The

Greek
issue

Food
94
ISLANDS IN THE SUN
Escape on a Grecian odyssey with classic
taverna dishes designed for sharing. Opa!
Chickpea fritters with herb and garlic
yoghurt ........................................................... 96
Prawns with risoni, oregano and fennel .....97
Grilled calamari salad with yoghurt and
ouzo dressing ............................................... 99
Lemon rice with vongole and dill oil ......... 100
Leek, zucchini and feta pie ........................... 101
Cod cakes with caper skordalia ................. 102
Flounder with avgolemono sauce ............. 103
104
HELLENIC HEROES
Melbourne’s Kafeneion built its menu on
dishes passed through their families. For
the first time, find them written down.
Baked blue-eyed trevalla with tomato
and onion sauce ........................................ 106
Cheese croquettes ........................................ 108
Yellow split pea dip........................................ 109
Steamed beetroot and leaves ......................110
Con’s mum’s famous meatballs ...................110
Orange fillo cake ..............................................112

114
A FEAST FOR ALL
Kindness is at the heart of these inclusive
recipes by human rights advocate and
passionate cook Kon Karapanagiotidis, in
cookbook A Seat at My Table: Philoxenia.
PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY.

Pan-fried Greek feta with honey, rosemary

and thyme ......................................................115
Black-eyed pea stew.......................................116
Greek pizza three ways..................................117
Watermelon and ouzo salad .........................118
Greek omelette.................................................118
Honey cookies ..................................................119
 FEBRUARY 2024
ON THE COVER Features
Grilled calamari salad with
yoghurt and ouzo dressing, p99
64 CULTURE CLUB
Emily Lloyd-Tait discovers that there’s more
to Greek cheese than just haloumi or feta.
Recipe Helena Moursellas
Photography Ben Dearnley
Styling Olivia Blackmore 68 AFTER THE DELUGE
George Calombaris talks debts paid, lessons learnt
and the faint glow of redemption with Michael Harden.

74
SUBSCRIBE
magshop.com.au/GMT DEAREST MOTHERLAND
Details p90 A few of our favourite Grecophiles write love letters
to the cities, towns and islands that hold their hearts.

Drinks 80 LET’S GO GREEK

Dani Valent explains what makes some of the best
Greek snacks, well... the best.

42
44
DRINKS NEWS New openings and expert tips.
DRINKS PEOPLE Alexi Christidis. 84 CAPTURE THE MOMENT
Leading travel photographers reveal how to turn
holiday snaps into frame-worthy memories.
46 VINES OF PLENTY Samantha Payne on Greek wine.

Travel
49 COCKTAIL HOU R George’s Reviver No. 2
50 GRAPES OF POSSIBILITY Ned Goodwin’s top drops.

124 LAST DAYS OF SUMMER

Sun, seafood and empty streets. This is why Paros

Regulars
and Antiparos are at their best at the season’s end.

11 UPFRONT Editor’s letter and news.

27 FIVE OF A KIND Greek yoghurt.
28 A QUICK WORD Jacqueline McKenzie.
30 THE KITCHEN GARDENER
Zucchini and summer squash.

32 COMMUNITY X KYLIE Shane Jenek.

34 REVIEW Dining out.
53 EVERYDAY Simple, fast everyday meals.

134
62
PHOTOGRAPHY TARYN PECK.

MASTERCLASS Dolmades. A BRAND NEW ANCIENT

122 THE ART OF TRAVEL Living history. Part-time Athenian Anastasia Miari gives us the best
places to eat, drink and sleep in her metropolis.
132
138
DESTINATION Mudgee.
WALKING ON A DREAM
146 STYLE Fashion, home and beauty. The best way to experience Crete’s oregano-scented
154 OBJECTS OF DESIRE Glassware. villages is on foot. Here are the paths worth taking.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 5
 D ED
FIN I
HARD TO

Joanna Hunkin
Editor

Deputy Editor Anna McCooe

Creative Director Jacqui Triggs
Senior Food Editor Dominic Smith

Words
Senior Sub-editor Suzanna Chriss
News Editor Jordan Kretchmer
Editorial Coordinator Charlotte Wishart

Art
Designer Holly Doran
Creative Consultant Hannah Blackmore

Digital
Digital Managing Editor Sarah McInerney
Digital Editor Cordelia Williamson

Contributors
Elliot Baker, Alexandra Carlton, Ned Goodwin, Michael Harden,
Anna Hart, Matty Hirsch, Kylie Kwong, Emily Lloyd-Tait, Anastasia Miari,
Samantha Payne, Simon Rickard, Katie Spain, Libby Travers,
Dani Valent, Max Veenhuyzen, Hannah-Rose Yee.

@gourmettraveller

askgourmet@aremedia.com.au

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6 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
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8 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Editor’s letter

M
y best friend Olivia is building
a house in Greece, on the small
island of Poros (not to be confused
with the much larger island of Paros,
which we visit on page 124). Neither she nor her
husband are Greek but, like so many before
them, they fell in love with the spot while
holidaying there and sailing the Med. Later,
they invited their friends to discover the tiny
island when they married there in 2018. And
when they spied an old shop for sale two years
ago, they bought it and embarked on converting
it into a beautiful waterfront home, where their
friends and family will be warmly welcomed
to create more happy Greek memories for
years to come.
They are certainly not the first couple to
fall for the salty charms of Greece. Throughout
Editor’s letter
this issue, we meet all manner of Greeks and
Grecophiles, as they share the people, places,
flavours and memories they hold most dear.
If you’ve never experienced Greece first-
hand, we hope this issue will give you a taste
of just what makes it so alluring. And for those
who know it well, we trust it will spark your
own happy recollections.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
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Details p90

R ME
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WHAT GT LOVES THIS MONTH

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PHOTOGRAPHY TARYN PECK & KRISTINA SOLJO (PORTRAIT).

You shouldn’t judge a book by its Made in Portugal, this oversized

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these olive oils by their vibrant and in Banana – is the ultimate
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kitchenaid.com.au tsarine.com

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 11
 Dishes and destinations
The Gourmet Traveller team share where
they’ve been and what they’re eating.

Caravin, Sydney
Salty, snacky good times are dished out in droves
at this vibey streetside wine bar. Add in Potts
Point people-watching, excellent bubbles and
don’t-want-to-leave service, and it’s easy to
enjoy its charm and simplicity.
Jordan Kretchmer, news editor

Kōst, Gold Coast

Ceviche is a signature at Broadbeach’s
slick new diner and it gets a serious citrus
kick joined by medallions of thin radish
and black sesame. As all the elements
come together, it’s a case of right time,
right place and some ideal summer eating.
Mornington Peninsula, Vic Charlotte Wishart, editorial coordinator
A thrill-seeking drive from Mornington
to Flinders via Arthurs Seat put the new
Porsche Cayenne to the test while
showcasing some of Victoria’s best
views. Lunch by Scott Pickett’s team
from Audrey’s was the cherry on top.
Joanna Hunkin, editor

Wa Gyuto, Sydney Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp, NSW

Always order the nasu dengaku. The miso
eggplant dish is my yardstick for distinguishing
alright Japanese spots from the must-revisit
gems. And this smoky, nutty-sweet nasu
showered in shallots and sesame at Clovelly’s
ever-bustling Wa Gyuto delivered.
Cordelia Williamson, digital editor
Within the Wollemi National Park,
this stunning spot is perfect for cooling
off in summer. Hire a kayak and paddle
along the Cudgegong river and
you might be lucky enough to spot
a long-necked turtle or platypus.
Holly Doran, designer

12 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Adventure calls.
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 FEBRUARY

Edited by JORDAN KRETCHMER

LVN Restaurant,
Adelaide

p 19

BEGIN AGAIN
Restaurant openings for your radar, 2024
PHOTOGRAPHY DUY DASH.

food festivals, Lunar New Year dining

and a new beach club destination.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 17
 T H E L AT E ST F R O M C H E F S A N D R E STAU R A N TS A R O U N D AU ST R A L I A

R E S TA U R A N T N E W S

frites on the menu; while more gussied-

Clockwise from above: mini
Martinis and steak frites with
béarnaise at Chez Blue; Valrhona
chocolate cake with vanilla
crème anglaise at The Dry Dock.
SYDNEY
Balmain is proud to welcome back
The Dry Dock, following a full-scale
renovation, making a solid argument for
the waterside suburb to reclaim its
Sydney pub capital title. Formally known
as The Dry Dock Public House & Dining
Room, the 330-capacity venue hits
a variety of moods. These start with
the classic (dog-friendly) public bar
and extending to the lounge bar with
wood-burning fireplace and, of course,
the dining room. Here, Euro fare and
a devoted oyster bar reimagine pub
schtick for the 2024 diner. From
a Josper charcoal grill and wood-fired
oven, order a Barnsley lamb chop with
salsa verde; or rare-breed crumbed pork
cutlet with charred lemon and beurre
noisette. Classic pub standards also get
a run with a cheeseburger and steak
up starters – including duck liver parfait,
salted cod croquettes, and steak tartare
– will have afternoon beer garden
snacks covered. Local and craft
breweries dominate the beer taps while
sommelier Christiane Poulos (formerly of
Rockpool and Bennelong) devised the
wine list to go further afield, showcasing
international and local drops alike.
Nearby in Rozelle, Chez Blue brings
French finesse and an ex-Bistro Moncur
chef to the table. The 90-seat bistro and
cocktail bar comes from Solotel (Aria,
Chiswick and North Bondi Fish) with
head chef Mark Williamson taking cues
from Parisian brasseries. Expect a
mash-up of tuna tartare and tuna
Niçoise, served with a potato galette,
egg and green beans; croque monsieur
with a rich Comté sauce; a chicken
roulade made with tender thigh meat
and a mushroom duxelle; and a hefty
rib-eye served with béarnaise sauce.
Chic desserts are served from a
tableside trolley including a Paris-Brest
and opera cake; while a French-led wine
list is joined by a cocktail list that
PHOTOGRAPHY STEVEN WOODBURN (CHEZ BLUE).
includes a croissant-washed gin Martini.
In the CBD, Merivale is finally
christening its new Bridge Street digs
with the opening of Good Luck
Restaurant Lounge. The below-street-
level restaurant is spearheaded by chef
Mike Eggert (Totti’s), taking the concept
he refined over three years alongside
Justin Hemmes and developing it
further. “Think Totti’s but then add soy,
dashi, vinegar with fresh herbs, citrus
and chilli,” says Eggert. Italian and

18 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

Japanese techniques merge to create
a menu that promises fun over formality.
There are two wine rooms, private and
semi-private dining rooms, a bar and
three large fish tanks with live seafood,
totally revitalising the space that Fratelli
Fresh once occupied.
Up the road in Wynyard, Soul Dining
has relocated from Surry Hills. The
modern Korean diner may have
a new location but its signature bites
remain, including tuna carpaccio with
a gochujang-tomato sauce, caperberries,
crisp Jerusalem artichoke chips and dots
of wasabi aïoli; moreish squares of rice
wine-fermented rice bread; and kingfish
in a white kimchi water.
MELBOURNE
Melbourne chef Mischa Tropp has
taken over the former Mono XO space,
opening Toddy Shop by Marthanden
PHOTOGRAPHY HAYDEN DIBB (TODDY SHOP) & DUY DASH (LVN RESTAURANT).
Hotel. The compact but flavourful
eatery hones in on crisp South Indian
dosas and flaky porota. A roster of
specials – perhaps a spicy fish nadan
(a Keralan tamarind fish curry) with
Spanish mackerel; or pork pepper roast
(a curry underpinned by black pepper
and punchy green chilli) – bolster the
menu, while golden ghee dosas are
made daily. Alongside the kicking
curries, there are wines and brews
from local South Asian-Australian
producers and an Indian disco
soundtrack to keep things up-tempo.
“This Toddy Shop is a replication of
everything I love about the south of
India, incredible food made by locals
for locals at a great price,” says Tropp.
“This is a venue to make my community
proud, something for people to cross
News
Clockwise from left: the
dining room at The Dry
Dock; duck with blackened
banana, bush tomato and
grape leaf at LVN
Restaurant and inside the
restaurant; and Toddy
Shop by Marthanden
Hotel’s co-owner Michael
Mabuti (left) and chef
Mischa Tropp.
town for because they miss the food
of the motherland.”
In the CBD, Korean food is setting
the city abuzz, with Doju opening on
Collins Street. Mika Chae (whose
surname you may recognise as the
cousin of eponymous restaurant owner
Jung Eun Chae) heads up the operation,
slinging South Korean-meets-modern
Australian snacks with an emphasis on
using top-notch produce. This may mean
charred leeks come with crisp chicken
skin, cashew cream and brown butter; or
West Australian marron is served with
garlic butter, stinging nettle noodles and
green sauce. There’s also odes to some
of Korea’s most loved dishes including
galbi (Korean beef short rib) with
horseradish, shiitake mushroom and
chive kimchi; and market fish hwe
(a sliced raw fish dish) with sunrise lime,
doenjang (fermented soy bean paste),
cucumber and Yarra Valley roe.
ADELAIDE
Woodside’s Bird in Hand winery has
transformed its dining room with
executive chef Jacob Davey taking the
lead. Davey joins the fold at LVN
Restaurant off the back of his head chef
position at Restaurant Botanic, whose
dedication to provenance carries over
here. The farm-to-table menu includes
sheoak and kangaroo from the
surrounding Adelaide Hills, mutton bird
and wallaby from northern Tasmania and
pipis and coastal fruits from the southern
end of Adelaide, joined by ingredients
plucked from the kitchen garden. Bird in
Hand’s rare museum wines will also take
a starring role, while a gallery of local
and international artworks don the walls.
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 19
News

ALER
AL T
FESTIV

TASTING AGENDA
Trains, planes, sailboats and more are just some of the madcap sites set to welcome
events for Tasting Australia in 2024. A jam-packed program of 150 events will descend
upon the festival state of South Australia across 10 days in May.

Clockwise from
above: wine time at
Tasting Australia; chef
Jake Kellie; and
char-grilled feasts
from 2023.
Homegrown talent heroes much of Australia’s
longest-running food festival, with chefs including
Mark Best, Matt Moran, Thi Le and Justin James
all cooking. Newly appointed food curator Kane
Pollard is behind the diverse program, which places
South Australian produce front and centre across
pop-up restaurants, cooking classes and one-off
dining opportunities.
While Town Square in Adelaide’s CBD will
be the festival’s epicentre, events will span
the state. Food lovers can hop aboard The Ghan
for Tasting Australia by Train, a journey from
Melbourne to Adelaide punctuated by chef-led
dining experiences along the 10-hour trip. Local
legend Cheong Liew, Asma Khan (Indian-born
British restaurateur and owner of London’s
Darjeeling Express restaurant) and Jae Bang
(of Melbourne’s Nordic restaurant Freyja) will
(Agnes) will fly in from Brisbane to join former
colleague and head chef of Adelaide’s Kiin, Ben
Bertei, for a sail boat venture to Kangaroo Island
for a collaborative dinner.
Back in the CBD, Victoria Square’s transformation
into Town Square is shored up by a series of intimate
themed dinners. Among them is a steakhouse-
inspired evening with Matt Moran, Jake Kellie and
Isobel Whelan-Little; and a kaiseki-like sushi hub by
Muni’s Mug Chen and Chia Wu, alnd Hansol Lee
(Matsu). Other highlights include Thi Le (Ca Com),
Benjamin Cooper (Chin Chin), Trinh Richards (The
Little Rickshaw) and Terry Intarakhamhaeng (Soi 38)
sharing the kitchen to explore the power of sweet,
salty, sour and heat of Southeast Asian cooking;
there’s fire-driven exploration led by Mitch Orr (Kiln);
plus Justin James (Restaurant Botanic) will be joined
by Canberra-born James Henry, who opened Le
PHOTOGRAPHY DUY HUYNH & SAM PEARCE.

take over the dining and bar carriages for
this intrepid experience. Still in transit, Tasting
Australia Airlines returns with charter flights
offering regional itineraries and mile-high meals.
Explore some of South Australia’s most loved
regions including the Limestone Coast, the Eyre
Peninsula and Naracoorte, all accompanied by
leading chefs including Mark Best, Darren
Robertson, Jo Barrett and Fabian Lehmann
(Maxwell Wines). Likewise, Ben Williamson
Doyenné near Paris last year.
Switching gears to hands-on cooking, festival
masterclasses include frying chicken with
fine-dining chef Justin James, mastering pastry
with Julia Busuttil Nishimura and sausage making
with Duncan Welgemoed.
The full program of 150 events is out now and
selling fast – so whether you’re a home cook or an
avid diner (or both) this tasty celebration is a bright
spot in the 2024 calendar. tastingaustralia.com.au.

20 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 1
Rydges Melbourne
Reopening last year after an overhaul, this Rydges
is both sleek and welcoming. Located directly across
from Her Majesty’s Theatre, the hotel is a hot ticket for
those visiting Melbourne for a show. There’s also a chic
H OT N E W M E L B O U R N E STAYS

1
heated rooftop pool and several rooms offering
kitchenettes and spacious lounge rooms. rydges.com

2
The Lyall S. Yarra
Pitched as “the hotel for those who don’t like hotels”,
this latest instalment of The Lyall dishes up South
Yarra sizzle for those who want to belong. The 49-room
boutique hotel, tucked off the main drag of boutiques and
bistros, has all the neighbourhood appeal of an upscale
townhouse but with 24-hour service and a bar and
restaurant on the premises. The hotel reopens this month
THREE OF THE BEST

under the team that brought us Melbourne’s glitzy Royce

Hotel with dreamy, updated interiors by DKO dialling up
the luxury. thelyall.com

3 2
The StandardX, Melbourne
International hotel brand Standard has landed in
Fitzroy as the 125-room hip hotel makes its Australian
debut with the introduction of its new offshoot, The
StandardX. The opening inducts the inner north ’burb to
a list of hospitality hotspots in New York, Miami and
London. From the fireplace-lit lobby to the hotel-guest
exclusive rooftop bar, the mood is suitably cool and
curated. Add in an all-day Thai diner and Mercado

3
Medellin (where tacos and ceviche can be enjoyed with
panoramic views across Fitzroy) and it’s easy to see why
the StandardX is poised to make quite the splash.
standardx.com/melbourne

CAKE MY DAY
Le Yeahllow is the latest pastry shop in Melbourne, garnering
a legion of fans for its whimsical cakes and slices. Starting as an
online cake retailer, the shop came to prominence thanks to each
cake’s quirky qualities. Now on Little Collins, detailed treats range
from a melted-looking mandarin, filled with silky dark chocolate
mousse, flourless mandarin sponge, ginger purée and slow-cooked
marmalade; to a mellow yellow mango chiffon cheesecake with
yoghurt mousse. Pastries are joined by coffee from Sydney-based
PHOTOGRAPHY SHARYN CAIRNS (LYALL).

specialty roasters Toby’s Estate and treats from French

chocolatiers Valrhona. leyeahllow.com.au

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 21
News

ON PLEASED TO MEAT YOU

THE We talk to the group executive chef of the
Butcher Crowd is a new meat delivery
service cutting out the middle man to
PA S S Lotus Dining Group following the opening offer high quality Australian meat and
with STEVE WU of Pearl in Circular Quay, Sydney. seafood direct to home chefs. Grass-fed
and grass-finished beef and lamb,
pasture-raised chicken and pork and
How did you get into cooking? I always enjoyed cooking, even when
wild-caught seafood are sourced from
I was a young man. I’m Taiwanese, and my mother is a really fantastic house
farmers, with customisable boxes
cook. I’m the youngest child, so I used to help my mother in the kitchen
delivered monthly.
a lot. I still remember the first time we made rice cakes together – I had
butchercrowd.com.au
always thought they were quite simple to make but in fact it’s quite an
involved process. That was when my passion really started to grow, and
I loved helping her make traditional Taiwanese dishes in particular.

