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Ho Jiak / Ho Liao / Da Bao, Melbourne CBD

Paul
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Ho Jiak / Ho Liao / Da Bao, Melbourne CBD

MELBOURNE | In 2014, Junda Khoo quit his finance job to, with no formal kitchen or hospitality experience, embark on a journey that would lead him to open a small restaurant in Sydney’s Strathfield, focusing on Penang-style street food favourites.

Since then, Junda’s opened three more restaurants in Sydney (the Town Hall location is one of my favourite spots in town for a feed). Now it’s Melbourne’s chance to get in on the action, with not one, but three venues on Rainbow Alley, at the rear of the former Tivoli Arcade. I popped in for What’s On Melbourne to take a look.

At street level you have Da Bao, a primarily take-away window with some stools and seating to the side, offering a selection of $15 rice and noodle dishes. Things like char kway teow, Hainanese chicken rice, and nasi lemak, plus classic Malaysian drinks like bandung and teh tarik.

Go up a level, and you’ll find yourself at Ho Jiak: Junda’s Playground. Similar to Ho Jiak Town Hall, this is where you’ll find elevated, experimental Malaysian food. The fitout is classier too, but still casual. It’s where you’ll find things like Junda’s “laksa bomb” dumplings (as seen on Masterchef), roast bone marrow rendang curry with roti paratha (a long time favourite of mine), and raw kingfish with Assam laksa granita, and pineapple salsa.

On the top floor, inspired by the beer halls of Asia, is Ho Liao. It’s a vibrant, vibey space. Visit for casual dining inspired by Junda’s grandmother’s cooking, with a twist. Favourites include squid with butter, salted duck egg, and curry leaves; and loh bak – crispy bean curd skin rolls of pork jowl, pawns, and five spice with dipping sauces. You can also order any of the $15 lunch options from the Da Bao menu. The char kway teow is a must.

The drinks list is similar across Ho Liao and Ho Jiak, with a selection of Malaysian influenced cocktails and mocktails, local and Asian beers, and an extensive local and European wine list. I’m a big fan of the ‘Laici Breeze’. It’s a blend of lychee liqueur and sparkling white wine, topped with a pomegranate, calamansi, and chardonnay foam.

Ho Jiak / Ho Liao / Da Bao

Rainbow Alley
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia

Telephone: (03) 8637 0889
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Sun – Thu: 11:00am to 10:00pm
Fri – Sat: 11:00am to 11:00pm

98 Lygon Street Bar & Bistro, Brunswick East

Paul
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0
98 Lygon Street Bar & Bistro, Brunswick East

MELBOURNE | Inspired by the classic bistros of France, 98 Lygon Street Bar & Bistro is a new venue by hospitality veterans Ben Clark and Simon Aukett. Located in the space formerly home to Maggie’s, much of the existing fitout has remained intact, while being a bit more casual and stripped back.

The front has been opened up and features comfy couches (yes that’s a nod an even earlier tenant of the space), and extends back, past a long timber bar, to an outdoor courtyard and a private dining room. To the side, a cosy dining space for those looking for a full meal, which you’re also more than welcome to enjoy at the bar.

The kitchen is headed up by former Builders Arms chef Brian MacAlister. He’s created a tight menu filled with bistro classics that are tweaked with the seasons. For snacks its things like beef cheek croquettes, Manchego and chive gougères, and toast with chicken liver parfait and pickles.

Larger dishes include things like barley risotto with confit duck, and steak frites. During the winter, you’ll also find a classic, comforting French onion soup to enjoy. And for dessert, crème brûlée of course.

The drinks list, features a mix of French wines, and wines from local, independent winemakers that nod to French styles. There’s also an assortment of house and classic cocktails, and three beers on tap. The house lager, brewed by Mountain Culture, is a great shout, and if you’re in the mood for a cocktail, try the Night Howler. It’s a tasty mix of Howler Head banana bourbon, Wild Turkey rye, burnt butter, and bitters.

As a local, I’ve popped in several times for a drink and a snack, and think that the team have created a space that’s right for the area. Casual, welcoming, and unpretentious, 98 Lygon does well in capturing the essence of what makes a bistro great, with a Melbourne touch.

