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Ouzeri Tsinari, Thessaloniki

Paul
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Ouzeri Tsinari, Thessaloniki

THESSALONIKI | The taverna is an integral part of Greek culture, and one of the best ways to become acquainted with Greek cuisine. They’re unfussy spots, with simple décor and extensive menus featuring all the classic Greek dishes. Thessaloniki is full of great tavernas, and one of the best is Ouzeri Tsinari.

Tsinari, located in the upper part of Thessaloniki, has been around since 1865, and provides visitors a window into Ottoman Greece. It was opened as a cafe by a Turkish man named Köse, doubling as a barber shop courtesy of Köse’s friend Ismail who was set up in a corner. The combined cafe, barber, and even dentist was actually quite common during that time.

In the 1920s, with the great population exchange between Greece and Türkiye, the area became predominantly Greek Orthodox, and Tsinari became an Ouzeri. It’s been run by the same family since 1990, who have done a great job preserving the building’s interior and exterior, virtually unchanged since the days when Köse owned it, The original wood-fired oven is still used, and there are plenty of paintings and photos lining the walls, providing a further glimpse into the venue’s history.

As for the food, it’s top quality versions of classic taverna fare. Things like Greek salad, pan fried halloumi, dolmadakia, souvlaki, and charcoal grilled seafood, all grilled to order over charcoal. One dish you must try is the tzigerosarmas. It’s an oven-baked dish of Thracian origin, consisting of lamb’s liver, rice, and herbs, wrapped into a ball with caul/membrane fat. The filling juicy, wonderfully flavoured, balanced and not at all overpowering.

Wash it down with some Greek coffee, and a shot of tsipouro. The latter is a strong alcoholic spirit that’s similar to ouzo, but with more of the flavour of the pomace (grape residue from wine making) retained. You can get it plain, with aniseed, or even barrel-aged.

Ouzeri Tsinari

Alexandras Papadopoulou 72
Thessaloniki 546 33
Greece

Telephone: 2310 284 028
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 1:00pm to 12:00am

Mimis, Thessaloniki

Paul
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0
Mimis, Thessaloniki

THESSALONIKI | When it comes to street food in Greece, you really can’t go past the ubiquitous gyros. There’s a reason why this pita wrap has become a symbol Greek food the world over. It’s delicious, affordable, and easy to eat on the go.

Mimis is a no-nonsense gyros spot in the centre of Thessaloniki that’s been a favourite amongst locals since opening in 1974. Named after the original owner, today Mimis is run by his son, Giorgaros.

You have a choice or pork or chicken as your protein (there’s also a vegetarian option), a selection of fillings and sauces, wrapped in a soft, warm, fluffy pita. Simple, quality ingredients done right. There’s also a house burger created by Giorgaros in response to customer requests, that I didn’t try that’s very popular.

I wanted the pork, but it was sold out for the night, so chicken it was. “The usual please” was my response to the question of fillings, which saw me get chips and tomato. The same response to the question of sauces got me tzatziki, yellow mustard, and sweet chilli.

The result, one of the best, generously packed gyros I’ve had in my life. It also happens to be one of the cheapest melas you’ll enjoy in Thessaloniki, at €4

Mimis

Ag. Dimitriou 126
Thessaloniki 546 35
Greece

Telephone: 2310 200 712
E-mail: n/a
Website: n/a

Open
Mon – Sat: 12:30pm to 1:00am

Bougatsa Bantis, Thessaloniki

Paul
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0
Bougatsa Bantis, Thessaloniki

THESSALONIKI | There are many names and regional variations of Turkish “pie” börek. As a consequence of hundreds of years of Ottoman rule and influence, you’ll find the flaky, layered pastry in the cuisine of many cultures.

In Northern Greece, the version you’ll most commonly encounter is bougatsa. It was introduced into the region in the 1920s by Greek refugees leaving Constantinople. Interestingly, the name can be traced back to the ancient Roman pānis focācius. And yes, that’s also where the name “focaccia” came from.

I grew up calling it kora, which as it turns out is actually the Macedonian word for the individual sheets of pastry. Some friends I grew up with whose families came from the same region called it zelnik, which is the actual Macedonian word for the pie. Whatever you want to call it, it’s one of my favourite things to eat. And, as is becoming the common theme for these Thessaloniki posts, the versions you’ll find here are the closest to what my grandmothers used to make.