How did you make the move into cooking professionally? Despite having
helped my mum in the kitchen for so many years, my parents weren’t
initially supportive of me wanting to become a chef. In Taiwan, being
a chef isn't considered a particularly respectable career, and people view
it as something that you only do if you’re not good at your studies. But

WORDS CHARLOTTE WISHART (ON THE PASS). PHOTOGRAPHY ANNIKA KAFCALOUDIS (LORNE THEATRE).
I persevered, and when an opportunity arose to study at Le Cordon Bleu in
Sydney, I jumped at it, and finally had my parents’ support. Being a chef in
Australia is so much different to how it is in Taiwan. Australians understand
the hard work, dedication and creativity that is inherent in a chef’s role, and
I couldn’t imagine doing anything different.

You’ve just opened Pearl in Circular Quay with the Lotus Dining Group.
What can you tell us about the venue? When we started conceptualising
Pearl, we wanted to make sure it would be a venue that was part of the
Lotus Group, but still distinct; a restaurant in its own right. We wanted to SCREEN LEGENDS
make something different, but not too much of a surprise to our guests. Victoria’s Lorne Theatre is hosting
Pearl is a Cantonese restaurant, but we put a lot of focus on local Australian a special pop-up program, led by the
seafood, and let Australian flavours and styles bleed into the menu. So team behind Sydney’s Golden Age
rather than the usual minced frozen imported prawns on thin toast, we’ve Cinema, before the heritage-listed
got beautiful bread with whole Queensland prawns, so that you can really landmark receives a Hollywood
appreciate the beautiful produce. makeover – due for a late 2024 reveal.
And what plans have you got for Pearl and the Lotus Dining Group for The new owners will dip into the
the Lunar New Year? At Pearl, we’re going to be doing the traditional archives to serve up French Riviera
dumplings... but with a little bit of a creative spin. We eat dumplings for and Amalfi Coast vibes with Ciao,
the Lunar New Year because they symbolise wealth and prosperity, but Europa, a series of classics featuring
the meaning can change depending on what you fill the dumplings with. To Catch A Thief, Plein Soleil and
So we’re going to be doing a few different fillings, like something sweet The Talented Mr Ripley.
for those wanting to focus on their family. lornetheatre.ourgoldenage.com.au

pearldining.com.au

22 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 GO YOU GOOD THING
In the face of supermarket price gouging, married couple Sarah Jones and
Kymberlee Stone decided to take matters into their own hands, creating Good
Things Grocer. The pair focus on showcasing small makers from along the east
coast, evolving the beloved Tarragindi Fruit Barn and turning it into a haven for local
and small producers. It’s a green-change for Stone and Jones who moved to
Queensland after losing their home and beloved café Flock after the 2022 Lismore
floods. The new start is somewhat of a family affair, with Stone’s parents’ farm on
the Sunshine Coast supplying produce. Good Things Grocer showcases east coast
makers: there’s Crack Fox Hot Sauce, Byron Bay Crackers, Riser Bread, Jocelyn’s
Provisions, Barambah Dairy, Honest Eggs and Meat at Billy’s stocking shelves
and fridges. goodthingsgrocer.com.au

SUNSHINE STATE OF MIND

Queensland continues its steady
culinary growth with the opening of
Kirra Beach House on the south end
of the Gold Coast. Four years in the
making, it’s the crowning jewel of the
new Kirra Point Precinct, with luxe
accommodation poised for an equally
exciting opening in 2024. It joins the
newly refurbished Kirra Beach Hotel,
a laid-back ground-level eatery that’s
already been warmly adopted by
Gold Coast locals.
Led by venue manager Dave Galvin
– the brains behind local favourites
Kōst and Mozza Mozza – Kirra Beach
House adds a touch of elegance to an
WORDS CHARLOTTE WISHART (KIRRA BEACH HOUSE).
Three bookable 20-seat cabanas act as
semi-private function spaces, flush with
sand-coloured couches and teal
terrazzo tables.
Head chef Drew Wilson has curated
a menu that straddles the line between
casual and caviar; expect seafood-
focused dishes from citrus-infused
kingfish ceviche to a flash-fried fish
burger with ribbons of pickled zucchini.
All dishes are designed to
complement an impressive cocktail
list, and The Bahamas Piña Colada –
a Champagne-infused take on the
tropical classic – is already a local
favourite. Given the Gold Coast’s

otherwise thongs-and-togs-friendly signature sun-dripped climate, Kirra

hospitality strip, while maintaining the Beach House is the place to see out
comfortable GC familiarity native to summer if you like Piña Coladas and
the Sunshine State. “The venue has not getting caught in the rain.
a beach club atmosphere about it, with kirrabeachhouse.com
great music, mesmerising panoramic
views of Kirra, and Mediterranean-style
food using the incredible local produce
we have on our doorstep,” says Galvin.
Inside, the north-facing rooftop has
Clockwise from top left:
clear, uninterrupted views of Kirra’s snacks at Kirra Beach
impressive coastline and crystal waters. House; Dave Galvin.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 23
News

BRIGHT YOUNG STARS

S.Pellegrino’s Young Chef Academy (SPYCA) is back this year,
bringing a fresh opportunity for budding chefs to meet their
culinary heroes and hone their skills in the global competition.
Applications are now open to Australian chefs under the age
of 30 – they must have worked as a sous chef, chef de cuisine,
chef de partie or commis chef full-time for one year before
applying. To enter, budding culinary stars are invited to share
a signature dish. From here, a shortlist of chefs will be selected
to take part in regional finals this year, before the grand finale
takes place in Milan with the best young chefs from across
the globe in late 2025. The Academy will host open days in
Melbourne and Sydney in April this year, so green chefs can
meet and mingle with previous judges and SPYCA alumni,
to hear more about the experience and opportunities that
the competition brings.
Last year, 10 chefs from Australia and New Zealand
competed in the Pacific Regional Finals, preparing their
signature dish for local judges Jacqui Challinor (Nomad),
Josh Niland (Saint Peter) and Peter Gilmore (Quay Restaurant).
South Australia’s Robin Wagner went on to represent the
Pacific region with pride in Milan joined by mentor Peter
Gilmore. Young chefs keen to enter should keep an eye
on the SPYCA website for more details.
sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com

MAHJONG MAGIC
Dan Hong is joining forces with film star
Remy Hii (Crazy Rich Asians) for an
auspicious one-off Lunar New Year
celebration at Sydney’s Est. event space
on February 17. The Johnnie Walker Blue
Label Mahjong Club will usher in the Year
of the Dragon with a snack-fuelled feast
joined by opulent cocktails. Try your
hand at the fast-paced tile game – all led
by a local mahjong master – while Hong
serves up a modern fusion menu. Knock
back crab and scallop potstickers; ginger
and shallot rock lobster bao; a tuna belly
take on prawn toast; hot and numbing
wagyu skewers; and a special take on
Clockwise from above: Robin longevity noodles complete with caviar.
Wagner with his mentor Scott Meanwhile, Jonathan Liu has designed
Huggins at the regional finals
in 2022; his region-winning three cocktails calling upon some of the
dish Smoked Celeriac/Granny Asian continent’s most-loved flavours,
Smith Apple/Crispy Taro. including yuzu, ginger and pandan.
Sik wu! merivale.com/whatson/

24 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Clockwise from
left: Rosheen
Kaul; Garima
Arora; Andrew
McConnell;
Pamela Yung.

MELBOURNE FOOD AND WINE

Australia’s leading food festival returns in 2024 with
an illustrious 10-day program of 300 events across
Melbourne running from Friday March 15. After more than
three decades, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has
established itself as a highlight of the international food
and wine calendar, attracting a stellar line-up of global talent,
alongside homegrown heroes. Dan Hong, Neil Perry, Lauren
Eldridge, Ellie Bouhadana, Joel Bennetts and Michael
Greenlaw are just some of the local stars set to hit Victoria’s
capital, while the Global Dining Series will see the likes of
ex-Noma chef Garima Arora and Italy’s Sarah Cicolini take
over Melbourne venues. Joining them, Michelin-starred chef
Kanji Kobayashi, Hanoi’s Sam Tran, Chicago’s birria king
Jonathan Zaragoza, and London’s Noble Rot founders will
all collaborate on a series of unique events.
PHOTOGRAPHY ANNIKA KAFCALOUDIS (KAUL) & ANTON RODRIGUEZ (YUNG).
across the diverse program of one-off dinners, collaborations
and residencies.
Returning highlights include the annual World’s Longest
Lunch, which will be led by celebrated chef Andrew McConnell
(Gimlet, Cumulus Inc., Supernormal), followed by the World’s
Longest Brunch, which will channel the flavours of India this
year, led by Harry Mangat (Biji Dining), Mischa Tropp (Toddy
Shop) and Helly Raichura (Enter Via Laundry).
Fed Square is the place to be for fast and loose bites,
including The Pizza Sessions, Baker’s Dozen and Celebrity
Sausage – a celebrity-inspired sausage sizzle.
Meanwhile, Dan Hunter (Brae), Daniel Puskas (Sixpenny)
and Daniel Wilson (Yakimono) promise good times aplenty
at Dan’s Diner.
“This festival is going to be huge,” says creative director

“Our Global Dining Series has been supercharged Pat Nourse. “We’ve got more events in more places for more
this year,” says Anthea Loucas Bosha, CEO of Food + people, with more talent from all over.”
Drink Victoria, speaking to a breadth of talent on show melbournefoodandwine.com.au

PA M E L A Y U N G AT E T TA W I T H G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
As part of MFWF’s Global Dining Series, Gourmet Traveller is delighted to
bring together two powerhouse chefs for a special fire-fuelled evening at
Etta – GT’s Victoria Restaurant of the Year. Rosheen Kaul will team up with
Pamela Yung, formerly of Flor in London’s Borough Market and recently
named head of culinary innovation at Bali’s Potato Head Beach Group.
Together, the pair will present a shared four-course tasting menu with
optional wine pairings hand selected by Etta’s Ashley Boburka. GT
readers will be given exclusive early-bird access to ticket sales via our
weekly digital newsletter, ahead of general on sale on February 1.
March 19, $175 per person, with two sittings available at 6pm and 8.30pm.
 Five of a kind

Greek yoghurt
Strained to a thicker consistency,
Greek-style yoghurt’s versatility is
unrivalled. Add a kick of culture to
sweets, dips or a savoury marinade.
WORDS JORDAN KRETCHMER. PHOTOGRAPHY KRISTINA SOLJO. STYLING HOLLY DORAN.

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G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 27
 Interview CHARLOTTE WISHART

D WIT
OR
H
QUI K W

JACQUELINE
C

MC KENZIE
A

The AFI-award-winning actor

talks comfort food, rolling with
the punches, and her love of
cornflakes by the sea.

28 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

Comfort food means something different to
different people. Deep Blue Sea [the movie] was
my first big project away from home, in Rosarito
Beach in Mexico. And we were filming on this
massive vacant lot in Mesa Rosatiro. They hadn’t
built any studios there yet so we were working and
living in a bunch of trailers. The biggest trailer was
converted into a massive mess hall, where an
amazing team of chefs were churning out masses
of the most beautiful food I’d ever seen – ruby red
lobsters on piles of ice, mounds of fresh fruit and
gorgeous vegetables. But all I wanted was a cup of
steamed rice and soy sauce. Comfort food. That
was what my mum used to give me as a snack. It
was cold and wet on set and that was all I wanted
to eat. By the time we had finished shooting, I even
had Samuel L Jackson eating it.
Rolling with the punches is a necessary skill as
an actor. Sometimes it’s gritty stuff, and sometimes
it’s fun stuff. On set at Deep Blue Sea, I remember
Stellan Skarsgard was tied to this gurney and
being winched up by a helicopter after being
attacked by one of our super smart sharks. He was
a big smoker at the time, and scenes like that can
take hours. He couldn’t smoke his cigarette while
tied to the gurney, so I ended up holding it for him
to puff! It was just a fabulous bunch of people on
that set, and a really perfect introduction to the
wider industry.
There’s so much adaptation involved in working
as an actor. One second you’re floating in
a massive tank in bloody cold weather, and the
next you’re in the Yarra Valley traipsing through dry
bush. But it’s never hard to make connections with
the people around you once you’re there. We
filmed The Dry 2: Force of Nature in the Yarra
Valley, and we stayed at this beautiful place called
Oscar’s on the Yarra, run by a family of three
generations. We were filming in Covid and so there
wasn’t much open by the way of restaurants, but
places in the Yarra can be pretty few and far
between anyway. So Christine, one of the owners,
would make the most amazing meals for us,
breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Memories
All I wanted was a cup of
steamed rice and soy sauce.
Comfort food. That was
what my mum used to give
me as a snack. I even had
Samuel L Jackson eating it.
Filming The Dry 2: Force of Nature was a lesson
in environmental extremes. We were often
covered in leeches, we were crusted in dirt, it was
pissing with rain, a flu went around the cast. But
at the end of each day, Christine would have one
of her amazing dinners waiting for us. The best was
her pistachio-crusted salmon. She made it a couple
of times and it was always outstanding. She’d
hand-make the crust then shallow-fry the salmon
and serve it with heaping piles of vegetables from
their own garden. She’d put so much effort and
love into those meals, and sitting down at the table
after a hard day was just like basking by a fire.
The most memorable moments aren’t always the
most ostentatious. You can probably tell that I’ve
had a lot of pretty fantastic foodie experiences
from all over the world. But the most cherished and
dear memory is of a moment I had with my daughter
Roxy on a cruise ship holiday to Fiji. It was just as
Covid was starting and there I was, a full-time
mother after a long stint of work. We were sitting on
Roxy’s bed in our room, and on a cruise ship they
usually have these thick blackout curtains that turn
your room into midnight whenever you feel like it.
So we’d woken up, opened the curtains and were
totally blinded by the view. Massive blue sky and
glittering water. A little fishing boat floated by and
a single bird flew past. I realised why people write
those epic poems and movies and songs about the
sea. And so we sat there, and ate cornflakes with
milk together, and enjoyed the view. "
The Dry 2: Force of Nature is in cinemas
on February 8.
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 29
 HEN GARD
E KITC EN
T H ER

Zucchini and
summer squash
Don’t let familiarity breed contempt when
it comes to these bountiful, fast-growing
vegetables, writes SIMON RICKARD.

Z
ucchini are so fast growing, and so bountiful, that we almost resent
them for it. These plants swamp us with their generosity. Tender
baby zucchini can morph into inedible baseball bats practically
overnight, leaving us wondering how to cope with the glut. Buckets
of oversize zucchini left on neighbours’ doorsteps are not always received
as gratefully as we might hope. Yet the zucchini and its relatives have
a fascinating history, and are versatile in the kitchen.
Zucchini belong to a group of plants collectively termed “summer
squash”. Summer squash are among the oldest of all domesticated plants.
The earliest evidence for them dates from around 10,000 years ago, in the
Mexican state of Oaxaca. Within a few thousand years, summer squash
were being grown almost as far north as the Canadian border. By the
time Europeans arrived in North America, squash were a long established
part of north American Indigenous culture.
The term “summer squash” encompasses several different vegetables,
which are used in different ways in the kitchen. Pattypan or button

30 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

Zucchini should be a
mainstay of any summer
garden. They are great
vegetables for beginners to
practise growing from seed.
squash have round, flat fruits with scalloped
edges, in green, yellow or white, and are eaten
while small and tender. Their skin is very soft,
and the texture is melting. Crookneck and
straightneck squash have glowing pale golden
fruits, with a slightly harder skin which stands
up to more rough handling than delicate button
squash. Vegetable marrows may be white or
striped green, and are picked when a little more
mature, requiring different cooking methods to
tender young zucchini, such as stuffing and
baking. Spaghetti squash has flesh which looks
like any other squash when raw, but when
cooked, it can be teased apart with a fork into
spaghetti-like strands.
The summer squash group has also given
rise to several kinds of what we loosely call
“pumpkins”. Although in our part of the world,
that term is more frequently applied the closely
related “winter squash”, which have very hard
ILLUSTRATIONS ADOBE STOCK IMAGES.
skins and dense, dark orange flesh, allowing them
to keep better over winter.
Acorn and mini delicata pumpkins are
Simon is a summer squash which are used in a similar way to
professional the more familiar winter squash. Seed pumpkins
gardener, are grown specifically for their large, edible seeds,
author and
or pepitas, and for the extraction of pumpkin
baroque
bassoonist. seed oil, of particular importance in central and
@simon_rickard eastern European cuisine. Connecticut field
Grow your own
pumpkins are an ancient Native American
heirloom beloved of Americans at Halloween
and Thanksgiving, since they are ideal for making
pumpkin pie and carving into jack-o-lanterns.
Ornamental gourds are summer squash which
are not edible, but beautiful to look at either
fresh or dried, courtesy of their bizarre shapes
and bright colours.
And so we circle back to the zucchini,
meaning “little squash” in Italian. It’s also known
as the courgette, with the same meaning, in
French. Their fruits can be white, canary yellow,
pale green, dark green or stripy in colour;
cylindrical or spherical in shape, and their large
yellow flowers are edible, too, stuffed and fried.
Zucchini should be a mainstay of any summer
garden. They are great vegetables for beginners to
practise growing from seed. Zucchini seeds are big
and easy to handle, germinate quickly into robust
seedlings, and they grow so rapidly you can
almost see them. They bear their first crop in just
a few weeks. The plants are relatively compact,
unlike their sprawling pumpkin relatives. All they
ask is full sun, warm soil, and plenty of water and
fertiliser. Even if we can’t keep up with their
generosity on a daily basis, they are a great
standby for when there are gaps in other, fancier,
crops. Don’t let familiarity breed contempt for
this wonderful vegetable. !
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 31
 SHANE
JENEK
Kylie Kwong celebrates the
individuals helping to grow
a stronger community. This
month, we meet Shane Jenek,
the face behind drag queen
alter ego Courtney Act.

I had the privilege of

connecting with
contemporary artist
Shane Jenek aka
Courtney Act, during
Sydney WorldPride 2023. Shane is an
exceptional creative talent, yet what I am
most inspired by is Shane’s staunch
advocacy for the queer community.
Shane’s thoughts, words and daily actions
continue to have a profound and positive
impact on the lives of so many young
people. Especially those who are still
navigating their true path. For me, as
someone who was once a young,
confused, anxious teenager grappling with
her own “queerness”, I certainly know and
appreciate how important and comforting
Shane’s voice is in our community.