98 Lygon Street Bar & Bistro

98 Lygon Street
Brunswick East
Victoria 3057
Australia

Telephone: (03) 7302 0018
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Sun – Wed: 12:00pm to 11:00pm
Thu – Sat: 12:00pm to 12:00am

Avli, Psirri

Paul
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0
Avli, Psirri

ATHENS | If you’re in the mood for affordable, traditional taverna-style Greek dishes, served in a homely, unpretentious space, Avli is the place for you. Located in Psirri, a central Athens neighbourhood known for its vibrant hospitality and entertainment scene, Avli is popular with locals and visitors alike.

Hidden down a narrow passageway, with just a small sign above, means that despite Avli’s location, you’ll only find the restaurant if you know where to look. Even then, you might miss it. The dining space is squeezed into a covered outdoor alleyway between two old workshops. White painted walls, blue doors and windows, chequered tablecloths, and assorted family trinkets all add to the traditional taverna atmosphere.

The family that started Avli originally opened it as a cafe to serve nearby shopkeepers, in a part of town that, until the late 1990s, was predominantly working class neighbourhood with a rough reputation. The blue painted doors you see in the alleyway, were the entrances to a variety of workshops. Takis Stamatelopoulos, who started working at Avli in the 1980s, eventually took over the cafe and gradually expanded the menu, turning Avli into what it is today.

The compact menu features classic taverna dishes cooked using recipes from Takis’ extended family. Things like keftedakia (crisp crusted fried meatballs with a moist interior); pan-fried meats and offal; dolmades, saganaki, and salads.

I ordered Greek salad, saganaki, dolmades, house sausage with mustard, and fried liver. All of the dishes were outstanding, with the latter being particularly nostalgic. Free crusty bread to mop up the salad juice and wonderful sauces, is much appreciated. To drink, a nip of tsipouro and a glass of the house red, matched the meal perfectly.

Do be aware that Avli doesn’t take bookings. If you want to avoid a wait of up to an hour during peak times, I advise arriving for lunch at 1:00pm, when Avli opens.

Avli

Ag. Dimitriou 12
Athina 105 54
Greece

Telephone: 021 0321 7642
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Wed – Mon: 1:00pm to 2:00am

Kalyvas Family Grill, Koukaki

Paul
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Kalyvas Family Grill, Koukaki

ATHENS | Approaching the end of my time in Athens, I’d somehow managed to not yet visit and old school psitopolío (grill house). While exploring Koukaki that day, I noticed Kalyvas Family Grill. It was pumping, full of people from all walks of life enjoying themselves, and food coking out of the kitchen that looked good. I figured that I’d take a chance and have dinner here the next day, and I’m glad I did.

Kalyvas Family Grill House was opened by Ioanna and Joanna Kalyvas is 1993, taking over from a much smaller hole in the wall grill spot they’d been operating around the corner since 1977. Today, Ioanna and Joana’s sons – Thimios, Dimitri, and Kostas, run the show.

The menu is filled with psitopolío classics. An assortment of grilled meats like gyros, souvlaki, kebabs, and meat cooked on the spit. There’s also a selection of grilled veg and sides. It’s not a huge menu, but it’s a very appealing one.

I went classic with my order. Pork kebabs with grilled tomato, pita, and chips; roast lemon potatoes with tzatziki; grilled green peppers filled with semi-melted feta and diced fresh tomato; and beef liver. All quality, delicious versions of the dishes that I was craving, and exactly the unexpected find that I was looking for.

Kalyvas Family Grill

Cnr Dimitrakopoulou 91-93, G Olymbiou 10
Athina 117 41
Greece

Telephone: 021 0923 1257
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 12:00pm to 2:00am

ΦΙΤΑ (Fita), Neos Kosmos

Paul
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ΦΙΤΑ (Fita), Neos Kosmos

ATHENS | A contender for some of the most creative and innovative Greek food in Athens, is ΦΙΤΑ (“Fita”). Fotis Foteinoglou and Theodoros Kassavetis opened Fita (or Phita as you might see it written) in 2019, and it remains at the front of mind for Athenians looking for a fresh take on things.

