Gazi

The other lovechild of George Calombaris, Gazi is the newer-more-stylish-less-expensive-simpler-street-food younger sister to the old Press Club (where a main would go for about $50, or, your left arm). I immediately love the decor, which takes you to the streets of Greece, terracotta pots are placed on the ceilings in a lazy wave, and the superstitious "Evil Eye" or μάτι (mati) which features heavily through the deor.

Ares Cocktail

Looks like a Bloody Mary, is heartier version of the Mary; coined "The Bloody George". There was a lot of herbs and spices in this one, and very tangy compared to the Mary. 

Gazi Dips and bread; three for $19.0

These dips were amazing. Creamy and smooth, whilst bursting with flavour. My only complaint is how tiny the serves were, definitely slightly too pricy.

Miso Melitzanosalata: eggplant dip with miso paste

Taramosalata, prawn crackers

Beetroot, oregano, feta

Konos Kalamari

Seared local calamari, pinenuts, greek dressed vegetables, babaganoush ($16.5) was a good introduction into what was to come. The calamari was tender, and not overly chewy, with the pinenuts and babaganoush adding an earthy base to the dish. 

Cheese

Let's face it, the caption of Ethnika Vromika (Hellenic Dirty Food) is what drove me to try the traditional fried cheese dish of Saganaki, kumquat glyko ($14.5). It didn't dissapoint. The thick melted cheese coupled with the sweet kumquat syrup was indulgent.

Wood Fire Spit

Pork belly, white beans, apple skordalia, walnut dressing ($34.0) was a no brainer to order - tender whirls of wrapped pork soaked in a beautiful sweet sauce, surrounded by filling beans to make it a real main. I enjoyed the crispy skin shell immensely. 

Souvlakakia (Small Souvas)

Crab

Deep fried Soft shell, mint, coriander, honey, mayo ($12.0) souvlaki with the signature Jimmy Grants stuffing of shoestring fries. Genius. There was just enough oil soaking through the brown paper wraps to remind us why these are the greatest cures for hangovers. Next time I would choose a souva with more meat though, the deep fried crab didn't have enough meat on it. 

Roasted Beetroot Salad, pearl barley, hommus, red onion ($12.5) was a nice salad dish - I am a big fan of beetroot, although to be honest, it's a bit of an empty taste, if not overly sweet - which may be why I like it so much. There was nothing out of the ordinary about this salad, it wasn't dressed in much, but the flavours were there, especially with the hommus. 

Creme Kataifi

Brulee, rosewater, pistachio, kataifi, honey syrup ($12.5) is the first dessert, in the form of a Greek-style crème brûlée, with the crystallised sugar shard top layer being omitted for a straight silken custard-textured dessert. It was definitely made more interesting with the honey syrup and kataifi noodle net, but I prefer traditional brûlées more. 

Acropolis Now

The Acropolis Now, strawberry mousse, coffee soil, strawberries ($12.5) was a very picturesque dessert, paying homage to the ruins of Athens. However the flavours were not very exciting. The strawberry mousse was considerably firm, and didn't quite melt in your mouth, and while the soil looked like soil, it was too dry and hard to meld well with the mousse. 

Finally the most traditional Greek dessert of all, the famous Loukamathes, salted caramel, peanut praline ($10.5). Probably the best dessert of all three, simply because you can't really go wrong with pastry (carbs) and salted caramel (sugar). It was enjoyable, served piping hot, but became very sweet very quickly. Not a dessert to tackle on your own, unless you are about to see the Diabetes Specialist soon. 

TL;DR A nice jaunt into what Greece has to offer
[Protip: if you want to upstyle, go to Press Club, and down style, Jimmy Grants]

Hellenic Republic

After the rise of Masterchef and increasing fame of George Calombaris, I'm surprised and, not gonna lie, pretty sad it took me so long to try Hellenic Republic - the birthplace of a multitude of restaurants dreamed up by our favourite TV restauranteur/chef.

I highly doubted we would get a seat without a booking, but on an early Tuesday evening the restaurant was nice and quiet, though we did get warned the table would need to be returned by 7pm.

Starting the party was the most greek dish we could find on the menu, Tiganites Patates ($5.4). They were crispy fried with garlic oil and chunky fluffy inside, with just the right amount of sea salt and oregano crumb.

Trying to keep up the pretence of healthy eating, the Salata Brokolini ($12.5) was ordered, which was quite nice, though nothing special you couldn't pull off at home. The broccolini were lightly dressed with olive oil, fried garlic and filleted whit anchovies with almond slices. Simple and enjoyable.

The Hitenia: Hervey Bay scallops, cauliflower puree, garlic skordalia crust ($6.0 each) were quite nice though slightly dry. All the flavours went together well, and the scallops were fresh and not overcooked, but it felt slightly dry.

I am glad there was an option for a smaller portion of the Arni Sto Gourno ($19.2) slow roasted lamb shoulder on the bone, as there was a fair bit of meat present, albeit all delicious. The lamb was tender and marinated perfectly, it fell of the bone like all lamb shoulder should do.

I think the "Kalamari" chargrilled calamari, fennel, lime and dill yoghurt, bulgur wheat ($21.0) was my favourite dish of the night. The calamari wasn't chewy, but velvety smooth in your mouth, and together with the light yoghurt sauce which brought out the fresh seafood flavour, it was a very nice end to the main meal.

I must admit I am not a big fan of most Greek desserts, so the Hilopita Me Vissino Pagota: plum and apple tart, sour cherry icecream ($12.0) was chosen. It was quite a nice shortcrust pastry tart, with a good balance of filling to pastry. The sour cherry icecream was quite punchy, but I would choose a different dessert option next time.

TL;DR Pretty damn good Greek