32 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 T
he eyelash extensions are off. Contour too.
There are no sequins today. And still Shane
Jenek’s message sparkles. “If I could
advocate for anything it would be empathy,
especially for the disempowered,” says the performer
who burst onto the scene as if by glitter bomb in
2003 appearing on Australian Idol as drag queen
Courtney Act. “Empathy is knowing you can’t
change your own lens; it’s saying ‘I don’t understand
your lived experience but I believe what you’re telling
me.’ The world would be better with more of it.”
Jenek has more to say on the subject, but first
some tablesetting: pronoun-wise, Jenek uses he/him
as Shane and she/her when performing as drag alter
ego Courtney Act. Jenek also flirts with they/them.
On the LGBTQI+ spectrum, Jenek identifies as
queer and gender fluid. “I enjoy having the whole
box of colours to play with,” says the Eurovision
singer, walking along Victoria Street in Sydney’s
Darlinghurst, phone held high.
He tilts the screen down to reveal
purple sneakers and socks, which he
says reflects a newfound freedom of
expression out of drag. “For the “If I could advocate
longest time, I was trying to for anything it would
conform to how a man was be empathy,
supposed to dress and it was never
real. I was always essentially in especially for the
drag.” He traces his recent sartorial disempowered.”
liberation to a shift in society’s
conversations around fashion and
gender. Of course, he is too humble to mention
the significant part he has played in moving this
discourse forward.
Courtney Act’s gender expression is evolving too.
WORDS ANNA MCCOOE. PHOTOGRAPHY MARK POKORNY (KWONG).
Looking back at Act’s post-Idol era, Jenek likens his
performance of her to cosplaying as a cis woman.
“Like I was Sophie Monk,” he says. “Now, it feels
reductive to reduce the experience of gender down to
some high heels and makeup.” These days Act might
show up to queer events without wearing breasts.
“And I’m kind of over the idea of taping my genitals
flat too,” says Jenek. “There’s something feminist in
breaking down the expectations of gender,” he adds.
But Jenek’s influence over the culture goes much
further than existing within it. For two decades, he
has used Courtney Act as a bridge between
LGBTQI+ communities and the mainstream,
appearing on shows such as Dancing With The Stars
and, of course, Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Then on MTV’s
Single AF, Jenek used Act’s camera-ready appeal to
inform the audience on issues ranging from
homophobia to consent. “I always saw the sparkles
as a vehicle to educate in a fun way,” says the star.
“Because there’s no real point in delivering a message
if no one’s going to receive it.”
Looking inwards, Jenek reflects that Courtney
Act’s hyper-femininity was sometimes a safe harbour,
helping him to feel less threatened in environments
that were dominated by straight cisgender men. He
explains, “As Shane, I’m at the bottom of the food
chain. And as Courtney, I’m almost at the top.”
Historically, Jenek used his blonde bombshell
persona to speak openly about sensitive issues.
“There was a time when I saw Courtney as more
valuable publicly. So if I had something to say I’d say
it in drag,” Jenek points out he didn’t make the cut
for Australian Idol in 2003 when he auditioned as
himself. “But, increasingly, I’ve been
finding my place out of drag too,
which is nice.”
And while Courtney Act was
a reality television sensation from
the start – an outrageous glamazon
for a genre that thrived on both
outrage and glamour – it was Jenek’s
winning season on Celebrity Big
Brother UK in 2018, where he really
shifted the dial towards empathy.
Appearing mostly as himself, he proved respectful
debate could prevail as he discussed gender, sexuality
and politics with his runner up, conservative MP
Ann Widdecombe (who voted against same sex
marriage). The pair’s discussions went viral.
“It was validating to see people are interested in
fair conversations instead of just outrage,” he
recounts. “After our first chat, [Widdecombe]
thanked me. She said most people would have just
called her a homophobe. She appreciated that
I could hold a rational conversation in the face of
her denial of my human rights.”
As the world becomes more polarised, Jenek
keeps circling back to empathy, saying, “Instead
of arguing about the issues, maybe we need to
learn how to argue and how to understand.”
To which we say… yes, queen. $
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 33
 FEBRUARY

Dining out
This month, we visit a Greek taverna in
Collingwood, a royal Sydney newcomer,
an old pub in the Sunshine Coast, and
an Italian neighbourhood joint in Perth.

King Clarence

p 35

34 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

NEWCOM
E VERDICT
TH
ER
Sydney
Warrang
KI NG CLARENCE
The Bentley Group’s latest outing marks an
exciting foray into uncharted territory,
writes MATTY HIRSCH.
W
hen Brent Savage and
Nick Hildebrandt open
something new, people
rock up. Simple as that. Never mind
if it’s December, the pinnacle of
party season. Or that we’re faced
with an ongoing staff shortage. On
opening night at King Clarence, the
sixth addition to the restaurateurs’
esteemed stable, none of this
seems to matter.
Fresh off a fully booked lunch
service, the 100-seater is somehow still
fizzing with energy at dinnertime. Rock
lobsters, prised live from the tank,
grilled and sauced in gochugaru and
plum vinegar, are making their way
onto every third table. Bottles of
PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS PEARCE.
German riesling, grower Champagne
and grenache from the Rhône are
being uncorked left, right and centre.
Some of the floor team may be more
unseasoned than others, but they’re
clearly committed and, for day one,
hiccups are few and far between.
CK LOO
UI
K
171 Clarence St,
Sydney, NSW
bentleyrestaurant
group.com.au/
kingclarence
CHEFS Khanh Nguyen
and Brent Savage
OPENING HOURS
Lunch and dinner daily
PRICE GUIDE $$$
BOOKINGS
Recommended
Royally fun
You could argue there’s a certain
framework that defines a Bentley
Group restaurant, and much of it is
in place here, from the prime CBD
location to longtime co-conspirator
Pascale Gomes-McNabb’s sleek-lined,
sharp-edged interior design. Let’s call
it “Nordic izakaya chic”. As always, the
wine list – overseen by the sure-footed
Polly Mackeral – is as astute as ever.
And, underpinning all this, there’s the
lustre you’d expect from two operators
who’ve shaped the finer end of
Australian dining for near two decades.
Where King Clarence charts
a different course from its progenitors
is in the kitchen, headed up by Khanh
Nguyen, whose focus is the flavours of
Korea, China and Japan. He’s a gifted
chef, and if career-making innings at
Sunda and Aru in Melbourne proved
anything, it’s that he loves to juxtapose.
Just look at the fish finger bao, his
unapologetic two-bite homage to the
McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish, yellow cheese
From left: the main dining
room; Hiramasa kingfish,
sweet miso, wasabi, finger
lime, furikake.
and all, gussied up with pickled chilli,
mustard greens and a spoonful of
salmon roe. If it sounds gimmicky,
know it tastes like a newfound
guilty pleasure.
This interplay between the East and
West, the elevated and the everyday,
characterises much of the menu. Saucy,
char-grilled chicken liver skewers are
served over Vegemite toast, an
iron-rich combination of abyssal depth
that works far better than it has any
right to. A feistily spiced play on mapo
tofu, meanwhile, swaps minced pork
for a tumble of chopped prawns, baby
corn, smoked marrow and bouncy
nubs of the Korean rice cakes known
as garae-tteok.
Between all these bold,
experimental ideas, there are also
moments of quieter refinement. Malt
vinegar tempers the smoky purr of
tamari and house-made paperbark oil
in a dressing that complements soft
slices of torched bonito to a turn.
Dry-aged duck, always a hit in Savage’s
hands, is a high-water mark once more,
the flavour of the confit leg and roasted
breast fully developed and sharpened
by Davidson’s plum.
Sure, this could all be summed up
as pan-Asian pitched to a moneyed city
crowd. That it manages to be both easy
to like and more interesting than others
in its class, however, is a credit to the
chef-and-somm duo behind it. No one
else could make it look so effortless. "
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 35
 CLASS
HE I
C
T
Collingwood
Naarm
JIM’S GREEK TAVERN
Old-school Greek hospitality is alive and well
after more than four decades, which is a rare feat,
writes MICHAEL HARDEN.
O
ne of the great things about
Greek culture is that rules can
tend to be more indicative
than definitive. This is certainly the case
with the menu at Jim’s Greek Tavern,
the Melbourne restaurant icon where
the Panagopoulos family have been
feeding a massive fanbase the greatest
hits of Hellenic cuisine since 1980.
There are rumours of an actual
written menu but few can legitimately
claim to have seen it. Instead, you
have seasoned, gruffly humorous (or
sometimes just gruff) waiters giving
your table the once over and letting
you know what’s good for you. I’ve
been going for years and have never
been done wrong.
Given the sensory overload of
the dining room, a 200-seat maze of
dressed timber tables, white-washed
walls, statuary, plants, framed photos
and a cacophony of conversation
– much of it from large celebratory
36 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
groups – opting for the $75-a-head
set menu is often the best and easiest
option with decisions eliminated and
bases covered.
Your odyssey starts with bread
and dips, the tzatziki and taramasalata
in particular displaying impressive
finesse and consistency considering
the volume in which they’re served
every night. Also signposting good
times ahead: salty olives and perfectly
vinegary pickled octopus, perhaps
some pickled carrot or perfectly
fried zucchini.
Then comes a rollcall of simply,
skilfully cooked Greek faves. Fried
calamari with ideal levels of chew and
crunch. Cheese saganaki so good it’ll
likely be consumed before it gets
a chance to cool and succumb to
rubberiness. If it does, it’s on you.
There’ll be seafood that will include
fish and garlicky prawns, perhaps some
scallops and then, of course, lamb,
perhaps juicy, charcoal-smoky cutlets
or slow-cooked slices from the giro and
usually rissole-like keftedes too. There
are crunchy refreshing salads and solid,
salty potatoes and, to finish, superb,
syrupy, custardy galaktoboureko and
sticky baklava.
Those who like a little more
control should pay attention to the
glass-fronted display case you pass
on your way to the dining room. There
will be several different fish and usually
some offal – lambs brains or livers –
that will be cooked with the same skill
and efficiently as everything else on
the menu.
PHOTOGRAPHY JARROD BARNES.
It can be easy to take a place like
Jim’s for granted. Don’t. Restaurants
capable of serving food at this volume,
with this degree of deliciousness, for
this many years are rare and valuable.
Add the fact that it’s BYO and you have
a restaurant unicorn, hiding in plain
sight. Respect. $
 Review

CK LO
UI
O
Q

32 Johnston St,
Collingwood, Vic
facebook.com/pages/
jimsgreektavern
OPENING HOURS
Dinner Daily
PRICE GUIDE $$
BOOKINGS
Recommended
VERDICT
Grecian good times
since 1980

Greek trinkets line

the walls. Opposite,
clockwise from top
left: the dining room
at Jim’s Greek
Tavern; its façade;
and mixed meat
platter.
 CK LO
UI

O
K
2/776 Beaufort St,
Mount Lawley, WA
threecoins.com.au
CHEFS Chris Caravella
and Frank Trequattrini
OPENING HOURS
Dinner Mon-Sat
PRICE GUIDE $$
BOOKINGS
Recommended
VERDICT
A modern classic

From left: playing

Scopa with snacks at Moretti Forni deck oven yields
EFRE Threecoins & Sons;
E R S splendid topped pinsa, Rome’s famous
H and pistachio-crusted
H
T

lamb rack with oval-shaped flatbread. (The descriptor

Perth agrodolce jus.
Boorloo flatbread, in this case, feels wrong:
Threecoins’ pinsa stretches upwards
like a topographer’s study aid.)
Meaty goldband snapper in acqua

THREECOINS & SONS pazza is a joy to eat, not least because

the acqua pazza combines fish stock
with individually juiced tomato, celery,
carrot, ginger and lemongrass to
Old-school pleasures plus modern-day kitchen skills winning effect. True, ginger and
equals a neighbourhood Italian restaurant delivering lemongrass don’t usually feature in
crazy water (the English translation
the best of both worlds, writes MAX VEENHUYZEN. of acqua pazza), but the finished dish
is unquestionably crazy delicious.
Golden cricket balls of rice, sugo and
eggplant – a nod to Sicily’s legendary

T
here is a restaurant in
Fremantle called Capri. It turns
70 this year and doesn’t look
like it’ll be closing any time soon. Capri
is properly iconic and is as famous for
its longevity as it is its crowd-pleasing
Italian cooking. (Pasta! Fried seafood!
Free soup and bread with mains!) Freo
is lucky to have it.
Threecoins & Sons, while barely six
months old, is cut from a similar
grilled half-chicken and other favourites
rule. In an era where eaters crave
trends and the newfangled, cooking
well-known dishes can be a dicey
prospect. How do you, after all, improve
on the classics? In the case of
Threecoins’ head chef duo of Frank
Trequattrini and Chris Caravella (fun
fact: Caravella’s family owns Capri) you
don’t. Instead, you use modern-day
kitchen skills to make these classics the
pasta alla Norma – make a compelling
argument that the once-passé arancini
is mounting a comeback. Saucy
house-made pastas including tagliatelle
in a sweetly spiced wagyu ragù are
pure comfort.
Admittedly, Threecoins & Sons isn’t
exactly new. For almost a decade, it
operated as Threecoins, a BYO-friendly
trattoria that faithfully served its
community before its October
makeover. Restaurants like the old
PHOTOGRAPHY SIMONE CITRANI.

old-school gingham tablecloth as Capri.
Its windows are dressed in lace. Its
awning is red and white. Enthusiastic
waitstaff uphold the exuberant
traditions of Italianate hospitality. Their
service style is a joyous throwback to
the Aus-talian restaurants of yesteryear,
as is a menu where gnocchi, arrancini,
finest versions of themselves. It’s an
approach that’s paying real dividends.
Fritto misto is superbly crunchy,
the fried seafood – baby sardines,
whitebait, squid – cloaked in a blend
of fine semola and freshly milled flour
from Northbridge bakery, Miller
& Baker. The kitchen’s shiny new
Threecoins might be a dying breed, but
by rebadging and embracing those
neighbourhood restaurant ideals – big
portions, wine lists with wallet-friendly
mark-ups – Threecoins & Sons is doing
its part in keeping the dream alive.
Mount Lawley (and Perth) is lucky
to have it. "

38 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R

STINA
DE T of sweet roasted carrots and spicy
E
IO
TH
Mapleton
Gubbi Gubbi
MAPLETON
PUBLIC HOUSE
At a 114-year-old country pub on the Sunshine
Coast hinterland, humble vegetables are thrust
in the spotlight, writes ELLIOT BAKER.
I
t’s rare a pub meal leaves you
thinking about carrots, yet Mapleton
Public House defies the norm.
Freshly plucked from Falls Farm just
three kilometres away, the carrots
journey from earth to plate within hours.
They debut on a pretty-as-a-picture
vegetable plate, showcasing raw baby
golfball and purple carrots. Alongside
other Falls Farm produce, like peppery
watermelon radishes and tender yellow
Boldor beetroots, the crudités cut
through the richness of a pumpkin pâté,
which sees the gourd transformed into
an unctuous, swipeable paste.
PHOTOGRAPHY ASHLEY OOSTDYKE.
Later, carrots reappear blanched
with broccolini, alongside a golden
frisbee of crumbed chicken and garlic
butter. As crisp as the chook is, it’s all
about the creamed potato hidden
below and the way it soaks up a terrific
chicken gravy. It takes a pub classic
of chicken schnitzel, and elevates it.
CK LOO
UI
K
2 Flaxton Drive,
Mapleton, Qld
mapleton.pub
CHEF Cameron
Matthews
OPENING HOURS
Lunch Wed-Sun,
Dinner Wed-Sat
PRICE GUIDE $
BOOKINGS
Recommended
VERDICT
Country goodness
Elsewhere on the menu is a brilliant
moules marinieres (French sailor-style
mussels). The black mussels are
doused in a velvety saffron and herb
butter sauce, with grilled sourdough
on hand to soak it all up.
The best way to experience the
pub is with the set menu, which
revolves around the morning’s pick
at Falls Farm. Broad bean leaves and
sugar snap peas, for example, feature
with salty house-cured prosciutto and
a light pea mousse. The dish cuts
through the richness of pork belly and
mixed mushrooms, which are tossed
in a glorious glaze.
Next, another clever rendition of
a pub classic: corned beef. An eye of
round wagyu is braised until it falls
apart, coated with creamy mustard
sauce and surrounded by baby
vegetables. While comforting, it’s
outshone by a complex combination
Review
Clockwise from left: dining
room with a view; the exterior.
’nduja, enhanced with a drizzle of
smoked coconut cream.
In 2022, Falls Farm’s Jessica
Huddart and Ben Johnston bought the
Mapleton Tavern, renaming it Mapleton
Public House. They removed the
pokies, hired a new executive chef,
and gave the interior a small touch-up.
Cameron Matthews, formerly group
executive chef at Spicers Retreats,
leads a young brigade. His dedication
to sustainability shines through in
regular pop-up dinners, and this
ambition extends to the adept front-of-
house team, who strike the perfect
balance of professional and relaxed.
It’s the level of service you’d expect
from a trendy inner-city restaurant,
never mind a pub in the country.
Despite the pub’s new-wave
approach, it hasn’t lost its 114-year-old
charm. The old weatherboard building
features a wrap-around deck with
scenic views over the hinterland.
Inside, it’s full of character with dark
timber, framed photos and an original
fireplace. And at the bar, there’s craft
beers from Sunshine Coast breweries
on-tap, alongside classics. A brilliant
by-the-glass wine list ensures there’s
something attractive for all budgets,
whether that’s a $33 glass of Yangarra
Roux Beaute Roussane or a $10 glass
of Tscharke Shiraz.
In the realm of new-wave pubs
sprouting across the country, Mapleton
Public House stands out in the pack.
While exceptional pub fare is
abundant, few can rival the
experience. Especially when it
comes to the carrots. #
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 39
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 FEBRUARY

THIRST TRAP
Cocktail conversations, a new
era of Greek wine, fresh
releases, and how to make the
signature drink at Yiamas, Perth.

Smoke

p 42

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 41
 DESIRABLE DRAM
Moët Hennessy’s smoky, luxurious, single malt whisky Ardbeg
Anamorphic has landed. It was crafted using a new cask
treatment process of experimental charring. The result is a
“four-dimensional” mouthful; sweet, smoky, herbal and spicy.
You’ll need to go to a bit of effort to find it. The Ardbeg
Anamorphic is available exclusively to Ardbeg Committee
Members ( join online) or, find the limited bottles at the Islay
I grew up in North Rocks in Sydney but distillery in Scotland. $255/bottle, ardbeg.com
I was living in England playing football
when I decided it wasn’t for me and got
a job in a bar. I fell in love with the social E D I T E D BY K AT I E S PA I N

aspect – creating a drink that can

DRINKS NEWS
J a i Ly o n s , b a r m a n a g e r, S m o k e , B a r a n g a r o o H o u s e , S y d n e y

positively influence a stranger’s day.

The key driver behind the drinks menu at

Smoke is produce first. We want to give
guests a familiar flavour but combined in TOP DROPS, NEW OPENINGS,
a way they haven’t experienced before. AND INSIDE TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS
Surprise and delight. Smoke also leads the
way with its low-waste approach.

Creativity is a personal journey. I think the

industry has progressed past just making
tasty cocktails; it’s about creating an
immersive experience. I start from
a memory, then I look at what produce
would work and then I think about the
alcohol. The alcohol element is always a
complementary feature, not the focal point.

The cocktail I am proudest of is the

Chicken Salt Martini. It’s a twist on a Dirty
Martini where the salinity comes from
a chicken salt Sherry. We add rice syrup to
SPOTLIGHT ON

recreate the starch and Four Pillars Olive

Leaf Gin for the backbone. The garnish is
a potato tuile with chicken salt. A Martini is
sophisticated, but the memory of chicken
salt and chips is incredibly accessible.