One of the best places to eat bougatsa in Thessaloniki is Bougatsa Bantis. It’s a small bakery, owned and run by Philippos Bandis, whose carrying on the business that was started by his father Dimitris in 1969, and run by his dad Dimitris before Philippos took over. Philippos’ bougatsa is based on his grandfather, Philippos’s recipes, refined with experience gained training as a pastry chef and working in kitchens in Thessaloniki and Manchester.

There’s a steady stream of customers at Bougatsa Bandis, with the display at the front constantly being replenished with freshly baked, hand made bougatsa. There’s a variety of sweet and savoury options, with the classics by far the most popular. That’d by spinach, feta cheese, mince, and custard. For me, it had to be one spinach, and one feta cheese.

Each bite of the bougatsa here is heavenly. Thin, flaky, crispy layers, not oily of heavy, and a well proportioned amount of fillings. Feta cheese and spinach is my favourite filling, and while the combo isn’t an option here, you can just do what I did and combine a piece of each in one mouthful. Add a freshly brewed Greek coffee to the mix, and you’re sorted.

Bougatsa Bantis

Panagias Faneromenis 33
Thessaloniki 546 32
Greece

Telephone: 2310 510 355
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Sat: 6:30am to 3:00pm
Sun: 6:30pm to 1:00pm

Mourga, Thessaloniki

Paul
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Mourga, Thessaloniki

THESSALONIKI | Rarely, when I visit a new city, do I have a full meal at a given restaurant more than once. On my first night in Thessaloniki, I enjoyed dinner at Mourga. On my last night in the city, I was back for more.

Chef Ioannis Loukakis opened Mourga in 2017. It’s a small, welcoming venue, not too dissimilar than the city’s typical tavernas, with an open kitchen out the back, and alfresco tables out front. The menu, which changes daily depending on what’s good at the organic markets each day, is based on classic flavours and seasonal produce. There’s no meat on the menu, just fish and vegetables.

Dishes are simple at heart, ones that allow the quality of the produce to shine with flawless execution. On the first night I visited Mourga, I was served by John, who as it turns out, was born in Melbourne to Greek parents, and moved to Thessaloniki with his family when he was a teenager. John explained the details of each dish wonderfully, providing insight into the ingredients and the small producers that supply them.

Everything I ate on both nights was outstanding, but special mention goes to two dishes. The first is the shrimp with two soft boiled eggs, and galotyri cheese, served sizzling in the pan. It’s a perfect expression of how something so simple, in the right hands, with quality ingredients, can be transcendent.

Also be sure to order the steamed mussels with angel hair pasta. The creamy, intensely lemony avgolemono-like broth is sublime. The first mouthful actually brought a tear to my eye, as memories of eating my grandmother’s avgolemono chicken rice soup flooded through my mind. Having never been to Greece before, and experiencing something so close to home in a foreign country, was powerful.

Speaking of broths, the broth and sauce game is strong at Mourga, so make sure you order some of the house-made bread to scoop up every last bit.

To drink, I highly recommend leaving it up to the knowledgeable staff who know exactly what interesting wine from one of the region’s many independent producers, will go with your order.

Mourga

Christopoulou 12
Thessaloniki 546 35
Greece

Telephone: 2310 268 826
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Sat: 2:00pm to 11:00pm
Sun: 2:00pm to 7:00pm

Project 72, Podbara

Paul
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Project 72, Podbara

NOVI SAD | Just around the corner from Novi Sad’s old town, you’ll find a wine bar and restaurant that’s creating dishes unlike anything else you’ll find in the city. It’s Project 72, and their philosophy revolves around putting a creative, contemporary spin on classic Serbian dishes, as well as giving old, forgotten dishes a new lease of life.

Project 72’s chefs work with producers primarily in Serbia’s northern Vojvodina region, sourcing seasonal produce with a root-to-leaf and nose-to-table ethos. The main dining space is a small, welcoming area that makes use of natural materials, artwork, and trinkets. It has a cosy feel about it that matches the warm and friendly service.

Dishes include things like slow cooked veal tongue with horseradish mousse and fermented radish; oak smoked beef tartare with egg yolk gel and shallots; and venison ćevapčići. My favourite dish, and one of the most unique on the menu, is the charcoal-grilled red pepper relish ajvar, reimagined as ice cream. It’s served with crispy carob bread, goats cheese, and a seed cracker.

