enjoyed plenty of chicken gyros in Greece). The meat was assertively spiced and difficult to stop eating, marrying well with the cool, crisp lettuce, tomato and tzatziki. The pleasingly seasoned yellow rice seemed to have been steeped in chicken broth, and the salad was light and refreshing.
Milya Cafe is a worthy successor to Puffin's Bistro, offering great takes on Mediterranean classics, featuring huge portions at affordable prices.
11033 Reed Hartman Hwy, Cincinnati, OH 45242513-793-9299
Rating: 3.0 out of 4
= Outstanding
= Fair
= Poor
The best TACO joint in the city. I go there as a treat to myself every Monday. TEX MEX TACOS are delicious culinary treats that look beautiful and taste great. I'm so impressed with this place that I never explore the other items on the menu. If you don't get your taco fix here, you're losing in life.
posted: Tue., Apr 27th, 2021 @ 2:37 PM
My Wife and myself dined at Ferrari’s on Saturday and the Food and service was great/ I had the Butternut Squash Ravioli with misc nuts and sauce and it was the best meal I’ve had there/ My wife had the Fish and Vegetables and was very happy/ I also got a couple of their pizza and olive loaves of bread/ The bread is always a hit at work.
posted: Mon., Nov 23rd, 2020 @ 1:14 PM
@Rick: Thanks for the suggestion! I'll have to remember to give them a try.
posted: Sat., Nov 21st, 2020 @ 9:06 AM
Try Joe's Pizza located at Airway and Smithville Rd. You might like it...That's one of favorite haunts. I definitely think it beats Cassano's.
posted: Fri., Nov 6th, 2020 @ 4:19 PM
Hands down the best Indian in the area. I have yet to find their yellow Punjabi dish anywhere. It is my favorite, and what keeps me coming back time after time. I think I have been here over 100 times. I love this place.
posted: Thu., May 28th, 2020 @ 12:03 PM
I found a gyro I keep thinking about
https://www.yelp.com/biz/tazikis-mediterranean-cafe-cincinnati
their lamb gyro is about 2-3 bucks higher in cost than a gyro elsewhere - B U T - it is made with whole pieces of lamb meat, not the lamb and beef loaf that all other Gyro joints in Cincinnati seem to do
it is a chain. A minus for me, and I suspect for you as well.
But its good.
really, really good
one caveat: skip the baklava as it is not made in-house
posted: Mon., Dec 9th, 2019 @ 12:43 PM
I'll take your word for it, then.....it is fairly close to work so it'll be an upcoming lunch
I also need to try out this little taco wagon near Quatmans in Norwood
posted: Mon., Sep 9th, 2019 @ 6:21 PM
Hi @TJ - We were pretty impressed with the quality of the items, which I think justifies some of the pricing. I really liked the house-made tortillas and their salsas. Chilero offered some extra little touches that were a pleasant surprise. :)
Just by way of comparison...that same week we'd tried the new Mazunte location downtown...and our experience at Chilero beat them out.
posted: Thu., Aug 29th, 2019 @ 10:18 PM
Great food and fantastic atmosphere
posted: Wed., Aug 28th, 2019 @ 8:29 PM
Seems very pricey for a mostly carryout/counter-service joint
posted: Wed., Aug 28th, 2019 @ 5:51 PM