I’ll never forget the first time I walked into

PS40 and sat at the bar in front of Michael
Chiem. I felt like I had known him for years.
The drinks were the most interesting and
delicious I had tried and were all produce-
focused. To this day it is my favourite bar.
STA R P OW E R
Brad Pitt’s Champagne Fleur de Miraval Exclusively Rosé 3 has
landed. If you miss out on the ultra-limited release online, $699, it can
be found at Sydney’s Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Stokehouse in
Melbourne, and Brisbane’s SK Steak & Oyster, Sushi Room, and
Hellenika. emperorchampagne.com.au

42 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Drinks news

SOCIAL DRINKING
The Kakadu Kitchen x OzHarvest Conscious Drink is
a beverage that delivers all the good, socially
conscious, zero-alcohol feels. NoLo champions Ben
Tyler and Tim Triggs drove the project, which uses
rescued or foraged Australian fruits and botanicals.
The blueberries are sourced from Northern NSW’s Oz
Group Co-Op which diverts the little beauties away
from landfill while supporting First Nations in the
Australian bush food industry. The label was
produced by Kakadu’s emerging Bininj artist Trentin
Rasmussen and proceeds from each bottle enables
OzHarvest to deliver two meals to those in need.
$30/bottle,harvestbites.com.au

A STYLISH SIP
Visitors to Victoria’s Polperro
winery in Mornington Peninsula
can opt for a stylish upgrade
thanks to Australian menswear
designer Christian Kimber, who
has partnered with the estate to
launch a series of luxury
lifestyle experiences this
summer. The customisable
packages include dining and
wine tasting experiences, as
well as gifted garments by
Kimber. polperrowines.com.au.
A RARE FIND
Whisky brand The Dalmore has released the Cask
Curation Series – three aged statement single
malts finished in the rarest of casks. There’s the
PHOTOGRAPHY LAUREN GRAY (JAI LYONS).

26-Year-Old (finished in rare González Byass

2002 vintage, Cask No. 4), the 28-Year-Old
(finished in very rare González Byass 30-Year-Old
Matusalem Sherry Cask), and the 43-Year-Old
(finished in very rare González Byass 30-year-old
Apostoles Sherry Cask). Created at Scotland’s
Dalmore Distillery by master whisky makers
Gregg Glass and Richard Paterson OBE, three of
the 150 sets released globally, are available in
Australia. $58,000, thedalmore.com

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 43
Drinks people

ALEXI CHRISTIDIS
The winemaker behind Chalari Wines channels his Greek heritage when making
his fascinating wines. Among them, a chenin pet-nat, organic vermentino, and
wild white made from Swan Valley chenin blanc resinated with Greek pine sap.

Where in Greece is your family from? Dad, his brothers, and my yiayia and
papou came here in the 1950s as first-generation Australians. They arrived
on a boat with a suitcase and nothing else. They were from a village on the
island of Evia, which runs alongside the mainland.

What were your formative years like? My mum is Australian and her family
has a shearing background so it was very much a blend of both cultures.
I remember Greek Easters, name day and birthday celebrations, watching
Yiayia cook. She made tiropita, pasta and baklava by hand and often made
in the wood-fired oven. Yiayia would painstakingly insert a clove into every
single piece of baklava. Wine was never a huge part but it was always
there, particularly retsina.

How did Chalari Wines come about? I started in 2017 in a small 80-square-
metre shed in the Perth Hills. I studied wine at university; with no family
background in wine. We were given access to two tonnes of Frankland
River Riesling from viticulturist Lee Haselgrove and the resulting wine made
the menu at Wildflower restaurant’s New Year dinner so I thought we were
on to something. From there we moved to Mount Barker for more space.

What does the name mean? Chalari is a Greek word for relaxed. We make
wines that are drinkable and fun. We try to take the “stuffiness” out of wine.

Where is your fruit from? We lease a vineyard and we grow around 30 per
cent of what we make organically. We also have contracts with growers
across Frankland River, Albany, Mount Barker, Manjimup, and Swan Valley.

Tell us about your Pinus Ritsina. It is a take on retsina, a white wine

produced by the addition of natural resin. Dad and my uncles used to drink
it at Greek Easter celebrations but back then it was a cheap $8 bottle. The
wine itself can create a beautiful piney aroma with the amazing complexity
of ginger, rosemary and herbal flavours. It’s great on its own or like a white
vermouth – replace the vermouth with Ritsina for a White Negroni.

How would you define Greek hospitality? Open, warm and definitely loud.
PHOTOGRAPHY JENNY FEAST.

Clockwise from
Don’t wait for your lunch or dinner or it will be gone.
left: 2022 Chalari
Aromatikós;
winemaker Alexi If visiting your neck of the woods, what should we do? The White Star
Christidis and his Hotel in Albany is fantastic, and Maleeya’s Thai Café in Porongurup is
wife and business
partner Hayley
a highlight. Monty’s Leap cellar door and restaurant is great for dining, and
Christidis in the Boston Brewing Co. is terrific for families. Don’t forget the natural beauty of
Chalari vineyards. the Stirling Range, Porongurup and the south coast. chalariwines.com.au

44 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Bringing Greece
Home to Australia
A Culinary Odyssey and
Unique Gift Haven Celebrating
Authentic Hellenic Flavours
The Greek Providore stands as a culinary and gifting haven,
weaving a tapestry of flavours and curated treasures that
transport customers to the sun-drenched hills of Greece.
With an unwavering commitment to authenticity, we not
only offer a collection of exquisite Greek delicacies that
transcend mere sustenance but also presents a selection
of thoughtful gifts. Nurtured by the fertile lands of Greece,
our offerings are a testament to the artistry of Hellenic
cuisine, capturing the essence of a culture renowned for
its timeless culinary legacy.

PANTRY | LIQUOR | COOKBOOKS | GIFTS | RECIPES | WHOLESALE

Discover your taste of Greece at

thegreekprovidore.com.au thegreekprovidore
DELIVERING AUSTRALIA-WIDE

SCAN TO ORDER
 Vines of plenty
Samantha is Consensus update: Greek wines are awful no more.
a sommelier,
writer and wine As SAMANTHA PAYNE writes, the Old-meets-
consultant.
@sl_payne New World wine nation is advancing at pace.

A
s someone who is ensconced
in Australian wine, I rarely get
to “deep dive” into foreign
regions. So, with a fresh
notebook, a bowl of olives (great for the
theme and also for neutralising tannin
on the palate), and an open mind, I tried
more than 30 different styles crafted from
native grape varieties across Greece.
Through this process, I realised that
Greek and Australian wines maybe
aren’t so different after all.
Greek wine has undergone many of
the same teething issues that young wine
regions experience. It’s not too long ago
that Australian wines were also known to
be concerningly big, bold, massively
over-oaked and high in alcohol.
Unsurprisingly, from the country
that layed the foundations for science,
Greek winemakers have been quick to
apply New World wine learnings. And
the results are vibrant, restrained (in
use of oak) and lighter in alcohol.
Many even employ screw-cap closures
for younger wines instead of cork.
Barney Fallows from wine
wholesaler Déjà Vu Wine Co, the
largest importer of premium Greek
wine in Australia, recognises the
similarities between Greek and

PHOTOGRAPHY KRISTINA SOLJO. STYLING HOLLY DORAN.

46 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Australian wine perceptions. “There has
never been a more exciting time to
re-introduce yourself to Greek wine, with
the incredible value of the white wines and
the medium-bodied textural reds perfect
drinking for our climate,” says Fallows who
explains this opportunity is born out of
misconception. “The public perception is
still stuck in the ‘retsina’ wine era, much
like how riesling here in Australia is always
perceived to be too sweet.”
We might categorise Greek wine
as New World even though its most
northern wine-growing region, Epanomi,
has been making wine for more than
1500 years. Meanwhile kouloura, the
ancient technique used in Santorini of
weaving vines into baskets to protect them
from coastal winds, is still used today.
Sam Christie, co-owner of The Apollo
restaurant in Sydney’s Potts Point and
sommelier at Brisbane’s Greca restaurant,
has seen Greek wine’s recent evolution.
“Modern Greek wine has become
incredibly drinkable ... with texture, acid
and length, complexity and freshness that
are interesting and not one-dimensional.”
Christie looks for wines that don’t just
scream for food, so “you can just have
a glass”. The challenge is steering drinkers
into less familiar territory, “so that it’s not
a bridge too far,” he says. “You don’t have
to make a wine like a chardonnay for it
to be interesting.”
Christie’s hot tip? “It’s easy to be drawn
in by the glamour of Santorini – it’s truly
spectacular. I’ve seen the vineyards and
how the wines are made and they’re
worth every cent.” Yiamas!
F IVE TO T RY
2021 Douloufakis Dafnios Vidiano,
Crete, $35
This is made from the vidiano grape,
which harks back to the 12th century.
Texturally, the medium-bodied
viscosity is reminiscent of viognier,
while dried apricot, crisp pear and
white pepper flavours will
complement char-grilled chicken
with oregano and lemon.
differentdrop.com
2020 Argyros Estate Cuvee
Monsignori Assyrtiko, Santorini, $119
The best of the best of assyrtiko
(up there with high-end chablis) with
a lovely lemon-balm fragrance and
medium-weight textural components.
This wine is silky on the palate with
saline notes on the finish.
thewinecollective.com.au
2019 Thymiopoulos Terra Petra,
Rapsani, $72
This blend of xinomavro, krassato
and stavroto proves that 2019
enjoyed near-perfect conditions
for Greek winemaking. Plush and
plump with darker fruit expressions
of blackcurrant, its grippy but
pleasant tannin structure would pair
well with a slow-cooked lamb
shoulder. differentdrop.com
2022 Ktima Gerovassiliou
Malagousia, Epanomi, $49
This grape variety (say it with me,
Mal-o-goo-see-ah) was saved from
extinction by winemaker Vangelis
Gerovassiliou. Savoury almost flinty
notes lead into ginger blossom and
lemon pith. This wine is about texture
rather than fruit expression; perfect
for semillon lovers. jimscellar.com.au
2021 Gaia Agiorgitiko, Nemea, $41
Bright and vibrant on the palate,
with pretty blue fruits leading the
way into grainier tannins. It is an
impeccable red to enjoy chilled as
we enjoy the last moments of
warmth in late summer.
wineexperience.com.au
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 47
ON SALE NOW
 Cocktail hour

GEOR GE’ S REVIVE R N O. 2

Each month, we explore the
origins behind some of the
world’s signature drinks and
learn how to recreate them.
Cocktail names don’t get much more graphic For weekly cocktail
inspiration, follow
than the Corpse Reviver No. 2, a notorious
us on Instagram
classic from Harry Craddock’s legendary 1930 @gourmettraveller
publication, The Savoy Cocktail Book. The
absinthe-accented, equal-parts blend of gin,
triple sec, Lillet Blanc and lemon juice has long
been a staple for sore heads looking to bounce
back from a big night, but had a renaissance in
2007 thanks to Kiwi barman Jacob Briars.
His tweak, dubbed the Corpse Reviver No.
Blue, famously swaps triple sec for the far more
colourful blue curaçao and also forms the basis
for the George’s Reviver No. 2 – a house
favourite at Perth’s modern Greek taverna of the
moment, Yiamas.
“The overall concept of the opening drinks
list was to sort of wrap a Greek flag around
a book full of classic recipes,” says venue
manager Caitlin Johnson. “I wanted to feature
Greek spirits and liqueurs, and also wanted the
whole thing to feel a little tongue-in-cheek, too.”
Her tongue-staining variation switches out
WORDS MATTY HIRSCH. PHOTOGRAPHY KRISTINA SOLJO. STYLING HOLLY DORAN.

Lillet Blanc for mastiha, a distillate made from

the secreted resin of the mastic tree, native to
the Greek island of Chios. “It has a flavour
somewhere between pine needles and musk
sticks,” she says, “so it feels like aromatised
wine territory to me.”
And as for George? “Coincidentally, the
previous venue to occupy the site was also a
Greek restaurant, called George’s Meze, so this
is our little nod to them.”
M A K E I T YO U R S E L F
For orange-infused sugar syrup, peel the skins off 1kg oranges, and
rub together with 750gm caster sugar in a large bowl. Cover and
leave overnight. Top with 200ml boiling water until sugar is dissolved,
strain the liquid and allow to cool. Chill a coupe glass. In a cocktail
shaker, combine 30ml London Dry gin, 30ml mastiha, 15ml blue
curaçao, 30ml freshly squeezed lemon juice and 15ml orange-infused
sugar syrup. Fill with ice and shake vigorously until well chilled. Double
strain into the coupe and garnish with a dried lemon wheel.

3
Skinos Mastiha Kleos Mastiha Tetteris Mastiha
Scrubby, woody and Female-founded Kleos This agreeably
herbaceous, Caitlin is double-distilled, using light-bodied bottling also
Johnson’s mastiha both raw resin and makes for an ideal
MASTIHAS of choice calls the essential oil to amp digestif: sweet,
TO TRY Mediterranean to up its leafy, floral pine-fragrant and perfect
mind and finishes on aromatic profile. on its own at a frosty
a minty-fresh high. $99 for 700ml temperature.
$60 for 700ml thegreekprovidore. $38 for 500ml
kentstreetcellars.com.au com.au liquory.com.au

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 49

Grapes of possiblity
NED GOODWIN recalls his travels through Greece
in search for wines that celebrate the moment.
Y
ears ago, while living in Japan as
the country’s only Master of Wine,
I was assigned by the Greek
government to venture to Greece’s
major wine growing regions. Their quest was
to have me discover viable wines for Japanese
importers to distribute. Excitement was
building on the cusp of the 2004 Summer
Olympics, to be held in Athens. The Greek
trade commission’s theory was that the
Japanese public, fervent believers in
provenance, would seek communion with the
Olympic fanfare by drinking little but Greek
wine over the course of the Games.
Their theory was a good one. I visited
Attica, the Peloponnese, Macedonia, Crete
and Santorini to discover a wealth of
Indigenous grape varieties rivalled by few
countries but for Portugal and Spain, while
Ned Goodwin is a Master of Wine and wine communicator at Langtons. @nedgoodwinmw
50 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
To p d r o p s
4 WINES
TO TRY
2017 Kir-Yianni Ramnista
Naoussa PDO, $47
Xinomavro from Naoussa,
Macedonia’s equivalent of
a top growth, capable of
superlative reds of structure
and fuller weight, such as this.
Cinnamon, five-spice,
sandalwood and mulled
cherry. A mandala of edgy
tannin and bright, almost
alpine freshness due to
vineyards nigh on 400
metres. Not dissimilar to
quality nebbiolo. Brilliant
with charcuterie.
2019 Kir-Yianni Naoussa
Village, $34
Same producer. More
xinomavro. This time, lower
altitude vineyards and
a shorter stint in oak service,
a friskier, more mid-weighted
expression that is as versatile
at the table as it is easy to
drink in large drafts while
alone on the couch. Sapid
cherry, campfire and
rosewater, rendered with
a deft touch.
2021 Domaine Sigalas
Assyrtiko, Santorini, $75
A mathematics professor
who decided to dabble in
wine. A great decision as he
has become, irrefutably, the
finest producer on Santorini
and arguably, of white wine
exceeded only by Italy. Think assyrtiko, in Greece. Sea spray, cactus
flower, spiced quince and
xinomavro, moschofilero and savvatiano. Back preserved lemon. A saline
then, some of the winemaking was a sort of rush across the mouth.
globalised idiom and a bit forced: extract and Mediterranean white of the
clunky oak, much like Australia in the ’90s. highest order.
PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES (MAIN) & KRISTINA SOLJO (PORTRAIT).
Things are different today. A hark to an 2022 Château Mira Luna
unadulterated antiquity has served to breathe Rosé, Coteaux Varois en
new life into Greece’s bounty of possibilities. Provence, $45
In Macedonia I travelled to high volcanic Okay, this is not Greek. But in
the context of tourism of the
country, living on the edge of xinomavro’s mind, we are on a spin across
spindle of tannin and acid nerve, while in the Med to swoon with Mick
Santorini I combined salubrious digs with Jagger in Saint Remy while
guzzling dry rosé like this.
stunning vistas, turquoise waters and a diet of
fish, instead of the ubiquitous lamb of the
mainland. All with gallons of dry, characterful
assyrtiko. Good wine is a conduit between our
SCAN TO BUY
glass and beautiful moments. And trust me,
when things heat up, few cultures do beautiful
moments better than Greece!
Gal entine’s Day gifts
that will make your 3

bestie smile
2

SCAN TO SHOP

6 1. Finger Lime Gin, $150. 2. The Gift Label Amsterdam –

Stay Fabulous Hand Soap, $29.95. 3. Silk Eye Sleep Mask,
$47.95. 4. Wood Sage & Sea Salt – Luxury Candle from
Country Style, $69.95. 5. Soul Sister Friendship Mug,
$53.90. 6. Luna – The Free Spirit Sunglasses, $159

Unique gifts are easy to find at

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 FEBRUARY

From easy-to-prepare dishes for entertaining to simple

suppers, these everyday recipes keep things fast and fresh.

Photography JOHN PAUL URIZAR Styling LUCY BUSUTTIL

VEGETARIAN GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE
Food preparation KATHY KNUDSEN Recipes DOMINIC SMITH

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 53
Everyday Ceramics from
Batch Ceramics.
All other props
stylist’s own.

Za’atar roasted pumpkin and fig fatteh with

whipped feta
SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 35 MINS

800 gm small Kent pumpkin, cut into thin
wedges
60 ml ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus
extra for drizzling
1½ tbsp za’atar
2 red capsicums, sliced thickly
1 red onion, sliced thickly
2 pita breads, split into two rounds
400 gm can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
⅓ cup each flat-leaf parsley and mint
leaves
4 large figs, torn into large pieces
Julienned preserved lemon, to serve
WHIPPED FETA
200 gm Greek feta
30 ml lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 For whipped feta, blend feta, lemon
juice and garlic in a food processor until
very smooth. With motor running, add oil
in a thin steady stream and process until
emulsified; season to taste and
refrigerate until ready to use.
2 Preheat oven to 220°C fan-forced.
Line two large oven trays with baking
paper. Place pumpkin wedges on one
tray; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with
1 tbsp za’atar; season. Roast until just
tender (30 minutes)
3 Meanwhile, place capsicum and onion
on second tray; drizzle with 1 tbsp oil.
Season to taste; roast until tender
(20 minutes).
4 Lightly brush pita on both sides
with olive oil and char-grill each side
(1-2 minutes); tear into large pieces.
5 Spread whipped feta on a platter and
top with vegetables, chickpeas, pine
nuts, parsley, mint and figs; scatter with
remaining za’atar and preserved lemon.
Serve with charred pita.
ORIGINS
Fatteh is a Levantine dish
that features pieces of
grilled, seasoned flatbread
covered with other
ingredients that vary
according to region.

54 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 PRODUCE TIP
When buying garfish, look for fish that have shiny,
silvery skin, free from any discolouration. The scales
should be intact, not falling off, and the fish should
have clear, bright eyes that are not cloudy.