Wine is the main focus of the drinks menu. You’ll find a wide assortment of styles primarily sourced from independent producers in Serbia and other Balkan/Eastern European countries. Recent years have seen the region’s winemakers reviving long-forgotten native grapes, and Project 72 is a great place to try these wines. Staff are super knowledgeable, and can recommend something interesting and new to go with your dishes.

Project 72

Kosovska 15
Novi Sad 21000
Serbia

Telephone: 012 1657 2720
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Sun: 12:00pm to 11:00pm

Pekara Trpković, Vračar

Paul
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Pekara Trpković, Vračar

Pekara Trpković is a family run bakery that’s been baking some of Belgrade’s best burek since 1908. They have three locations today, all of which are have lines of locals eager for the good stuff every day.

At the original location, in the city’s Slavija neighbourhood, you’ll find an assortment of freshly baked burek, plus other savoury and sweet treats. What sets this place paper, for me, is the wonderful taste and texture, the generous filling to pastry ratio, and the attention to detail. Different fats like lard, and vegetable oils, are used depending on the filling, and each slice is cut into little squares to make it easier to eat when you order if you’re eating in.

The classic minced meat filling is a must-order, as is the white cheese version.

Pekara Trpković

Nemanjina 32
Beograd 11000
Serbia

Telephone: 011 1361 1268
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Mon – Fri: 6:00am to 7:00pm
Sat: 6:00am to 4:00pm

Restoran Čačanin, Rakovica

Paul
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0
Restoran Čačanin, Rakovica

BELGRADE | In Serbia for a couple of days, and I wanted to try some traditional dishes that I’d not eaten before. My friend Boris told me that he knew just the spot. A half hour bus ride to the outskirts of Belgrade, and some confusion until I realised that the place I was looking for was behind the bakery at the address, I found myself at Restoran Čačanin.

Restoran Čačanin is one of those unfancy places that you always find casual catch-ups and multi generation family get togethers happening. It’s been around forever, focusing on traditional Serbian dishes done right, with a focus on regional Čačak-style cooking.

Ingredients are quality, and servings are large. You’ll find all of the classics here. Starters like kajmak, cheese, pickled veg, and smallgoods, an array of salads, and larger plates. Karađorđe, a rolled, breaded, and fried veal cutlet filled with kajmak, is a must try. So to, the hearty mućkalica, a stew of barbecued meat and vegetables.

Peppers in all their forms are wonderful, be it roasted, marinated, or breaded, fried, and stuffed with kajmak. There’s cevapcici, pljeskavica, and an assortment of grilled meats, and sarma of course. Be sure to leave room for dessert. The krempita, a vanilla slice-like chantilly and custard cream cake dessert, is a must try.

Wash it all down with some local house wine. It’s cheap, tasty, and served in a carafe.

Restoran Čačanin

Borska 94
Beograd 11090
Serbia

Telephone: 011 1358 3372
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Sat: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm to 9:00pm

Franš, Savski Venac

Paul
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0
Franš, Savski Venac

BELGRADE | In every city around the world you’ll find restaurants that have been around forever, that everybody knows, that always come to mind when someone asks about they city’s “good restaurants”. Sometimes they’re actually good, and equally as often, they’re not. Belgrade’s Franš, thankfully, falls into the latter category.

Franš was opened in 1982 by restaurateur Nikola Dimitrijević, his father Naum, and brother Dimitrije. They opened the restaurant in an unusual spot, an unused but large space beneath a highway, nestled amongst rail and tram tracks.

Today, Franš is still family-run, and still one of the most atmospheric dining spots in Belgrade. Walk down a set of unassuming stairs and you enter a place that’s a world away from its surroundings. There’s an inside dining space with a retro feel, and a large outdoor dining area, filled with plants and greenery.

The menu is extensive, with an assortment of local dishes, and dishes inspired by global dining trends. At its core though, and the reason you should come here a a visitor, are it’s top quality versions of classic and popular Serbian dishes.

To start, it’s things like assorted cheeses, crumbed and fried sweet red peppers, goose liver pate with toast, butter, and relish. There’s traditional soups Serbian salad, and vegetarian sarma (stuffed cabbage rolls).

Mains include things like top quality meats grilled over charcoal, perfectly crumbed veal and pork escalope, and Serbian classics like pljeskavica, ćevapčići, and mućkalica. Veal head with tripe is a tender, flavoursome delight that you must order.

If you have a sweet tooth, there are about 40 desserts on the menu. Tried and true classics from the restaurant’s history like knedle (plum dumplings), Serbian walnut pie, and chocolate mousse. To drink, it’s an extensive selection of international wines, including many top quality regional drops.

