I was a little confused about the name of this new restaurant/bar on Hardware Lane, Aspro Ble.   I couldn’t help feeling I needed to take an aspro cause I was feeling blergh. A somewhat unfair [...]]]> 389 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Phone 03 9602 4444
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I was a little confused about the name of this new restaurant/bar on Hardware Lane, Aspro Ble.   I couldn’t help feeling I needed to take an aspro cause I was feeling blergh. A somewhat unfair thought, considering the name simply translates as “white blue”, the colours associated with the national flag of Greece.

Open only a short week, Aspro Ble sits on the corner of Lonsdale and Hardware Lane – well enough away from the touts, but close enough to feel the vibe of the somewhat touristy spot and enjoy the jazz trio which croons tunes on a nightly basis.  We started with a Mythos Lager, a very appetising Greek beer, subtly malted with barley aromas. A nice drop.

At present the menu consists of a range of interesting Greek inspired meze (small plates of sharing food), and interesting to note that you won’t find a saganaki in sight.  There is a good range of vegetarian dishes too, so don’t think all there will be on offer is meat.

We started with the chargrilled calamari with chilli and fennel ($9), a perfect plate of smoky tender strips.  The highlight for me was the whole fennel seeds, which provided lovely bursts of aniseed flavour and crunch with each bite.  The salt and chilli were perfectly balanced too. Goes real well with that beer.

We then jumped into the requisite dips ($8), a taramasalata, tzatziki and eggplant.  Served with chargrilled bread and warmed pita, it was satisfying, although perhaps not entirely awe inspiring.  The tzatziki was probably the highlight – very creamy with nicely grated cucumber.

I can never go past a good plate of roasted spuds ($8), and this version didn’t disappoint.  Cooked in olive oil with oregano and lemon, I loved that  you can even see the quarters of lemon from the roasting pan!

This salmon cured in ouzo ($10) was another real highlight, sliced generously and piled high on the plate, the clean flavours just shone through.  Served with a fennelly, herby cream, it was the perfect compliment. I want this again!  Apparently they had cured the whole salmon sides the day before. Yes…this was as fresh as you could get.

Dan tucked heartily into a plate of slow roasted lamb with a garlic yoghurt dressing ($14), which he oohed and ahhed over.  It had been slow cooked to the point of stickiness, and was unctuous, smoky and rich.  A squirt of lemon really helped to cut through the fattiness.

I felt a bit more virtuous choosing the pan seared scallops with an almond crust and pomegranate glaze ($12), which was light and refreshing.  I loved that the almonds had been roasted/cooked to total nuttiness, and the sharp soury sweetness of the glaze just gave the whole dish a nice zing. Loved it.

To finish, we shared a slice of the Turkish Coffee Cake with macerated figs, walnuts and a metaxa reduction, a Greek blend of brandy and wine.  It came with a nice little anglaise too, with good hits of vanilla.  The cake was interesting, in that it was kind of spongy and pudding-like – not crumbly like a cake at all.  Alas, the perfect accompaniment was a good strong Greek coffee.

It was nice to dine alfresco at Aspro Ble. Now that the weather has started to warm up a bit, I look forward to sinking a few more of those Mythos, of course with a couple of plates of meze. Stin Iyiamas!

“Orexi“, meaning “appetite” in Greek is certainly what you’ll need when you venture to this bustling suburban souvlaki bar. Located in Oakleigh, an area just as well known for it’s frappes as the old Greek men sitting around drinking them, this corner shop offers [...]]]> Shop 3, 18 Eaton Street, Oakleigh
Phone 03 9569 1151

“Orexi“, meaning “appetite” in Greek is certainly what you’ll need when you venture to this bustling suburban souvlaki bar. Located in Oakleigh, an area just as well known for it’s frappes as the old Greek men sitting around drinking them, this corner shop offers one of Melbourne’s better souvas.

Brook no argument – you MUST have the lamb souvlaki. Forget the chicken. Forget the Mexican version (what are they thinking?!?). Just keep it simple – that is always the best.

The yeasty yellowy pita bread, toasted yet still pliable, is spread thickly with cool garlicky tzatziki. Actually, give me a plate of pita and tzatziki and I’d probably be a happy girl. Next, crisp iceberg lettuce, slices of tomato and sweet white onions contribute to the vegetable quotient (yes, some of this IS healthy). Then there is the meat – oh my, the joy.

We’re not talking any of that greasy 2-o’clock-in-the-morning-after-a-night-on-the-piss crap. This lamb was tender. It was salted to perfection. It had the taste of the charcoal and smoke infused right through it. Yes! There were no chunks of fatty gristle or overcooked scrapings from the bottom of the souvlaki tray either. It was just delicious, mouthwatering lamb.

I came. I saw. I ate. And my hands smelled of souvlaki for the next few hours, despite the heavy duty hand washing. Proof indeed that this was a damn good souva.

Some people think it weird that I travel far for food. But heck…why not? And when you can experience such beautiful simplicity like a meal at A La Grecque, then the drive there is the least of your worries (the drive back having tried [...]]]> 60 Great Ocean Road, Aireys Inlet
T 03 5289 6922

Some people think it weird that I travel far for food. But heck…why not? And when you can experience such beautiful simplicity like a meal at A La Grecque, then the drive there is the least of your worries (the drive back having tried to restrain oneself from getting blind on their wine list is the only other difficulty!). So I would suggest an overnighter or some strong restraint if you venture down this part of the coast.

Run by Kosta of Kostas of Lorne fame, this easy Greek/Mediterranean restaurant sits on a hillside in Airey’s Inlet that drops steadily down to the ocean below. It misses out on most of the view though – but the sea breeze and welcoming hospitality of the staff sure makes up for it. On the day of our visit, the sun was shining warmly, the breeze was cool, and there was no other option but to sit outside on the grass, the shade of an umbrella keeping most of the UV from us.