Barbecue garfish in
lemon and oregano
with pickled red onions
SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 10 MINS
(PLUS STANDING)

8 garfish (100gm each), butterflied,

head and tail intact
2 lemons, halved lengthways, thinly
sliced crossways, plus extra to serve
8 oregano sprigs, for stuffing
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 baby fennel, trimmed, shaved on
a mandolin
1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
2 cups (loosely packed) mixed baby
leaves (we use Petite Bouche
seasonal mix)
Flat-leaf parsley, to serve
QUICK PICKLED RED ONION
1 small red onion, shaved on
a mandolin
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp caster sugar

1 For quick pickled red onion, combine

onion and 1½ tsp sea salt in a sieve,
stand 10 minutes. Squeeze out liquid
and reserve. Combine in a non-reactive
bowl with remaining ingredients, season,
set aside.
2 Meanwhile, preheat a lightly greased
barbecue or char-grill pan to high. Stuff
garfish cavities with lemon slices and
oregano sprigs. Drizzle with oil, season
and cook, turning once, until charred
all over and just cooked through
(3-5 minutes each side).
3 To serve, place fennel, cucumber
and baby leaves in a large bowl with
reserved pickling liquid. Season and
toss to combine. Place garfish on a large
platter and scatter fennel salad, pickled
red onion and flat-leaf parsley. Serve
with extra lemon slices. ➤

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 55
Everyday

KRITHARAKI ME KEFTEDES
Orzo with lamb meatballs and fried oregano
SERVES 2 // PREP TIME 25 MINS // COOK 15 MINS

500 gm minced lamb 1 Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-

2 tbsp lemon infused extra-virgin olive
oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
300 gm can crushed tomatoes
2 slices soft white bread, crust
removed, soaked in 2 tbsp milk for
1 minute
¼ cup (firmly packed) oregano, torn
½ tsp ground cumin
200 gm orzo
4 cups (loosely packed) torn silverbeet
leaves
Fried oregano sprigs and chilli flakes,
to serve
high heat, add onion and garlic and stir
occasionally until tender (5 minutes).
Transfer half the mixture to a bowl and
set aside to cool slightly. Add tomato to
remaining onion mixture and simmer
until reduced slightly (5 minutes).
2 Add lamb, soaked bread, oregano and
cumin to bowl with reserved onion
mixture. Season to taste, mix with your
hands to combine, then roll into 16 balls.
3 Heat remaining oil in a frying pan over
medium-high heat, add meatballs and
turn occasionally until golden and
cooked through (5-10 minutes).
4 Meanwhile, cook orzo in a large
saucepan of boiling salted water over
high heat until al dente (5-10 minutes).
Add silverbeet in the last 5 minutes of
cooking. Drain orzo and silverbeet and
place in a large bowl. Drizzle with extra
lemon infused olive oil and season to
taste; toss to combine.
5 Serve warm with meatballs and sauce,
scatter with fried oregano sprigs and
chilli flakes.
Note Leftovers can be stored in an
airtight container for 3 days.

GLUTEN FRIENDLY
Replace white bread with
gluten-free bread and swap
out orzo for long-grain rice
to make a gluten-free
version of this dish.

Ceramics from
Batch Ceramics.
All other props
stylist’s own.

PAPOUTSAKIA
Stuffed eggplant with shredded roast chicken
and mozzarella
SERVES 2 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 40 MINS
2 eggplants (230gm each), halved
lengthways, scored
150 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for
drizzling
1½ tsp each ground cumin and coriander
Greek-style yoghurt, pomegranate
arils and baby leaf salad, to serve
FILLING
2 cups (400gm) firmly packed
shredded roast chicken (see note)
1 vine-ripened tomato, coarsely
chopped
400 gm white beans, drained
50 gm coarsely grated mozzarella, plus
extra for scattering
1 tbsp each finely chopped oregano,
and flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus
extra to serve
1 Preheat oven to 200˚C fan-forced.
Place eggplant cut-side up on an oven
tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with
oil and scatter with spices and season;
bake until just tender (25 minutes).
2 Meanwhile, for filling, place
ingredients in a large bowl, season and
toss to combine.
3 Remove eggplant from oven and
scoop out flesh and place in bowl with
filling; toss to combine. Top each
ORIGINS
Papoutsakia (stuffed
eggplant) translates as
“little shoes” and
epitomises the big-
flavoured goodness of
Greek home cooking.
eggplant half with filling and scatter with
a little extra mozzarella. Return to oven
and bake until golden and heated
through (10 minutes).
4 To serve, place eggplant on a large
platter and spoon over yoghurt, scatter
with pomegranate arils, extra herbs and
baby leaf salad on the side.
Note Roast chicken is available from
supermarkets. For a vegetarian version,
substitute shredded roast chicken with
canned mixed beans, chickpeas or
lentils. Leftovers can be kept in an
airtight container for 3 days. ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 57
 SKORDOMAKARONADA
Crunchy garlic and
tomato pasta
SERVES 2 // PREP TIME 10 MINS // COOK 30 MINS

60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus

extra to serve
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ cup (loosely packed) basil leaves
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes,
coarsely grated
250 gm spaghetti
60 gm feta, crumbled
2 tbsp finely chopped basil leaves,
plus extra to serve
Toasted sourdough breadcrumbs,
to serve

1 Place oil, garlic and basil in a large

frying pan over low heat. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until garlic has softened
(4-6 minutes).
2 Add tomatoes, increase heat to
medium and cook, stirring frequently,
until most of the tomato juices have
evaporated (10-12 minutes); season.
3 Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of
salted water to the boil. Cook spaghetti
until al dente (10 minutes); drain.
4 Transfer spaghetti to tomato sauce
pan with half feta and basil; season and
toss to combine. Divide between plates,
scatter with extra basil and toasted
sourdough breadcrumbs. Drizzle with
extra oil.

ORIGINS
Pasta is not limited to Italian
cuisine with kofto makaronaki
(small tubes) and kritharaki (orzo)
being popular in Greece. This
dish uses readily available
spaghetti with feta and tomatoes.

58 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Everyday

Seared sumac pork fillet, green apple

summer slaw
SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 15 MINS (PLUS RESTING)

Lemon-infused extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Preheat a lightly greased barbecue

for drizzling or char-grill pan to medium-high.
4 pork fillets (240gm each), trimmed Drizzle pork with oil and scatter with
2 tsp sumac sumac. Cook, turning occasionally, until
APPLE SLAW charred and almost cooked through
100 gm sour cream (12-15 minutes). Rest for 5-10 minutes.
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 For apple slaw, whisk sour cream,
1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil vinegar, oil, rind, juice and garlic in COOKING TIP
Finely grated rind and juice a bowl. Add cabbage, apple, shallot After cooking, let the pork
of 1 lemon and herbs, season and toss to combine. fillet rest for about 5-10
1 garlic clove, finely chopped 3 To serve, thinly slice pork and divide minutes before slicing it.
400 gm (about ¼) cabbage, shaved on among plates with slaw. Scatter with This allows the juices to
a mandolin extra herbs. ➤ redistribute and keeps the
2 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced meat moist and tender.
1 golden shallot, thinly sliced
¾ cup combined mint and flat-leaf
parsley leaves, torn, plus extra
to serve

Ceramics from
Batch Ceramics.
All other props
stylist’s own.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 59
Everyday

DRESS IT UP
Top with fresh
honeycomb for an
impressive finish.

RIZOGALO ME FISTIKIA KE LEMONI

Greek rice pudding with pistachios and lemon
SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 25 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

200 gm short-grain rice, rinsed boil over medium-high heat, stir, then continuously until mixture thickens
850 ml milk cover with a lid, reduce heat to low (4-5 minutes), remove from heat, cover
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped and cook until liquid is absorbed with a lid and cool to room temperature.
1 cinnamon quill (12-15 minutes). 4 Whisk egg yolks and remaining
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest 2 Meanwhile, combine milk, vanilla bean sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy
100 gm raw caster sugar and seeds, cinnamon quill, zest and (2-3 minutes), add to rice mixture and
40 gm cornflour 90gm sugar in a separate saucepan. stir continuously over low heat until
3 egg yolks Bring to a simmer over medium heat, sauce coats rice (4-5 minutes).
Ground cinnamon, slivered add rice mixture, stir to combine, then 5 Divide among bowls, serve warm,
pistachios, candied lemon, fresh simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice scattered with ground cinnamon,
raspberries and honey, to serve is tender (15-20 minutes). pistachio, candied lemon, fresh
3 Meanwhile, combine cornflour and raspberries and drizzled with honey. #
1 Combine rice, 400ml cold water and enough cold water to form a thin, smooth
½ tsp sea salt in a saucepan, bring to the paste. Add to rice mixture, stir

We use seafood from Notaras Fish Markets in the GT Test Kitchen and in all our photoshoots.
60 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Dolmades
Vine leaves are rolled to create
this globally loved hand-held
meze dish.

62 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 W
ith ancient origins in the Hellenistic
period, dolmades (also known as dolma,
which is the Turkish word for stuffed) SERVING SUGGESTION
are enjoyed across Greece and Turkey Dolmades can be prepared in advance but are
and in Levantine cusine. With regional and seasonal best served warm. You can swap out minced
variations, they can be served as a snack or as a part of lamb with minced chicken, beef or pork.
a larger meze spread.

1 2 3
PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE BROWN. STYLING BHAVANI KONINGS. RECIPE DOMINIC SMITH.

Step by step
MAKES 30 // PREP TIME 40 MINS // COOK 55 MINS (PLUS COOLING)

21⁄2

3
tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1
onion, finely chopped
garlic cloves, crushed
1 Heat oil in a large frying pan over
high heat. Add onion and garlic, and
cook, stirring occasionally, until softened
3 Line base of a large saucepan with
extra vine leaves and tightly pack
dolmades into saucepan in a single layer.
500 gm minced lamb (3-4 minutes). Add minced lamb, and Add enough cold water to just cover,
180 gm long-grain rice cook, stirring frequently, until browned then weigh down with a heatproof plate.
21⁄2
tbsp finely chopped mint (5-6 minutes). Add rice, mint, and spices. Bring to the boil, then simmer over low
1⁄4
tsp each ground cloves and Cook, stirring frequently, until spices are heat until rice is cooked (40-45 minutes).
ground cinnamon fragrant; season and set aside and cool. Transfer dolmades to a shallow dish,

2
30 large vine leaves preserved in brine, drizzle with olive oil and cool slightly.

rinsed, plus extra for lining pan
Tzatziki, pita bread, lemon wedges,
baby cucumbers and dill, to serve
Place 30 drained vine leaves on
a work surface. Place a tablespoon
of lamb mixture in centre of each, fold in
sides and roll firmly.
4
Place dolmades with lemon
wedges on a platter with tzatziki.
Serve with pita bread and baby
cucumbers with dill and cracked pepper
and drizzled with olive oil, on the side.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 63
 CULTURE
CLUB
There’s so much more to Greek
cheese than staples like
feta and haloumi, discovers
EMILY LLOYD-TAIT.

PHOTOGRAPHY KRISTINA SOLJO. STYLING HOLLY DORAN.

G
reece’s culinary traditions stretch back millennia.
The very word “gastronomy” is of Greek origin,
translating to “stomach knowledge”, and you can
find references to Greek cheese in Homer’s epic
poem, The Odyssey. Given there are thousands of islands in
the Greek archipelago, there are subsequently countless local
iterations of cheeses that take into account specific climatic,
environmental, and cultural elements. But there is also
a core line-up of all-star Greek cheeses that you can seek
out to imbue your cooking with a distinctly Hellenic flavour.
To guide us on our own epic delicatessen adventure,
we asked Dimitri Kapernaros for the lowdown on all the
Greek cheeses he and his father import into Australia.
Together, they run the Lakonia Group, which has been
bringing the taste of home to Sydney’s tight-knit Greek
community for more than 30 years. They import close to
200 tonnes of Greek cheeses each year, with about half of
that devoted to feta. In fact, the global appetite for Greek
cheese means that cheese claims the fifth spot in Greece’s
top exports list.

64 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
F E TA
Arguably the most famous of all Greek cheeses, feta is
a brined, white cheese made from majority sheep’s
milk, plus up to 30 per cent goat’s milk. The minimum
ageing time is two months, but if you really want to do
it the Greek way, look out for barrel-aged feta, which
spends up to 12 months in brine inside wooden barrels,
giving it a sharper flavour and a creamier texture. If you
like your cheeses feisty, there’s a variety called piperati,
which is made with more rennet to give it a peppery,
almost spicy flavour. The Greeks are very protective of
their cheese, which is why feta enjoys the lauded status
of being a protected designation of origin (PDO)
product in the European Union. It’s also the star of
Greek salad; has become TikTok famous as the creamy,
sharp base of a pasta sauce; and walks that fine line
between sweet and savoury when you wrap it in fillo
pastry and bake or pan-fry it before serving it drizzled
with honey. And if you’re buying it in a tub, the secret to
long-lasting freshness is to use clean utensils to fish it
out of the brine – Kapernaros tells us that bacteria is
the greatest enemy to a brined cheese.
The brine should cover the remaining cheese, and he
suggests even using some olive oil to seal it.

Where to try it? Sydney’s Yiamas in St Peters brings

a new perspective to traditional Greek dishes, but
when it comes to the house salad with feta, it doesn’t
mess with perfection.
KASSERI
One of the key members in the
family of golden orbs in your local
delicatessen, kasseri has the
smoothest texture thanks to
a process of grinding the curds,
tightly binding them and weighing
them down to drain before cooking
and stretching them into a more
uniform, bouncy product, not unlike
a provolone or mozzarella. This is
the cheese most likely to make an
appearance on a sandwich, and
generally has less goat’s milk in the
mix, so the sweeter flavour of the
sheep’s milk is dominant.

Where to try it? Marrickville’s

beloved cave of deliciousness,
Lamia Super Deli, is crammed with
all manner of Aegean treats,
including big wheels of kasseri.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 65
K E FA L O T Y R I , K E FA L O G R AV I E R A A N D G R AV I E R A

You may have seen the butter-coloured wheels of

Greek cheese in your delicatessen and wondered
about the differences between them. Although they
are all distinct PDO cheeses, they share common
characteristics and purposes. On one end you have
kefalotyri, which translates to “head cheese”. It’s the
saltiest of the three most famous hard Greek
cheeses. The mix of sheep’s milk and goat’s milk is
salted and aged to produce a strong, bright flavour
and crumbly texture that you might compare to
a pecorino. It is often used in saganaki, Greece’s
famous fried cheese dish, where triangles of
cheese are dusted in flour and grilled in a pan. The
name saganaki actually refers to the small frying
pan rather than the cheese inside it, which is why
you can substitute a number of cheeses in the dish.
In many recipes, kefalotyri and kefalograviera are
interchangeable, be it in the filling for a spanakopita
or the béchamel on top of a moussaka. The key
difference is that the kefalograviera is a little richer
and smoother, with a less intense salinity. That
smooth quality is due to the influence of graviera,
which is Greece’s answer to Swiss Gruyère. It is
a creamier cheese that is aged for five months.
But if you come across the aged Cretan variety
that is ripened for up to two years, you get more
of that nutty flavour and the hard rinds you’d
associate with a parmesan. This one deserves
a central place on a cheese board, maybe with
some honey and walnuts.

Where to try it? Melbourne’s Stalactites has been

owned and operated by the same Greek family
since 1978. Nicole Papasavas now runs it, using her
parents’ and grandparents’ recipes, including grilled
Dodoni kefalograviera served with tangy lemon.
MIZITHRA
Where the Italians grate parmesan on their
pasta, the Greeks use dry mizithra. Back
in Greece you can find it fresh, much like
a ricotta, but here it comes salted and dried
in a recognisable white ball created by the
process of wringing out the remaining whey
with cheesecloth. It’s often sold as a single
ball, but as long as you wrap it tightly it will
enjoy a lengthy shelf-life in the fridge.

Where to try it? The Apollo has long been

a Sydney staple of elevated Greek dining,
and here they use mizithra in spring, grating
soft snowfalls over their lemon-braised peas.

66 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
MANOURI
Reducing waste isn’t just a modern preoccupation
– it is what helped ancient communities survive.
Rather than just dispose of the whey after the feta
is made, the Greeks figured out how to produce
a second cheese, which they call manouri, with the
remaining milk solids in the whey. It’s another PDO
cheese that hails from Macedonia in the country’s
north (not to be confused with the republic of North
Macedonia, a different country entirely). Manouri
is like a firm, smooth ricotta. It’s far less salty than
a feta so could easily star in a baked dessert, but
if you paired it with some really good tomatoes, it
provides the same mild, creamy flavour you might
associate with bocconcini, just with less bounce.

Where to try it? Greca in Brisbane contrasts the

fresh bitterness of young leaves, red onion and dill
with the soft, creaminess of manouri in their
taverna salad. !

Hello? Haloumi? We know what

you’re thinking. Where’s the
haloumi? The popular café
staple that gives any vegetarian
burger extra pulling power is
technically not a Greek cheese.
Cyprus, where it originates, has
been a republic since 1960, and
their frying-pan-loving fromage
is also PDO protected, which
means if it’s not from Cyprus,
it’s not true haloumi.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 67
 Photography JARROD BARNES