Head chef Dimitris Dimitriadis took over the kitchen in early 2024, and has stayed true to Fita’s ethos, while helping to take things to the next level. Dimitrios, who’s parents were farmers, focuses on market-fresh seasonal produce sourced from small, independent, Greek producers. The menu leans heavily on seafood, vegetables, and legumes, and promotes lesser known, sustainable fish.

When I visited, there were a handful of Japanese flourishes dotted throughout the menu, making me even more exited to eat here. Think technique, rather than ingredients. Greek produce and flavours, seen though a different lens.

Sourdough ladenia (Greek focaccia) with wild garlic and the most memorable P.G.I Olympia organic extra virgin olive oil takes garlic bread to the next level. Big chunks of beetroot atop a bed of almond cream, with soft cherries, pickled beetroot, radish, and black sesame oil, is an exciting seasonal plate.

Also outstanding, the beetroot ‘nigiri’, which sees beetroot infused rice topped with smoked eel, seasonal greens, and bacon vinaigrette. Continuing the seafood theme, delightful ceviche-like marinated raw mullet topped with fish roe mousse, served in tomato-pepper-onion juice.

Next, a plate of spaghetti served simply with more of that excellent olive oil and bottarga (salted, cured fish roe), was wonderful. It, along with the other dishes, paired perfectly with a bottle of amphora-aged @sclavoswines Roditis Orange. A great recommendation out of the many interesting, small-scale choices on the wine list.

To finish the night, as the sun set, a reimagined ekmek kadayıfı hit the spot. Sheep milk ice-cream, compote cherries, and peanut cream, topped with crispy kadayıfı.

ΦΙΤΑ (Fita)

Ntourm 1
Athina 117 45
Greece

Telephone: 021 1414 8624
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Fri: 7:00pm to 12:00am
Sat: 2:00pm to 5:00pm, 7:00pm to 12:00am
Sun: 2:00pm to 6:00pm

72H Artisanal Bakery, Syntagma

Paul
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72H Artisanal Bakery, Syntagma

ATHENS | Ergon Agora is one of my favourite spots for a feed and fresh produce in Thessaloniki. There wasn’t a chance I was going to visit Athens and not visit their bakery, 72H Artisanal Bakery.

Part of the wider Ergon House development, which is home to a boutique hotel, grocery store, and cafe, 72H is the place to visit if you want Greek baked classics done right, wonderful 72hr slow fermented sourdough, and the best cinnamon scrolls in Athens. There’s traditional and creative flavour options, made using the best quality local produce.

You’ll also find a rotating selection of sandwiches, along with a variety of excellent hot and cold espresso and filter coffee.

72H Artisanal Bakery

Cnr 27 Mitropoleos & Patroou 9
Athina 105 57
Greece

Telephone: 021 6000 6770
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 7:00am to 10:00pm

Stani, Omonia

Paul
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Stani, Omonia

ATHENS | Founded in 1931 by Nikolaos Karageorgou, Stani, is a must visit if you’re looking for some of the best dairy products in Athens.

Hailing from the village of Athanassios Diakos, famed for its high quality dairy, Nikolaos opened his store in Piraeus (today part of greater Athens), and then the current location in central Athens, in 1949. Stani’s first, and flagship product, is their yoghurt. It’s how I found out about them. There’s cows and sheep milk yoghurt, with a variety of fat and straining levels available.

Trey also make rizogalo (rice pudding), cream puddings, loucoumades (Greek honey donuts), and dairy-based pastries like galaktoboureko.

Grab some yoghurt when your there, to enjoy for breakfast the next day with fruit from the market and local honey. Also be sure to grab some rizogalo, and say yes to the optional cinnamon dusting when asked. You can really appreciate the quality of the milk with each bite.

Stani

Marikas Kotopouli 10
Athina 104 32
Greece

Telephone: 021 0523 3637
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 7:30am to 9:00pm

Line, Petralona

Paul
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0
Line, Petralona

ATHENS | Line is one of the most innovative bars that I’ve had the pleasure of visiting in recent years. It’s well deserving of its accolades, including being ranked number 6 in the recent World’s 50 Best Bars awards.

Owners Vasillis Kyritsis, Nikos Bakoulis, and Dimitris Dafopoulos set out to turn this former art gallery into a bar that would stand out from the rest and redefine craft bartending, and it does.