First up for me was a hearty slab of grilled Kefalograviera with a pear and fig chutney. The chutney was certainly flavoursome and sweet, but I much prefer this dish with just a strong squeeze of lemon juice and a hunk of complimentary Greek bread (which was damn good!).

For mains I went the lamb keftethes (meatballs), potato fourno (baked and herbed) and yoghurt cucumber salad. As you can see it was a simple dish – but bam, it all tasted bloody marvellous. The lamb was tender and nicely spiced with garlic and parsley and the taste of a charcoal grill, the potatoes roasted as only the Greeks can do, and the yoghurt cucumber salad a nice tart compliment.

Along with this we ordered a roast pumpkin, baby spinach, pine nut salad with a ras el hanout dressing. This was just an absolute winner of a side dish – one which I shall try to replicate at home.

As with most patrons at A La Greque, Kosta will probably swing by your table and have a chat and make you feel welcome. And so he did with us – making the whole experience a lot more personable. Time just seems to slow down when you come to this neck of the woods. So just sit back and enjoy the good things in life.

When a menu offers the following advice “ask for lots of our own made peasant bread and feel free to make a mess”, well, I know I’m in the right place. Baraki Upo Mezethes is a funky little bar/restaurant located in the Greek [...]]]> 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
(cnr Russell & Lonsdale Sts)
+613 9663 1002

When a menu offers the following advice “ask for lots of our own made peasant bread and feel free to make a mess”, well, I know I’m in the right place. Baraki Upo Mezethes is a funky little bar/restaurant located in the Greek precinct of the Melbourne CBD. It offers one a calm respite from busy streets that is not unlike walking into a church (…and don’t scoff at the analogy – a wall of saintly deities will bless you as saunter on by).

Meze (singular) or Mezethes (plural) are similar in theory to tapas; small plates of food designed to share whilst being convivial (drinking and being merry) with your mates and loved ones. So don’t expect big plate meals – there aren’t any! At present there is a $25.00 special – three mezethes and a small jug of retsina, which is a Greek white wine infused with pine resin (hmm…interesting).

The table setting is quirky and welcoming. Individual serviettes adorn each plate, and a table runner of baker’s paper allows one to “make the mess” they were referring to on the menu. Speaking of which, you are presented with a menu on a clipboard, and told to tick the items you want with a big blue pencil. Quirky. I guess it is a good way of ensuring one’s pronunciation of Greek words does not cause undue embarrassment or incorrect ordering

The peasant bread that accompanies all meze is just magnificent. Baked on the premises using a low salt yeast dough, it reminded me of the bread the old Greek lady down the road used to bake for our family; and the old girl was as Greek as they come. I figure their recipe has got to be pretty authentic. Your hunk of bread comes with a dish of peppery olive oil for dipping. Just a warning – even though it may taste amazingly good, remember to keep some room for the meze and whatever sauce they come in for your dipping pleasure later!

So on to the mezethes…

Smoked trout with braised leeks and prunes was a wonderful combination of smoky, savoury and salty flavours paired with the sweetness of plump prunes. I must admit that I didn’t see any braised leeks, perhaps being replaced with braised carrots instead (which were good anyway!). There was also some sort of grain / couscous, which added a nice bit of texture. My only criticism was that the dish was rather heavy on the prunes – a sure fire guarantee to have you running for the can a couple of hours later

The pastourma with beetroot, halva and pistachio dressing was an interesting choice. The pastourma on its own is quite robust; it is a cured beef fillet rubbed with fenugreek and spices. Yet when paired with the sweet halva, tart beetroot or pistachio pesto – it transforms into an earthy savoury beefy taste sensation. I don’t think I’ve had anything quite like it before. Very scrumptious.

Unfortunately I didn’t take photos of the other dishes – I guess my stomach got the better of me. So you’ll just have to follow the words here…

Okra in tomato with skordalia was just that – a small plate of skordalia, which is a garlic and olive oil potato mash, topped with about six ladies fingers poached in a sweet tomato sauce. A generous glug of olive oil to garnish added something to dip your peasant bread into afterwards.

The baked kataifi prawns with tomato and clotted cream were just magnificent. Kataifi is a shredded wheat phyllo pastry, which is mostly associated with dessert type dishes. In this case, shelled king prawns were wrapped and baked in crispy kataifi, their little tails poking up offering a convenient handle on which to take hold. A clotted cream infused concasse of cooked tomato and onion was spooned on top – the cream making the dish taste eerily like a dessert (in an extremely pleasant way of course).

The pork and beef wrapped in silverbeet was the homely homage to a dolmades meatball. Spiced mince was hand-moulded into little rounds, wrapped in silverbeet leaves and cooked in a rich tomato sauce. This dish offered another excuse to ask for more peasant bread – the sauce was reduced to the consistency of a stew – testament to a nice long slow cook.

My favourite dish (and the last to come out) was the Cypriot haloumi with red apple sorbet. A mound of superbly sweet red apple (or to be more precise, a chilled red apple mush with little bits of skin and everything!) was adorned with three thick slices of grilled salty haloumi. The trick to consuming this dish is to eat it quickly before the haloumi cools and becomes teeth squeaky. Either way, the superb marriage of salty and sweet is pure bliss.

Service at BUM (haha..just realised that acronym!) can be kind of scratchy and breezy around the lunch rush, so if you are after a quick feed, go elsewhere. BUM is about kicking back and sharing food, wine and conversation. So just relax, make a mess on the table and bloody well enjoy it.