AFTER

THE

DELUGE

A prominent wage scandal saw celebrity chef George Calombaris publicly

cancelled and his restaurant empire crumble. Stepping cautiously towards
a comeback, the chef sits down with MICHAEL HARDEN to talk
debts paid, lessons learnt and the faint glow of redemption.
O
n the surface, it seems like business
as usual with George Calombaris. The
chef’s trademark Tigger-like enthusiasm
is on full display as he gives me the
tour of his latest venture, The Hellenic House
Project, a former chicken shop turned dual-level
diner in sleepy, suburban Highett, in Melbourne’s
south-east. His speech is liberally seasoned with
the awesomes, amazings, and wonderfuls familiar
to anyone who watched his decade on hit TV
series MasterChef Australia.
The Hellenic House Project feels familiar too,
and not only because of the name. Downstairs is
The Kitchen, a modern take on a trad souvlaki
shop that nods to his former business Jimmy
Grants. Upstairs, a leafy terrace leads to a relaxed
and breezy restaurant called The Good Room.
Here the excellent Greek-accented menu displays
creativity and playfulness (a delicious take on sushi
with raw kingfish draped over dolmades and
served with ginger-flavoured yoghurt for instance).
And it’s as recognisable to those who’d dined at
The Press Club and Hellenic Republic as Flower
Drum’s duck or the steak frites at France-Soir.
But there’s clearly more at play here than
a celebrity chef opening a new business. The
Hellenic House Project is Calombaris’ first
forward-facing venture since his spectacularly
public fall from grace, the one that ended with
his restaurant group Made Establishment going
into administration in early 2020 and hundreds
of workers losing their jobs.
Kicked off in 2015 by the Fair Work
Ombudsman investigating payroll irregularities
involving a single staff member, the situation at
Made snowballed as two internal audits saw the
bill for the underpayment of hundreds of staff over
a period of six years jump from $2.6 million to
$7.8 million. The fact that they outed themselves
didn’t seem to count. The restaurant group,
alongside his television career and public reputation
emphatically tanked and Calombaris effectively
became the poster child for wage theft. As he puts
it, “I went from the penthouse to the shithouse.”
Over lunch, the effect of all that Clockwise from top:
went down after Made Establishment went Greek ephemera;
into administration, starts to make itself clear. O’Connor beef
tartare; Hellenic
The chef’s cocky confidence that endeared him to House Project’s
many and obviously rubbed others the wrong way signage. Opposite:
has been shaken. There’s a less familiar wariness ➤ Calombaris.
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 69
 to Calombaris now, typical for someone who’s
been at the centre of a public pile-on. There’s also
awareness of the part he played in his downfall.
“The thing that killed me the most was that
I was being accused of deliberately ripping off my
staff,” he says. “Not for a second did I ever think
that way. I had 550 staff and without them I was
nothing so why would I want to rip them off? I was
feeling really sorry for myself, you know: I owned
up, I paid up, it was not like we were found out
– we admitted to it. I would never, ever do
something like that deliberately. But the fact
was that people were being underpaid on my
watch. I took my eye off the ball and didn’t have
the right infrastructure in place and there’s no
excuse. It’s something I’ll never let happen again.”
The low-key approach to the opening of
Hellenic House Project – one press release, no
interviews – is a marked change for someone used
to the spotlight and who appeared to enjoy it. It’s
also the mark of someone who became a cautionary
tale: the chef who became a celebrity
at a young age, blinkered by a career that seemed
on an inevitably upward trajectory until it fell off
a cliff, causing immense collateral damage.
Clockwise from
left: business
Calombaris has been obsessed with food since
partner Phil he was a child being shooed out of the kitchen by
Hatzikourtis at his mother. He fell in love with restaurants after
work; The Good his first job washing dishes at Fasta Pasta when
Room’s crisp
calamari with he was still at school. He did his apprenticeship
bastourma aïoli; at the Sofitel hotel in Melbourne, where he was
dining with employed by Gary Mehigan (his future co-host on
Calombaris in
The Good Room.
MasterChef Australia) and Raymond Capaldi, and
Opposite: HHP’s then followed them to their restaurant Fenix where
mural wall on he became head chef in his early 20s, overseeing a
The Balcony. kitchen of older, more experienced chefs. He was
offered a head chef job at Reserve
at the newly completed Federation Square in
Melbourne’s CBD and was allowed free rein.
Raspberry ice-cream with venison carpaccio, lamb
with olive sorbet and Young Chef of the Year and
Best New Restaurant awards ensued.
After Reserve folded, Calombaris embraced
his Hellenic roots at The Press Club but imbued
classic Greek dishes with some of the playfulness of
Reserve. More awards and the gig on MasterChef
Australia – co-hosting with Mehigan and food
journalist Matt Preston – followed. His celebrity
spiked and his restaurant business expanded rapidly.
“The Press Club was successful and so we
expanded – too quickly I see now,” he says. “In
a few years we opened Hellenic Republic, Jimmy
Grants, Maha, PM 24, Mama Baba and Le
Grand Cirque, which was a disaster. We’d gotten
ahead of ourselves, thinking we were a bit too
cool for school.”
This attitude, the perception of being
untouchable, didn’t help with what followed.
Add his success and celebrity and the associated
trappings of wealth (the multimillion-dollar house
in Toorak, the holiday house on the Mornington
Peninsula, both sold to cover debts) – not to
mention comments he’d made publicly in 2012
about the burden of paying penalty rates – and
Calombaris was perfectly positioned to be the
face of wage theft in Australia. Other high-profile
businesses were facing their own wage
underpayment bills at the time (Rockpool,
Merivale, Woolworths, Bunnings, the ABC
among them) but Calombaris had made himself
a more glamorous, visible target, a focus for
understandable public anger at the widespread
underpayment of low-wage workers.
Things got dark, as would be expected.
Calombaris, unused to a negative lens, was flailing,
as evidenced by a conviction – later overturned
on appeal – of an assault at a Melbourne Victory
soccer game in 2017. Bad publicity kept many
customers away. The MasterChef gig ended. His
family was caught up in it, photographed at the
airport and asked if they were running away.
When Made went into administration, the general
attitude was summed up in a statement Victorian
Trades Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari made
to AAP at the time: “This is a double assault on
working people: first, Calombaris rips off workers
and owes them $7.8 million in wages and now they
face losing their jobs … No worker should lose a job,
or a dollar, when Calombaris is still cashed up.”
Even after paying his former employees the
money the Fair Work Ombudsman agreed they
owed, plus a $200,000 fine, public anger lingered.
“Those first three months after that were
horrible,” he says. “I kept thinking of all the
staff who’d lost their jobs, all the suppliers and
producers I’d let down. I drank myself silly and
at one point I went missing one night without
my phone – which was rare for me – and luckily
my mates came and found me. That was when
I realised I had to do something about it.”
The pandemic lockdown, “in a weird way”,
helped. He cut back the drinking, took up squash
and spent time at home, cooking for his family.
“Cooking at home made me fall in love with it
again because I’d grown to hate it when all the shit
was going down,” he says. “I’d always dreamt of
being a great chef, owning my own restaurant,
cooking great food that would make people happy
but then it had all led to this and I blamed the
cooking for all that had happened to me. But
falling back in love with it also taught me I also had
to take responsibility for what had happened.” ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 71
 Calombaris seems happy with the way
things are at The Hellenic House Project.
Coming from a family who owned and ran
a small neighbourhood business (a grocery
store), he’s embraced some of that model. His
wife Natalie Tricarico works in the business;
his young daughter Michaela designed the
HHP logo on her iPad (she charged him for it).
But the nervousness and the caution remain.
“I won’t lie, I was shitting myself when
we decided to open this place,” he says. “It was
nerve-racking stepping back in, wondering
what was going to happen, particularly with
the background of the stuff you’ll never forget,
all the bad juju that happened when everything
went down. What’s going to happen? Is that
person going to come and yell at me? Is someone
going to put a lock on the front door so we can’t
get in? But the opportunity presented to me with
this place made me realise I wanted to get back –
it itches every part of me. And luckily the
community here has been really great.”
He’s still busy, including working as culinary
director at the Hotel Sorrento and doing some
Clockwise from of the things he didn’t have time for before, like
above: dining
with Calombaris
judging competitions for young chefs at William
in The Good Angliss Institute. He’s also working with some
Room; HHP’s partners on Culinary Wonderland, a Spotify-like
kitchen; The platform aimed, in part, at helping chefs get
Good Room’s
meze. Opposite: residuals for their recipes. But the idea of opening
The Backyard multiple restaurants again brings the perennially
at HHP. positive Calombaris as close to a shudder as he’s
likely to get.
HHP is comfortably low key. “It’s a
community place ... a safe haven ... with lots of
people –including many of my old team – putting
up a hand to come and help. And we’ve got the
systems in place to make sure everybody’s being
paid the correct amount for the hours they work, ”
he says. This time around Calombaris isn’t worrying
about recognition or reviews. “We just do our
best,” he says. “Now my competition is me and
making my team the best they can be. It’s a great
place to be, not worrying about all the noise.
Ambition is good but there are many ways to
be ambitious.” !

72 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Photography KRISTINA SOLJO

Styling JACQUI TRIGGS

Dearest
MOTHERLAND
We asked a few of our favourite Grecophiles to pen love letters to the
cities, towns and islands that hold a special place in their hearts.
 AT H E N S
By Tessa Kiros
“I like to walk through the
old streets of Plaka. Feel
the silent magnificence
– the ancientness of it all.”
M
yth has it that the goddess Athena, who
was born from the forehead of her father
Zeus – the God of Gods – gifted the
Athenians an olive tree and became the
patron of the city of Athens.
As a child, I loved landing in Athens at night, so
I could watch the city lights from above, and one of
the first things I always would want to do is go to
a periptero (tiny kiosk) and get an ice-cream on a stick.
I can hardly wait for a local souvlaki – since I was
small – from just about anywhere – it is consistent.
I like it traditional (no fried potatoes or “sos”, sauce)
– just tzatziki, slivers of onion and tomato tucked in.
I love it if they happen to have a little chopped parsley
and I always ask for a wedge of lemon on the side.
Sometimes I like to wake up at sunrise and walk
through the old streets of Plaka before the crowds get
there. Feel the silent magnificence, the ancientness
of it all. Then, walk up to Anafiotika, where the pot
plants and cats make it feel like an island. I love to have
a risogalo for breakfast and wander through the central
market, towards Evripidou Street, where I always get
dried bunches of oregano collected from the hills and
“tsai tou vounou” (mountain tea) – full of iron and
minerals. Some excellent honey, pickled caper leaves,
pastourma, halva, and Vissinada (sour cherry cordial)
– for splashing into a glass of fizzy water and ice.
On a weekend we might go to Monastiraki and
have lunch at Café Avissinia, joining in with the music
and lively atmosphere over plates of beautiful
taramasalata, gavros (marinated anchovies), baked
buttery feta with paprika. We sometimes drive out
towards Sounio and stop at any one of those tavernas
on the beach to feast on grilled fish with oregano and
splashed with ladolemono (lemon oil).
A good time to go to the Acropolis is just before it
closes for the lateral sunset, when it is lit up from the
side and the sun illuminates all of the architectural
details. Some evenings I love to wind my way down to
an open-air summer cinema, and enjoy the film – and
also the people who hang out on their balconies in the
surrounding buildings watching from there (just before
interval you can smell the tiropita baking).
Just go with the flow. Smell the jasmine in the
summer nights. Drink in the warmth of the people.
Go to the laiki (local neighbourhood market), past the
man selling lotto tickets, have a giant koulouri (bread
rings scattered with sesame), smell the cinnamon and
fresh bread from the bakeries.
Enjoy the chiming of church bells, the megaphone
of the fruit vendor. Take in the life-loving community
atmosphere of a vibrant city, a nation always ready and
waiting for the next occasion – a name day/saint’s day,
season or any day of the week celebration.
Tessa Kiros is a half Finnish, half Greek-Cypriot
cookbook writer who lives in Tuscany. She is the author
of 11 cookbooks, including Now and Then (Murdoch
Books, $45)
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 75
 C R ET E
By Ella Mittas

“We’d watch locals play

folk music, lute and
bouzouki, and drink raki,
a grape spirit like grappa.”

I
nitially, I’d decided to go to Crete because
people told me that’s where the best food in
Greece was. It was the biggest island, so people
lived there all year round – unlike the smaller
islands, where people only stayed for summer, so all
the island’s traditions remained intact. The best
olive oil came from Crete, the best honey. People
told me all this, but then I’d googled the island and
saw its landscapes.
I organised to work at a family-run taverna on
the island for the summer, 40 minutes into the
mountains from Chania. I knew the restaurant was
famed for serving slow food and had a restaurant
garden. I’d watched a video on their website of the
owners cooking in clay pots over burning branches;
the scene looked holy. I’d thought it looked like my
kind of religion. But when I got to the restaurant, it
was better than I could have imagined. Every single capers and olive oil. But I’d pour over olive oil and
thing they served was produced on-site and they red wine vinegar and cover them in garlic and slices
didn’t use any electricity to cook, only fire. Dishes of hard sheep’s milk table cheese, eating with olive
were governed by what was available in the garden. oil running down my chin.
Clay pots were loaded with vegetables, covered with Each day the restaurant was full by lunchtime,
olive oil and botanical herbs endemic to the island, with everything sold out by three. Then I’d drive
then left to simmer. The restaurant’s specialty was down the mountain to swim in the perfect, clear
goat kleftiko, small parcels of goat with olive oil and waters of the Libyan Sea. The beaches in Crete are
salt on them roasted slowly. Because the goats ate so lined with white pebbles making the water bright
much of the wild thyme that grew over the island, turquoise, the sunset light was thick and gold. The
their meat tasted especially herbaceous and didn’t air and the water were the exact same temperature,
need anything else. even late into the night.
The rusks the restaurant made from day-old On our way home, we’d drive through other
bread were too hard to eat unless soaked in liquid. villages, stopping at different tavernas. We’d try the
For lunch, they were served covered in grated ripe plates of foraged greens the restaurant had managed
tomato and mizithra, a goat’s milk ricotta, with to find in their area, served blanched and slathered

76 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
in olive oil, lemon and garlic. We’d try plates of
snails cooked their way; eat the cheese that they’d
produced. We’d watch locals play folk music, lute
and bouzouki, and drink raki, a grape spirit like
grappa. At night, the teared limestone of the
mountains reflected the moonlight, and everything
shone silver.
At the time, I doubted, as I do now, that I’d ever
have a more intoxicating experience of a place. The
purest experience of culture and the greatest
expression of “farm to table”. Crete gave me an
example of what food could be: it reframed my
understanding of having a connection to nature
and showed me the joy of being in a community.
Ella Mittas is a Greek-Australian chef and food writer
living in Melbourne.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 77
 I
n the breezy open stone spaces laden with fig, citrus and olive
trees, there are bursts of glorious sunlight and dancing
shadows over tired taverna chairs. There’s a spectrum of dusty
blues, bright cyan and washed greens tickling the sides of salty
beaches, from the shimmering waters of Fig Tree Bay Peninsula in
Protaras to the pebbly shores of Yiannakis Beach in Paphos.
It is important to state that this culture does not belong to me.
I am not Greek, nor am I Cypriot. Yet, it is their hospitable and
nurturing nature that sings to me as if it were my own. A welcome
embrace like a kind, old smile at the local taverna. Long may this
passionate love affair with the Hellenic ways continue.
There are beautiful textures everywhere. Textures for the eyes,
C Y P RU S the nose, the feet, the hands and, most importantly, the mind.
Salt is one such texture. Mediterranean salt is a truly wonderful
thing. It presides over so much of life in Greece and Cyprus.
By Oscar Solomon
I find Cypriot salt to hold a slightly more robust and residual
texture in the mouth. Generously scatter atop tomatoes, with
mountain basil, olive oil and nothing else. Or liberally sprinkled
over fresh haloumi. It’s not easy to find but when you do, the
“There is no better cheese curds are only just set. There is no rubberiness: it’s pure
feeling than salty skin perfection of cheese texture. The cheese hasn’t been cured or
after a dip in the seasoned yet, so it can be heavily laden with coarse sea salt,
cracked pepper and dried oregano. Or with a simple village or
Levantine Sea.” dakos salad. Always seasonal, always perfect. It’s a real insight
into the terroir of where you are.
Salt also provides longevity, insight and happiness. There is no
better feeling than salty skin after a dip in the Levantine Sea. That
feeling of sun-kissed skin having dried itself out under the
fragrant rays of the Mediterranean sun.
In Cyprus, both acidity and aridity fuse together like a well
choreographed dance. Dry, sandy cliffs play host to abundant
bushes of olive, pomegranate, tall eucalyptus and thorny cactus
spotted with the papousósiko; the prickly pear fruit. Sweet, seeded
fruit encapsulated in the skin of a ferociously sharp cactus plant,
known lovingly by some as the “shoe fig”.
Ouzo deserves a love letter of its own; a fallen soldier in
the popularity wars, particularly with the native inhabitants
of the Greek and Cypriot lands. Yet, I for one, have found the
perfect drink in ouzo and soda. In Athens, a reprimanding can
occur for ordering such a heathen beverage, but wear the hate
and let dry, anise, bubbly divinity take over. Best sipped
alongside taramasalata, the queen of dips, swiped up with
taverna chips. And kalamarakia tiganita – just-fried calamari.
Or perhaps a humble pie, horta filled with wild bitter braised
greens; or eliopita, an olive pie.
To my dearest Cyprus, I forgive you for the sunburnt skin, the
plastic cups, the plastic water bottles, the plastic everywhere. May
the meze continue till death do us part. Long live the lemons.
Long live the fragrance of Greek basil. Long live the marriage
of tomato and feta.
Oscar Solomon is the group development chef of The Apollo Group,
which includes Brisbane’s Greca and Sydney’s The Apollo.

78 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 DEEP MANI
By Heleena Trahanas
“This is the land where
Orpheus lost Eurydice to
the Underworld forever.”
L
ove at first sight is something I didn’t know
I believed in, but I fell in love with the Deep Mani
the very first second I breathed in its briny air.
So unlike that classic vista of Greece: the white
brick buildings, sprawling cities and winding paths,
Mani is a land that straddles the line between myth and
reality – a wild, rocky, and deeply romantic territory, said
to have been entrusted to the ancient Maniots by Hades
himself, as viciously loyal guards to the entrance of his
kingdom, Tartarus.
This is the land where Orpheus lost Eurydice to the
Underworld forever, where Hercules fought the three-
headed dog Cerberus, these legends still scorched into
this earth as they are the memory of its people. That
haziness between myth and reality hangs in the air around
the villages of Mani: the time-weary stone houses are
a testament to the endurance of the land, of the people.
The journey to Mani from the popular city of Athens
and the island of Mykonos is long and winding, the rolling
hills and vast greenery of the cities transforming into stark
and mountainous terrain. But there is such raw beauty to
be found in that brutal landscape. I had to stop my car to
bask in the shimmering turquoise waters of secret Limeni
beach: the high sun creeping over the jealous mountains
that guarded the shore, painting large swaths of sand in
gentle and irresistible sunlight.
Raucous laughter floated down like a siren song from
nearby Taki’s, the seaside taverna frequented by locals and
travellers alike, crowded together on yellowing chairs
overlooking the breaking sea. I watched as a weathered man
fished lazily from a blue wooden chair perched haphazardly
on the steps leading down into the water, calling out with
familiar words to the staff as they carried piles of crisp
kalamarakia tiganita drenched in lemon and platters piled
high with steaming flatbreads and dollops of tarama to my
red chequered tabletop.
But still I journeyed down the winding coast, until,
among the mountains I found the Kyrimai Hotel, Mani’s
historic hotel carved from stone, overlooking the sprawling
blue of the Mediterranean Sea. The food here is simple:
fresh seafood always in abundance on this jagged coastline,
and I ate it with gusto. Fragrant tendrils of steam floating
from my bowl of psarosoupa, a simple dish of boiled fish,
vegetables and herbs, flavoured the air and consumed my
senses. The young woman who delivered my food to the
table went promptly back to chatting long, quick streams of
Greek to the yiayia in the kitchen, filling the room with
warmth in the kind of way only familial love can. !
Heleena Trahanas is a Greek-Australian living in Sydney and the
co-founder of lifestyle project Alex and Trahanas.
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 79
Let’s go Greek
Greeks love a snack, especially when it’s part of
the traditional volta. Here, DANI VALENT
explores the classics and where to find them.

H
ILLUSTRATIONS GETTY IMAGES & ADOBE STOCK IMAGES.
ow’s your Greek phrasebook? Along with “efharisto” (thank you) and “Ke
alo krasi, parakalo” (more wine, please), you need to know “pame volta”.
This not-quite-translatable call to action sweeps up the idea of going for
a stroll, getting out to see what’s happening and finding community, often
in the gentle warmth of a long evening. “We always say pame volta,” says Kathy Tsaples,
owner of Sweet Greek food store at Prahran Market in Melbourne. “You say it to your
friend, your children, your grandparents and you go out for a stroll.”
It’s more than likely a little something to eat will be part of the perambulation too.
“You may or may not be hungry,” says Tsaples. “But you walk past a souvlaki shop,
a pastry shop, you decide to pick up a little treat, maybe a koulouri or loukoumades.
It comes with the volta.” Whether it’s part of a cruisy volta or a dedicated mission,
here are the key snacks on the streets of Greece.
 BOUGATSA

“Bougatsa is a must have,” says Tsaples.

KOULOURI “The key is the beautiful, crunchy,
flaky, buttery pastry. The bakers take
The ubiquitous sesame-seed-coated bread ring is the sheet of pastry, fly it up in the air,
available from vendor carts and bakeries. They’re smack it down on the bench: that’s
an uncomplicated snack but the better versions have how they make it.” The pastry is filled
a consistent and generous crusting of seeds, are crunchy with a sweet semolina custard and
on the outside and have a decent chew on the inside. dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon.
“They’re very popular in the morning,” says Tsaples. If you’re in Thessaloniki, she
“You wake up, you haven’t had breakfast, you walk past recommends Bougatsa Bantis
a bakery or vendor and you get a koulouri to munch on (Panagias Faneromenis 33).
the way to wherever you’re going.” Traditionally,
koulouria are eaten plain but in the past decade, there’s
been a tendency to fill them too. “It’s like bagels here,”
says Nikos Spantidis from Plaka Gyros in Melbourne’s
Hawthorn. “They might stuff koulouri with cold cuts
and cream cheese, even make it in different shapes for
sandwiches. You also have sweet ones with doughnut
flavours like chocolate and Nutella. It’s going crazy.”