Franš

Bulevar Oslobođenja 18A
Beograd 11115
Serbia

Telephone: 016 5264 1944
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Sat: 9:00am to 12:00am

Iva New Balkan Cuisine, Stari Grad

Paul
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0
Iva New Balkan Cuisine, Stari Grad

 

BELGRADE | Iva New Balkan Cuisine was opened in 2016 by chef Vanja Puskar. His aim? To showcase regional Balkan cuisine and local ingredients in a contemporary way. It’s a favourite among locals in the mood for a different spin on the dishes that they grew up with.

It’s a simple, unpretentious bistro-style space, with friendly service. Staff speak English, and are happy to guide you through the menu and explain the dishes to you. Open from breakfast through dinner, Iva is the kind of place that suits itself well to a large meal shared with friends, of a simple drink and snack on one of the outdoor tables, while watching the world go by.

The menu, which showcases top quality ingredients sourced from the region’s small, independent suppliers, is extensive and exciting. Expect things like a vegetarian take on the meat patty classic, pljeskavica; oozy melted farm cheese with garlic on bread; and a hearty, umami rich ox tail and vegetable pie.

The chicken schnitzel, herbed, crumbed, and fried to perfection, is a must try. It’s served with creamy mashed potato and a wonderful bone marrow aioli. Also recommended is the baked sweetbreads with mlinci (a type of local pasta).

For dessert, try Puškar’s take on the classic plum krofne (donuts). They’re reimagined as gnocchi prepared with plum stone flour, served with prunes, vanilla cream, and ice cream.

To drink, it’s a selection of carefully sourced wines from some of the region’s most exciting independent producers, local craft beer, and spirits.

Iva New Balkan Cuisine

Kneginje Ljubice 11
Beograd 11000
Serbia

Telephone: 011 1328 5007
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Sat: 9:00am to 12:00am
Sun: 9:00am to 11:00pm

Casa Chino, Brunswick

Paul
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0
Casa Chino, Brunswick

MELBOURNE | Chifa is a Peruvian-Cantonese fusion cuisine that began to develop in the late 1800s in Lima, when Peru experienced a large wave of Chinese migration – labourers who helped build modern Peru. I was introduced to it when I visited Peru in 2018, and immediately fell in love with the flavours.

There aren’t a lot of place where you can find Chifa cuisine outside of Peru, but if you’re in Melbourne, you’re in luck. Last month saw the opening of Casa Chino in Brunswick, and I was invited in to take a look.

Casa Chino is from the Talisman Group. They’re the same people that opened Brisbane Chifa spot Casa Chow in 2022, inspired by co-owner Jared Thibault’s late wife Fiorella’s family dishes, and the Chifa meals that he enjoyed on his travels to Peru. Similarly to Casa Chow, the menu at Casa Chino also incorporates Cantonese and Peruvian dishes that aren’t strictly Chifa, as well as other owner Vincent Lombino’s experience in the Latin American kitchens of Miami.

Lomo saltado, the poster child for Chifa cuisine and one of my favourite things to eat, is a must try. Strips of steak are stir fried in a wok with ginger, soy sauce, aji amarillo chilli, oyster sauce, tomato, onion and coriander. It’s a saucy delight full of wok hei, served atop a serve of fries with steamed rice on the side.

Other dishes include things like crab and prawn toast with a creamy rocoto chilli sauce, tobiko, and bonito; charcoal roasted pepper skewers with salsa blanca and furikake; and and assortment of dim sum. Be sure to grab a serve of the arroz chaufa. It’s a pork and prawn fried rice with a wonderful mix of flavours and textures.

To drink, it’s cocktails inspired by the food, a selection of pisco sours, beer by local and Peruvian brewers, and a selection of mostly local and South American wines. My favourite cocktail is the refreshing but bitey Szechuan Pineapple Chilicano. It’s a blend of Barsol Pisco Quebranta, Szechuan pineapple shrub, fresh lime, Strangelove ginger beer, fresh mint, and Szechuan charred pineapple.

Casa Chino

1/212-214 Albion Street
Brunswick
Victoria 3056
Australia

Telephone: 1300 205 253
E-mail: n/a
Website

Open
Wed – Thu: 5:00pm to 9:30pm
Fri – Sat: 12:00pm to 3:00pm, 5:00pm to 10:00pm

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