Much of what you’ll find on the menu is made on site. Seasonal fruits grown by small Greek producers, ferment and are turned into complex, wine-adjacent concoctions they call “why-ins”, while cocktails and seasonal riffs on the classics excite.

“Classic” Apple why-in 2023 is made from pink lady and Fuji apples grown in Katerini, while “Fancy” Pomegranate why-in 2022 features Acco pomegranates from Tithorea, with flavours of smoke, walnut, rose, and tomato. They’re drinks that will confuse, surprise, and wow you.

Cocktails also impress, incorporating local craft spirits, and by-products from the brewing of the house beer. The Bar’s zero-waste philosophy also sees the kitchen and the bar working in tandem to great effect. On that, the food here is also excellent, with creative riffs on classic Greek dishes and bar favourites.

It’s things like Greek-inspired hot dogs, Cretan rice pilaf arancini, and tuna tartare “giouvarlakia”. If you’re there for lunch and it’s on the menu, the mushroom and veg spanakopita, topped with a runny egg, served with whipped feta, and house made chilli crisp oil, is a must try.

Line

Agathodemonos 37
Athina 118 53
Greece

Telephone: 021 1750 7185
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 10:00am to 2:00am

Lefteris o Politis, Omonia

Paul
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0
Lefteris o Politis, Omonia

ATHENS | If you’re a fan of gyros/souvlaki, especially if you’re a purist, Lefteris o Politis is a must visit. The tiny standing room only spot was opened in 1951 by Istanbul-born refugee Stavros Savvoglou, and has been serving up the same excellent pita wraps ever since.

Named for Stavros’ son, Lefteris, the venue is today run by his son, Tasos. Unlike the common gyros or souvlaki, the pita here is served with marinated long meatball-like kebabs, sprinkled with a bit of paprika and, if you choose the spicy option, chilli flakes.

Along with meat, the pita is also filled with tomatoes, onion, and fresh parsley. And that’s it. It’s the old school way, with fries and tzatziki not really becoming common fillings until the 1980s. And you know what? These don’t need anything more.

The meat is juicy and wonderfully charred, and the soft, fluffy pita, pushed against the kebabs while grilling for an infusion of fat and meat sauce, is wonderful.

Lefteris o Politis

Satovriandou 20
Athina 104 32
Greece

Telephone: 021 0522 5676
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Fri: 10:00am to 9:30pm
Sat: 10:00am to 5:30pm

Annie Fine Cooking, Neos Kosmos

Paul
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0
Annie Fine Cooking, Neos Kosmos

ATHENS | I’ve been loving the new wave of Greek restaurants that have opened in Melbourne over the past two years. Many are inspired by the vibrant contemporary dining scene of Athens today, so I was excited to experience that scene first hand.

First stop, Annie Fine Cooking. Owned by experienced restaurateurs, Ioli Vrychea and Panos Stogiannis, Annie Fine Cooking is a charming spot named after Ioli’s mother, that’s about showcasing the best Greek produce, in a contemporary way, with an Athenian heart.

The kitchen is headed up by Konstantina Kasparidou, who has worked in kitchens across Greece’s mainland and islands. Konstantina sees Annie as an extension of her own kitchen, creating inspired dishes on a menu that can change daily based on what’s good at the market that day, and what’s inspiring her.

I was impressed by everything that I ordered. Familiar flavours and textures presented in a new and exciting fashion.

Raw amberjack with the most amazing quality extra virgin olive oil and crunchy samphire, sublime. Orzo with octopus and spinach, amazing. Parpadelle with slow cooked goat and fragosirianai cheese, a comforting warm hug.

Did the meal remind me of the new wave of Greek restaurants in Australia? Somewhat. While amazing, I’d like them to be bolder. A greater use of succulents and native Australian ingredients, while remaining rooted in culture and tradition, I feel, would really elevate things. Perhaps Melbourne isn’t ready for that yet, but when I think of, say, how chef Ross Magnaye is expressing his Filipino heritage in a uniquely personal and Aussie way at Serai, I think we are.

Annie Fine Cooking

Menechmou 4
Athina 117 43
Greece

Telephone: 021 0921 3690
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 6:30pm to 12:00am

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