FRAPPÉ

Legend has it that the frappé was invented in 1957 by

a Nescafé rep at a Thessaloniki trade fair. Dimitris
Vakondios wanted a coffee but had no hot water. He
vigorously shook up instant coffee with cold water
and ice cubes and the frappé was born. Milk and
sugar are optional. Christian Evripidou, co-owner of
Capers in Melbourne’s Greek hub of Thornbury,
believes a frappé is the perfect accompaniment for
a spanakopita but they’re often consumed separately.
“Last time I was in Greece, I even saw people
zooming around on their Vespas with their frappé,”
he says. “It’s stupid but kitsch and funny.”

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 81
 SPANAKOPITA

Once you’ve inhaled a few tiropita, you’ll step it up to

spanakopita. “I’m always hanging for a spanakopita when
I arrive,” says Evripidou. He loves to pair it with a frappé
(see previous page). “It’s that combination: as soon as you
get off the plane, get a spanakopita and frappé and hang out KIMADOPITA
on the kerb or – even better – the beach. That’s the moment
when you know you’re on holidays.” He believes the pastry This pastry is filled with minced meat, usually
is the key to a good spanakopita. “You want the fillo pastry beef and lamb, often a little pork too, plus
to be flaky, the flakier the better,” he says. When choosing onions. The most traditional versions are
a piece from a square tray at the local fourno (bakery), made with a dough that’s thrown in the air to
Evripidou has a preference. “Everyone knows the corner is stretch it. “It’s an old-school thing, popular in
the best,” he says. “I suppose some people like a sloppy piece Thessaloniki and other parts of northern
but I like a bit of crunch.” The filling is a matter of Greece, a few old shops in Athens,” says
contention too. “People throw in secret herbs and spices Spantidis. “It’s amazing, like borek but
unique to them and everyone loves comparing,” he says. thinner and more crisp.”
“Every village does their own version.”

TAHINOPITA

Sesame paste and molasses are key ingredients in

this swirled pastry, which is particularly popular
in Cyprus. “Tahinopita is a sweet tahini pie, like
a Vegemite scroll but with tahini,” says Evripidou.
“Most people have it in the morning – it’s
a phenomenal way to start a day.” Usually
vegan, they are a popular pastry during Lent.

FISH IN A CONE

This is a newer snack craze that started in the past

decade in Athens. Sardines, anchovies, prawns,
calamari and other seafood are battered, fried, rolled
up in a paper cone and handed over with a wedge of
lemon and a toothpick. The simple packaging makes
it an easy snack for your volta. “They have sauces,
seasonings and herbs – I just get oregano,” says
Tsaples. “I truly love it: you walk around and it’s like
an ice-cream cone but with bite-sized bits of fish.”
In Athens, head to Zisis (Athinaidos 3).

82 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 “Greek cuisine is always about
simplicity and freshness. There’s
never a bad time to eat souvlaki.
You can have it all day long.”
LOUKOUMADES

These one-bite doughnuts are the perfect sweet

snack. Served hot, drizzled with honey syrup,
seasoned with cinnamon and scattered with
walnuts, the good ones are crunchy on the outside
with syrup-absorbing holes and a fluffy interior
that soaks up the sweetness. A classic destination
for loukoumades is Krinos in Athens (Aiolou 87),
founded in 1923.
TIROPITA
Pita means pastry. That’s the simple bit. The
complication is that pitas come with many and varied
fillings, both savoury and sweet, and the pastry itself can
be thin, crisp fillo pastry or thicker kourou, a flaky
shortcrust made with yoghurt. Shapes vary too: pita can
be made in large trays to be portioned once cooked, or in
petite triangle and half-moon shapes. The bedrock pita is
tiropita – cheese pastry – stuffed with creamy, salty feta.
One of the best places to get it in Athens is Ariston
(Voulis 10), an atmospheric bakery which has been in
business since 1910.

SOUVLAKI

“It’s the ultimate Greek food and it’s everywhere,” says

Spantidis. There are three basic forms: skewered meat, gyros
(meat shaved from a vertical rotisserie) and patties. Souvlaki
can be served on a plate with vegetable accompaniments but
the street-food version is rolled up in flatbread. We tend to
associate Greek food with lamb but pork is the local preference.
“The wraps are smaller than we see here,” says Spantidis. “And
it has to be simple: marinated meat, yoghurt, tomato, onion.
Greek cuisine is always about simplicity and freshness.” There’s
never a bad time to eat souvlaki. “Greece is relaxed,” says
Spantidis. “You can have it all day long.” !
 Photography ELISE HASSEY, TARYN PECK & ALICIA TAYLOR

CAPTURE
THE
MOMENT
Turn holiday snaps into frame-worthy memories.
ALEXANDRA CARLTON speaks to two leading
travel photographers to find out how.

84 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
W
ith its striking blue-and-white contrasts and
landscapes that vary from coast to country to
ancient architecture, Greece is a photographer’s
dream. But how do you translate what you’re
seeing into professional-looking holiday photography, without lugging
around a ton of equipment or getting a master’s degree in fine arts?
You learn some simple tricks and tips. Here, Gourmet Traveller
photographers Taryn Peck and Elise Hassey share advice on
shooting all of Greece’s beauty – from the Aegean to Athens –
which can easily be applied to wherever you may be heading next.
FILTERS AND EDITING
Both Peck and Hassey use professional editing
software: Hassey likes Adobe Lightroom with
a few extra tweaks in Photoshop, while Peck
likes Lightroom and Capture One. However, both
photographers say that smartphones have a few
neat editing apps that also do the job: Peck likes
the VSCO app and Hassey says that she’s a fan
of the filtering tools available within Instagram.
When shooting holiday shots, Peck says she tends
to warm up her images a little to make them feel
sunnier, but the main trick is practice. “Play around
until you find what works for you,” she says.

EQUIPMENT
When it comes to selecting a camera,
lenses and other equipment there’s
no limit to what you can purchase –
or how much it can cost. But you
don’t need to spend thousands
to get a professional result.
Because she is generally
shooting for magazines and other
editorial purposes, Hassey travels
with a pricey professional kit:
a Canon EOS R5, which is a top-of-
the-range mirrorless camera, with
a 24-70mm and 70-100mm lens. But
she says, “iPhones are pretty good!”
Peck agrees, adding that your trusty
phone can capture things beautifully,
as long as you don’t expect to turn
your shots into a poster or other
very high-resolution prints. She
also travels with a single camera
but only one 24-70mm lens, and
generally leaves a tripod at home.
“I prefer to hide in plain sight,” she
says. Without a tripod, a photographer
can just sling their camera over their
shoulder and be much more nimble
when the perfect shot presents itself.

86 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
LIGHT
Most people know about “golden
hour”, that bewitching, soft-light
moment just before dusk or after
dawn, when everything is kissed by
a warm glow. Peck says the evening
golden hour is about more than just
the light – it even has a personality.
“It’s usually when people are at
their most relaxed and happiest,
particularly on holidays,” she says.
“They’re off to have an aperitivo or
on their way to find something new.
That’s when I like to roam a bit
because you’ll always find something
to shoot that lights you up.”
Hassey was once a golden hour
devotee but lately she says other
light has started catching her eye.
“I’m actually really into that harsh
midday sun at the moment because
I’m really interested in bright lights
and shadows – like the bright blue
ocean,” she says.
If you’re serious about improving
your photography, Hassey suggests
learning how to backlight, which is
when the light hits the back of the
subject. “That’s how you get that
glowing, lens-flare effect.” If you
master backlighting then you can
handle the light in any scenario. ➤
 SETTING UP STILL-LIFE SHOTS
Peck’s ice-cream shot (left) is a perfect example of a still life that came together because
she did her research first. “I knew where the ice-cream shop was, and I knew there was
a beautiful wall nearby and that the light would be hitting it,” she says. That quick bit of
homework meant she could grab the ice-cream and shoot it very quickly – before the
hot Greek sun melted it away.
With other still-life shots, such as a table set with food, she recommends moving
yourself around the image until you find the perfect angle: perhaps it’s overhead,
perhaps it’s crouching down. “And be aware of things like used napkins or greasy
fingers on glasses,” she says. “They’re often things you don’t notice in the moment
but then you look at the shot later and think ‘I wish I’d gotten that out of there!’”

CAPTURING PEOPLE
Peck applies one very simple rule to
photographing people, particularly when
she plans to publish the resulting images
professionally or on social media. She asks
herself, if that were me, would I be happy with
that shot? “We’re not out to shame people,”
she says. “If there’s a silhouette that’s not
appealing or someone has an angry face,
just don’t use that shot.”
It’s also expected that you’ll ask
permission if you’re photographing someone
in a way where they’ll be identifiable. “If
you are in a foreign country [where there’s
a language barrier] that permission can be
through eye contact and acknowledgement
of my camera, and if they nod then that’s fine,”
says Hassey. Otherwise, if she is somewhere
crowded, she generally sticks to shots that
only show the backs of people’s heads or
hides their faces.
If you’re photographing someone like
a street performer, Peck says it’s good
manners to drop some money into their
hat to thank them for the privilege.

88 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
COMPOSITION
“Learn about the rule of thirds,” says
Hassey, referring to the photography art
of mentally dividing a frame into rough
thirds – both horizontally and vertically –
and placing subjects at certain junctures
within those areas.
“The nine grids on your smartphone
are your best guiding principles,” adds
Peck. “You’re looking to put your subjects
on intersecting lines. Most people shoot
straight with their subject in the middle
and that’s still a classic shot but I tend
to shoot slightly off centre.” However, as
with everything creative, this is a mere
guide. Once you’ve mastered the rule,
Hassey says, “learn to break it.”
When shooting landscapes, Peck
advises finding something that’s moving
or otherwise giving life to a shot. A photo
she took of the famous blue-and-white
domes of Santorini is made more
interesting by the inclusion of a small
boat, motoring across the water.
“Because that boat is coming through on
an angle, it takes your eye to a different
place,” she explains. “It tells more of
a story because you wonder where they
are going and what they are doing.” "

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 89
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HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST
the perfect gifts for the stylish entertainer

1
2

5
7

10

9
8

12

11

SCAN TO SHOP

1. Apron – Blue Jewel Design, $89 2. Premium Beach Umbrella - Brush Strokes, $274. 3. Laguiole By Louis Thiers Salad Serving Set with Sky Blue Coloured
Handles, $89. 4. Series a Sport Canteen 600ml - Powder Blue, $99.95. 5. Lightness of Being Bias Silk Skirt - Blue, $329. 6. Polarbox Cooler Box Sky, $109.95.
7. Printworks Classic Games Art of Chess Clouds, $99.95. 8. Majority Little Shelford Bluetooth & Dab Radio with Bluetooth-Duck Egg, $110. 9. Biodegradable
Bamboo Trays, $179.85. 10. DOIY Seashell Vase – Blue, $99.95. 11. Sherbet Petal - Linen Napkin/Placemat Set of 2, $60. 12. Coogee Surf Life Saving Print, $179.
 FEBRUARY

Kafeneion

p 104

Taverna born
An alfresco Greek menu, recipes from
PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES MOFFATT.

Melbourne pop-up Kafeneion, and

home-style vegetarian dishes from
A Seat at My Table: Philoxeni.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 93
 Photography BEN DEARNLEY

Styling OLIVIA BLACKMORE

Recipes HELENA MOURSELLAS

I S L A N D S

Escape on a Grecian odyssey with these

classic taverna dishes designed for sharing

I N
at your next alfresco feast. Opa!

T H E

S U N

Vongole and fritters. Gingham

napkin in Chambray from Bright
Threads. Grecian Golden napkin from
Bonnie and Neil, used throughout.
Hand-painted ceramic dishes (with
dolmades and peppers) from Shelley
Ceramics, used throughout. All other
props stylist’s own.
94 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Vongole and
dill oil

p 100

Chickpea
fritters with
herb and garlic
yoghurt

p 96

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 95
REVITHOKEFTEDES
Chickpea fritters with herb and garlic yoghurt
MAKES 12 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 10 MINS
The Greeks love mezedes – meaning small dishes served either hot or cold. These fritters are best shared with a glass of ouzo.
400 gm can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
¼ cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley
leaves, coarsely chopped
¼ tsp each sweet paprika and
ground cumin
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 egg, lightly beaten
80 ml (⅓ cup) light olive oil, plus extra
for drizzling
HERB AND GARLIC YOGHURT
140 gm (½ cup) Greek-style yoghurt
½ cup (loosely packed) mixed soft herbs
(we used mint, oregano and dill), plus
extra to serve
1 garlic clove, crushed
Zest of 1 lemon, plus extra wedges
to serve
1 For herb and garlic yoghurt, place
ingredients in a small bowl, season to
taste and stir to combine. Refrigerate
until ready to serve.
2 Place half chickpeas, parsley, spices
and onion in a food processor and
process until chopped. Place mixture
into a bowl with remaining chickpeas,
season to taste and stir through flour
and egg until well combined.
3 Working with 1 tbsp of mixture at
a time, shape into a ball then dust in
flour, shaking off excess; place on a lined
tray with baking paper. Repeat until
mixture is finished.
4 Heat oil in a large frying pan over
medium heat. In batches, cook fritters,
gently pressing flat, turning occasionally,
until golden and crisp on each side
(4-5 minutes). Drain on paper towel
and season to taste.
5 Arrange on a large platter and serve
with herby garlic yoghurt, drizzled with
oil and scattered with dill, with lemon
wedges on the side.
PRAWN YIOUVETSI
Prawns with risoni,
oregano and fennel
SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 1 HR 10 MINS

This dish is served in seafood tavernas

across the Greek Islands, using fresh
ingredients to create a rich prawn stock.

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra

for drizzling
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ cup (loosely packed) chopped
oregano leaves, plus extra to serve
2 tsp tomato paste
300 gm risoni
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
PRAWN STOCK
20 large green king prawns, peeled, tails
intact, heads and shells reserved
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 fennel (400gm), coarsely chopped,
fronds reserved
1 bay leaf
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 tsp tomato paste

1 For prawn stock, drizzle a little olive oil
in a large saucepan over high heat, add
reserved prawn heads and shells and
cook, stirring occasionally, until shells
start to colour (5 minutes). Add onion,
garlic, fennel, bay leaf and peppercorns;
cook, stirring occasionally, until onion
has softened (5 minutes). Stir in tomato
paste and cook, stirring frequently, until
toasted (1 minute). Add 1.25 litres boiling
water. Reduce heat to low and simmer,
skimming occasionally, until stock is
reduced to 1 litre (20-25 minutes).
Strain through a fine sieve and discard
solids; set aside and keep warm.
2 Heat oil in a large cast iron pan over
medium heat. Add onion, garlic and
oregano and cook, stirring occasionally,
until onion has softened (6-8 minutes).
Add the tomato paste, risoni and cook,
stirring continuously, until risoni is
completely coated (2 minutes).
Pour in stock and bring to a simmer,
reduce heat to medium-low, and cook,
stirring occasionally, until risoni is cooked
(10-15 minutes). Stir in prawns in the last
5 minutes of cooking. Add lemon juice
and season to taste.
3 To serve, divide among bowls, scatter
with oregano leaves, reserved fennel
fronds and lemon zest. ➤

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 97
98 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Grilled calamari salad with yoghurt
and ouzo dressing
SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 10 MINS (PLUS MARINATING)
1.2 kg baby calamari (200gm each),
cleaned, hoods and tentacles
separated
60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp oregano leaves, finely chopped
3 oxheart tomatoes, cut into rough
3cm pieces
80 gm (⅓ cup) mixed Greek olives
¼ cup (loosely packed) small basil
leaves, plus extra to serve
Pita bread, pickled peppers and baby
Greek basil, to serve
YOGHURT AND OUZO DRESSING
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp ouzo
70 gm (¼ cup) Greek-style yoghurt
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 To marinate calamari, halve hood
lengthways. Place oil and oregano in
a small bowl, season to taste and stir
to combine. Place calamari hoods and frequently, until charred and cooked
tentacles in a large bowl with half (3-5 minutes).
oregano mixture, season to taste and 5 Place tomato salad on a serving
toss gently to coat. Marinate for 1 hour. platter, arrange calamari on top and
2 Meanwhile, for yoghurt and ouzo scatter with basil. Drizzle with yoghurt
dressing, combine ingredients in a small and ouzo dressing. Serve with pita bread
bowl, season to taste and stir to combine. and pickled peppers, on the side. ➤
3 Combine tomato and olives in a bowl
with remaining oregano mixture. Season
to taste and toss to combine.
4 Preheat a lightly greased barbecue or
char-grill pan to high. Thread calamari
hoods in an “S” shape onto skewers.
Cook skewers and tentacles, turning
 Lemon rice with vongole and dill oil
SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 10 MINS // COOK 1 HR 10 MINS

This is a dish that brings people together. Place the vongole in the middle of the table and it’s a fight
to get to the bottom. Don’t forget to soak up those beautiful juices with some crusty bread.

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 Heat oil in a large saucepan with a lid 2 Remove lid, add lemon juice and
1 white onion, thinly sliced over medium heat, add onion and garlic, vongole to pan, cover and cook until
2 garlic cloves, crushed and cook, stirring occasionally, until vongole have open and rice is cooked
300 gm medium grain rice, rinsed onion has softened (6-7 minutes). Stir in (20 minutes). Discard any unopened
Zest and juice of 1 lemon rice and zest and cook until the rice is vongole.
125 ml (½ cup) white wine coated (2 minutes). Add wine and cook 3 Meanwhile, for dill oil, combine
625 ml (2½ cup) fish stock until reduced by half (5 minutes). Add ingredients in a small bowl, season
500 gm vongole, purged stock, cover, and cook, until rice is to taste and stir to combine.
DILL OIL tender (15 minutes). 4 To serve, divide mixture between
¼ cup (loosely packed) dill leaves, bowls and spoon over dill oil.
finely chopped
¼ preserved lemon, rind finely chopped
60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil

Vongole Viennetta
napkin in Navy
from Bright
Threads. All other
props stylist’s own.

