Hellenic Republic, Lygon St

I’m officially back in Melbourne!! I'm missing home already but I'm excited for this year! Woohoooo!!

Anyway, I was going to write a post on something more recent but I thought that it would be a better idea to clear my ever-accumulating backlog!!

Last year, when my family came down to Melbourne for a short trip, I meticulously planned and booked all the restaurants that I wanted to bring them to. I knew that I wanted to bring my parents to one of George Colambaris’ restaurants but I couldn’t decide which!

When I was in secondary school, my family and I travel to Greece for a family vacation. From what I remember, Greece had an elegant mix between the old and the new. In Athens, there were delicate ancient ruins. Not far away, Mykonos was overflowing with tranquil sceneries. I was constantly in awe and inspired by their rich history and philosophy ideas. The thought of walking where ancient Olympian victors once strode just blew my mind. 

Despite all that, the food didn’t leave a lasting impression on my family (plus, I wasn’t much a foodie then :P). This time, I wanted to show them how beautiful and down-to-earth Greek food can be. So, I chose Hellenic Republic over the other restaurants because I wanted them to experience the essence of Greek cooking. 

[Note: I won't be writing much about each dish as I had them months ago! Though, I hope that the pictures are enough to entice you :P)

I loved the blue accents! It felt like I was being transported back to the streets of Mykonos. 

 Fava

(Truffle scented split pea dip with shallots and capers)

 Tzatziki 

(Cucumber, dill, garlic, olive oil & yoghurt) 

and Warm Pita Bread

Tyri saganaki 

(Kefalograviera cheese with peppered figs)

I was really looking forward to this dish because of it's peculiar and intriguing combination. The cheese was beautifully fried until melted and crisp. And I enjoyed how the figs added sweetness and a hint of pepperiness to the dish!

Htenia 

(Hervey Bay Scallop with skordalia crust)

 Kotopoulo psistaria 

(Hazeldene's free range chicken from the spit)

 Kipriaki salata dimitriakon 

(Cypriot salad of grains, pulses, nuts and yoghurt)

 Spanakopita 

(Spinach and cheese pie)

I was first introduced to spanakopita when I was in Greece and instantly, I loved it. My family loves it. And of course, we ate tonnes of it when we were there. 

This one had a golden brown and crispy pastry but I did wish that it was filled with more of the creamy and salty spinach & cheese filling. 

Smoked pork and leek sausage with house made mustard

Loukoumathes 

(Hellenic Doughnuts with honey, cinnamon and walnuts)

I love how each culture have their own version of deep-fried dough! When I first saw the amount of honey that was served with the doughnuts, I thought that it might end up being too sweet. BUT ha! who am I kidding??! Bring on the honey!!!!

I particularly enjoyed the scallops and of course, the sweet & deep-fried loukomathes! I couldn't ask for a better night. Just me, my family and good food. 

434 Lygon Street,

Brunswick East

VIC 3057

http://hellenicrepublic.com.au/