100 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Leek, zucchini and feta pie
SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 1 HR 25 MINS (PLUS COOLING)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra
for drizzling
2 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
1 bunch English spinach, stems picked,
leaves torn
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ cup (loosely packed) chopped
oregano leaves, plus extra to serve
½ cup flat-leaf parsley and mint leaves
150 gm feta, crumbled, plus extra
to serve
50 gm kefalotyri, finely grated (see note)
1 egg
8 sheets fillo pastry
Melted butter, for brushing
1 Grease base and sides of a round,
23cm-diameter baking tin. Heat oil in
a frying pan over medium-low heat.
Cook leek, spinach, garlic, and oregano,
stirring occasionally, until leek is
caramelised and spinach has wilted
(10 minutes). Transfer to an oven tray and
stand until slightly cooled (10 minutes).
2 In a large bowl, combine leek mixture,
herbs, cheeses and egg; season to taste.
3 Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced.
Brush 1 sheet of fillo and lay in tin,
allowing excess to overhang. Butter
another sheet and lay it over first sheet,
in a cross pattern, carefully pushing into
tin. Repeat with remaining sheets,
overlapping each sheet and turning
clockwise slightly to form a concentric
circle.
4 Evenly spread the leek mixture into
tin. Gently fold overlapping pastry into
centre and scrunch to create a thick
border; brush with butter.
5 Bake for 40 minutes until pastry is
golden. Serve immediately scattered
with oregano and feta.
Note Kefalotyri, a sheep’s milk cheese, is
available from Greek delicatessens and
cheese shops. If unavailable, substitute
firm mozzarella. ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 101
 Cod cakes with caper skordalia
BEGIN THIS RECIPE A DAY AHEAD
MAKES 16 // PREP TIME 15 MINS (PLUS SOAKING) // COOK 45 MINS

400 gm salted cod, soaked overnight in 1 For caper skordalia, place potato in a mixture into a small food processor
cold water (see note; change the large saucepan of salted water, bring to and process until combined. Divide
water at least three times), drained, the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to mixture into 16 and roll into balls.
cut into four pieces low and simmer until potato is cooked Place on a lined tray.
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra (15-20 minutes). Drain, return to pan, and 4 Heat oil in a deep saucepan to 180˚C.
for drizzling mash potato; allow to cool slightly. Once Deep-fry cod cakes in batches until
1 red onion, chopped cooled add garlic, vinegar, 2 tbsp water, golden and crisp (2-3 minutes; be careful
2 garlic cloves, crushed half capers, and a little drizzle of oil. as hot oil will spit). Drain on paper towel
½ cup (loosely packed) parsley leaves, Season to taste and mix until combined. and season to taste.
finely chopped 2 Place cod in a saucepan, cover with 5 Place cod cakes on a serving platter,
2 eggs cold water and bring to just below alongside the caper skordalia, scatter with
2 tbsp plain flour a simmer over medium heat. Remove fried capers and drizzle with extra oil.
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying from heat, cover, and stand for 10 Note Salt cod may need to be soaked in
Fried capers, to serve minutes, then drain. Coarsely flake fish cold water for longer than 24 hours and
CAPER SKORDALIA (discard bones and skin). the water changed a few more times,
500 gm Desiree potatoes, peeled, 3 Heat oil in a frying pan over medium depending on how heavily salted it is.
coarsely chopped heat. Add onion and garlic and cook,
3 garlic cloves, crushed stirring occasionally, until softened
60 ml (¼ cup) red wine vinegar 6-8 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly.
1 tbsp capers, drained Place cod, parsley, egg, flour and onion

102 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Flounder with avgolemono sauce
SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 10 MINS // COOK 20 MINS (PLUS RESTING)

The delicate flavours of flounder are elevated by the richness of a traditional Greek
avgolemono sauce in a sensory escape to the Greek Islands.

4 flounder fish (500gm each), cleaned, 1 cup (loosely packed) mixed herbs (we butter; season to taste. Bake until
head and skin removed, tail intact used chervil, dill and tarragon) flounder is cooked through (10-12
Plain flour, for dusting 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest minutes); rest 5 minutes before serving.
80 ml (1⁄3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 Meanwhile, for avgolemono sauce,
extra for drizzling 1 Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced. whisk lemon juice, flours, and egg in
100 gm butter, chopped Grease and line a large oven tray with a bowl until frothy (5 minutes). While
Picked frisée leaves and lemon baking paper. Dust flounder in flour and whisking slowly and continuously,
wedges, to serve shake off excess. Heat a large frying pan gradually add fish stock until combined.
AVGOLEMONO SAUCE with half oil and half butter over high Pour mixture into a small saucepan over
60 ml (¼ cup) lemon juice heat. Cook flounder in 2 batches, turning medium-low heat and whisk continuously
1 tsp plain flour halfway, until golden on both sides until thickened (6-8 minutes).
2 tsp cornflour (5-6 minutes). Place on prepared tray, 3 Arrange flounder on a large serving
2 eggs, lightly beaten wipe out pan with paper towel and platter and scatter with frisée. Serve with
250 ml (1 cup) fish stock, hot repeat with remaining flounder, oil and lemon wedges and avgolemono sauce
on the side. "

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 103
 Photography JAMES MOFFATT

Styling STEVE PEARCE

HELLENIC
HEROES
Melbourne pop-up Kafeneion built its menu on dishes that
passed through the team’s families for generations. Here, for
the first time in written history, STAVROS KONIS and his
team commit their recipes to print. Kali orexi!

Food preparation KATHY KNUDSEN AND OLIVIA ANDREWS

Words MICHAEL HARDEN

104 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Keftedes

p 110

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 105

Left: Kafeneion
co-owners Con
Christopoulos
(left) and
Stavros Konis.
I
believe the best expression of Greek cuisine comes from the
home,” says Stavros Konis, co-owner of Melbourne CBD pop-up
Kafeneion with his wife Alex and restaurateur Con Christopoulos
(City Wine Shop, The European, Kirk’s Wine Bar). “And that is
what we are doing here: translating recipes from my family and Con’s
family,” Konis adds. “You won’t find any of the food we serve in books.
None of these recipes were written down before; we had to watch our
mums make these dishes and then write them down ourselves and then
train our chefs – who are all very qualified – to get back to basics.”
Kafeneion was conceived as a pop-up, meant to last just a few
months. Perhaps because of its temporary status and certainly because
the food being served – like the recipes Konis has provided for our
Greek issue – was unlike any other Greek restaurant in town, the
restaurant became almost instantly revered. News that the team is
looking for new permanent digs for Kafeneion has been greeted with
a communal sigh of relief.
The recipes here reflect the Kafeneion approach. Like
Christopoulos’ and Konis’ families, they’re from all over Greece
(“northern, central, islander”) and represent deceptively simple
home-cooked dishes that “let the produce speak for itself”. As Konis
explains, it’s not so much regional cooking but more regionally
specific expressions of similar dishes, with small changes, like the
addition or absence of cinnamon perhaps, a little chilli in the fava
dip, a splash of ouzo in the keftedes.
“A lot of these recipes will dwindle away if we don’t care for them
because they are quite tricky and our mums and grandmothers won’t
be around forever,” says Konis. “The dishes could easily get lost and
we want them to survive.”
106 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
PSARI PLAKI
Baked blue-eye trevalla
with tomato and
onion sauce
SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 20 MINS
(PLUS RESTING)
“This is a classic dish eaten all over
Greece, mostly in summer. You can use
any white fish; rock ling or cod, would
work, but it must be filleted (no bones)
and skinless,” says Stavros Konis.
160 ml (2⁄3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion (200gm), thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
500 gm ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 skinless blue-eye trevalla fillets
(250gm each)
1½ tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp baby capers, drained
Greek oregano and lemon wedges,
to serve
1 Preheat oven to 180˚C fan-forced. Heat
125ml oil in a large frying pan large
enough to fit fish. Add onion, garlic,
tomato and paste, and cook, stirring
frequently, until onion and tomato are
soft (5-6 minutes). Add 60ml water and
return mixture to the boil (1-2 minutes).
2 Season fish all over, then place on top
of tomato mixture; drizzle fish with lemon
juice. Cover with foil and bake until fish is
just cooked (15 minutes). Stand covered
for 10 minutes to rest.
3 Remove foil, scatter with capers and
Greek oregano. Drizzle with remaining
oil and serve with lemon wedges. ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 107
TIROKROKETES
Cheese croquettes
MAKES 40 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 10 MINS (PLUS RESTING)

“These cheese croquettes are made with goat and sheep cheese. They need to be a little gooey,
so we use graviera but then you also want the salty bite of the feta,” says Konis.

500 gm Greek feta, crumbled 1 Line a large oven tray with baking croquettes in batches, turning
500 gm graviera (see note), finely grated paper. Place feta, graviera, jalapeño, occasionally, until golden and crisp
100 gm fresh jalapeño peppers, seeds spices, eggs, baking powder and (3-4 minutes; be careful as hot oil will
removed, finely chopped cornflour in a large bowl. Season to taste spit). Season to taste and serve hot with
1 tbsp each sweet paprika and dried and stir to combine. Divide mixture into lemon wedges.
Greek oregano 40 portions (30gm each) and roll into Note Graviera, a hard sheep’s milk
1 tsp chilli powder long ovals; place on prepared tray. cheese is produced in various parts of
4 eggs 2 Combine egg and milk in a small bowl. Greece, mainly Crete, Lesvos, Naxos and
1 tbsp baking powder Coat croquettes in flour, egg mixture, Amfilochia. It is similar to Gruyère.
50 gm cornflour then crumbs, shaking off excess,
2 eggs, lightly beaten ensuring they are well coated. Rest in
100 ml milk fridge, covered, until firm (2 hours).
100 gm plain flour 3 Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying
150 gm Panko crumbs pan or deep-fryer to 180˚C. Deep-fry
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Lemon wedges, to serve
FAVA
Yellow split pea dip
SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 55 MINS

“The fava here is not fava bean but yellow split peas, which are grown on Santorini and Crete,
where this dip originates,” says Konis. “It’s served warm and is a little like hummus.”

125 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus
extra for drizzling
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot (125gm), finely chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
1 small rosemary sprig
500 gm yellow split peas
2 tsp baby salted capers, rinsed,
drained
Sliced red onion, sliced spring onion
and sliced long green chilli, to serve
Charred pita bread and lemon
wedges, to serve
1 Heat 60ml oil in a large saucepan over with a little more water.
high heat. Add vegetables with herbs 4 Spoon warm dip onto a large platter,
and cook, stirring occasionally, until scatter with capers, sliced red onion,
vegetables have softened (5-6 minutes). sliced spring onions, and sliced long
2 Add split peas and cook, stirring until green chillies. Drizzle with extra olive oil
lightly toasted (5-6 minutes). Stir in 1 litre and serve with charred pita bread and
water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat lemon wedges on the side. ➤
to low and simmer covered until split
peas are very soft and start to fall apart
(40-45 minutes); discard herbs.
3 Transfer to a blender with remaining
oil, 40ml water and blend until smooth;
season to taste. If mixture is thick, loosen

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 109
 PANTZAROSALATA
Steamed beetroot and leaves
SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 1 HR 10 MINS (PLUS INFUSING, COOLING)

“When Greeks cook beetroot we always cook it with the leaves. This is a classic side
with fish. Beetroot with fish for us is like soy sauce with dim sims,” says Konis.

5 each baby golden and red beetroot
with leaves (about 1 bunch each)
125 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for
drizzling
3 garlic cloves, crushed
250 gm feta, drained
Micro parsley, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 180˚C fan-forced.
Separate beetroot from stems and
leaves. Trim leaves with stems keeping
5cm of thin stem; discard remaining
stems and reserve leaves. Place
beetroot separately on 2 large sheets of
foil, drizzle with a little oil and season.
Fold foil over beetroot and seal edges to
form a parcel. Place on oven tray. Roast
until cooked (1 hour). Stand until cool
enough to handle, then peel and discard
skin. Reserve beetroot. Keep warm.
2 Meanwhile, place 75ml oil and garlic
in a small bowl, season to taste and stir
to combine.
3 In a saucepan of boiling salted water
blanch leaves (1-2 minutes). Refresh
in iced water then drain excess water.
4 Place feta with remaining oil in
a blender and blend until smooth;
set aside.
5 Spoon feta over a large serving platter
and top with beetroot mixture. Drizzle
with garlic oil and scatter with micro
parsley.
Note This recipe can be served warm,
chilled or at room temperature.

KEFTEDES
Con’s mum’s famous meatballs
MAKES 25 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 15 MINS (PLUS 10 MINS SOAKING)

“We had a few different meatball recipes we were toying with but we did some blind tastings and Con’s mum’s
meatballs got the tick of approval,” says Konis. Pictured p105

200 gm white sourdough bread, crust 1 Soak bread in a bowl with 150ml water 3 Heat a large saucepan with 2cm oil
removed, torn into chunks until bread has softened (5 minutes). over medium-high heat. Shallow-fry
1 onion, finely chopped Squeeze out excess water. keftedes, carefully turning occasionally,
2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 Line a large oven tray with baking until browned and cooked through (3-4
1 cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley paper. Place bread in a large bowl with minutes). Drain on paper towel and
leaves, finely chopped onion, garlic, parsley, beef, pork and season to taste.
500 gm minced beef eggs. Using clean hands work mixture 4 To serve, transfer to a large serving
250 gm minced pork until well combined, season to taste. platter, drizzle with oil and scatter with
4 eggs, lightly beaten Divide keftedes into 25 (50gm each) oregano sprigs and tzatziki. ➤
Plain flour, in a small bowl for dusting portions and roll into balls. Dust in
Extra-virgin olive oil, for flour and shake off excess; place on
shallow-frying and drizzling prepared tray.
Oregano sprigs and tzatziki, to serve

110 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 111
 PORTOKALOPITA
Orange fillo cake
SERVES 8-10 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 50 MINS (PLUS DRYING, COOLING)

“This recipe from Katerina Malindretos, my best mate’s mum, uses fillo rather than flour,”
says Konis. “It’s like a magical sponge cake with a very interesting texture.”

375 gm fillo pastry, cut into rough saucepan over high heat. Bring to the
2cm squares boil and stir until sugar has dissolved
3 eggs and thickened slightly (3 minutes). Stand
1 egg yolk until cooled to room temperature.
130 gm caster sugar 3 Preheat oven to 140˚C fan-forced.
130 gm vegetable oil Grease and line base and sides of
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped a 20cm x 30cm slice tin. Place eggs,
3 tsp baking powder yolk, sugar, oil, vanilla bean, powder,
Zest from 2 oranges zest, and yoghurt in the bowl of an
200 gm natural Greek-style yogurt, plus electric mixer. Using a whisk attachment
extra yoghurt to serve beat until fluffy (3-5 minutes). Gradually
Glacé oranges and baby mint leaves, fold through dried fillo squares until
to serve combined. Spoon mixture into prepared
ORANGE SYRUP tin, spread evenly and bake until skewer
500 gm caster sugar is inserted and comes out clean, cooked
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped and lightly golden (45 minutes). Remove
125 ml (½ cup) orange juice (about from oven, poke a few holes with a
2 oranges) skewer over top and stand on a wire
rack over a tray. While cake is hot
1 Place fillo on 3 large oven trays and gradually add three-quarters of syrup
spread out evenly, separating layers to until fully absorbed. Stand cake until
air dry. Toss gently and turn over cooled to room temperature.
occasionally, until fillo is dry and crisp 4 Cut cake into desired portions, and
(4-6 hours). serve with glacé oranges, and scatter
2 Meanwhile, for orange syrup, place with baby mint leaves. Drizzle with
ingredients with 500ml water in a large remaining syrup, if desired. "

112 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 113
 A FEAST

Greek
omelette

p 118

Kindness is at the heart of these

inclusive recipes by human rights
advocate and passionate cook
KON KARAPANAGIOTIDIS,
together with his mother, Sia.

Photography Sarah Pannell

FOR ALL
114 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
P
hiloxenia is the Greek
concept of being a friend
to a stranger and forms part
of the title of Kon
Karapanagiotidis and his mother
Sia’s cookbook. “I truly believe food
humanises us, tearing down walls
of predjudice and fear and creating
a social scaffolding that allows us
to embrace one another,” says the
human rights advocate.
These recipes are but a small
taste of the family favourites compiled
in A Seat at My Table: Philoxenia, from
which Karapanagiotidis will donate
100 per cent of proceeds to the
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre,
the charity he founded in
Melbourne in 2011.
Inspired by the sustainable way
his mother goes about the kitchen
and his late father’s gardening,
Karapanagiotidis’ book also speaks to
filotimo, “being a friend of honour”.
As Karapanagiotidis explains, “It is
like breathing for us Greeks: to offer
a helping hand, open the doors to
our homes and provide a seat at the
table for someone who needs it.” And
in the spirit of giving that means
vegetarians, vegans and the gluten
intolerant too, who are all catered to.
“My parents taught me to show
filotimo and philoxenia through
food, as a way to open the door to
our stories and culture.”
Pan-fried Greek feta with honey,
rosemary and thyme
MEZE DISH
“No meal is complete without a slice of feta on the kitchen table. In fact, the word
‘feta’ means slice. It is a deeply entrenched part of the Greek national identity, way
of life and history,” says Kon Karapanagiotidis.
1 egg, beaten and then both sides in the plain flour.
50 gm plain flour 2 Heat olive oil in a frying pan until
200 gm Greek feta slice (in hot. Add lemon zest and lemon thyme
a thick block) to the oil. Add the block of feta and
120 ml extra-virgin olive oil cook on one side for 3-4 minutes, or
50 gm honey until nice and golden brown, then turn
Zest of 1 lemon, plus extra to serve and cook for a further 3-4 minutes,
1 tsp lemon thyme, chopped, plus or until golden brown. Transfer to
extra to serve a paper towel to drain excess oil
1 tsp chopped rosemary and leave for 2 minutes. Transfer to
25 gm pistachios, crushed a serving plate and drizzle with honey,
1 tbsp sesame seeds and sprinkle with pistachios, lemon
zest, extra lemon thyme, rosemary
1 Fill one small bowl with cold water, and sesame seeds.
one small bowl with beaten egg and Note To make it gluten-free, use
another bowl with the plain flour. First a gluten-free flour. For leftovers, blend
dip the block of feta in the cold water, with cream cheese and Greek-style
then dip both sides in the beaten egg yoghurt into a whipped feta dip. ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 115
 Black-eyed pea stew
SERVES6
“The queen of legumes is the black-
eyed pea, for its versatility, taste and
beauty. Here I make it as a delicious
stew with greens and lots of fresh
herbs,” says Karapanagiotidis.
600 gm (3 cups) dried black-eyed peas,
soaked overnight
80 ml (1⁄3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 tsp sugar
250 gm silverbeet, coarsely chopped
250 gm spinach, coarsely chopped
3 spring onions, finely diced
15 gm (¼ cup) dill, finely chopped
116 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
15 gm (¼ cup) mint, finely chopped
7 gm (¼ cup) flat-leaf parsley, finely
chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
250 ml (1 cup) can crushed tomatoes
80 ml (1⁄3 cup) water
1 Fill a large pot with water and bring to
the boil. Add peas and cook for about
1 hour, or until tender but firm. Drain and
rinse under cold water and set aside.
2 Heat oil in a saucepan over a low heat
and sauté the onion and sugar for 2-3
minutes, or until caramelised. Add
silverbeet and spinach and cook for
15 minutes until wilted.
3 Add spring onion and herbs and cook
for another couple of minutes.
4 Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes,
water and cook, gently stirring, for 10
minutes. Add beans and cook on low
heat for about another 10 minutes until
you get a lovely thick sauce and stew.
Season to taste with salt and pepper
about 5 minutes before the end of the
cooking time.
Note This dish is vegan and gluten-free.
For leftovers, drain the juices and put
the leftovers in a large bowl. Using
a hand-held mixer, blitz to create
a delicious, thick black-eyed pea
and spinach dip.
PEINIRLI
Greek pizza three ways
SERVES 4

Peinirli is boat-shaped bread that can be

filled with whatever your heart desires.

DOUGH
1 kg 00 plain flour, farina flour or
special white flour, plus extra for
dusting
2½ tsp yeast
1 tsp white or brown sugar
750 ml (3 cups) lukewarm water
Extra-virgin olive oil, for glazing
and greasing
SILVERBEET AND FETA TOPPING
400 gm can crushed tomatoes
8 basil leaves
1 tbsp dried Greek oregano
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp tomato paste
350 gm Greek feta
250 gm silverbeet, sautéed
2 red onions, sliced into rings
KASSERI AND OLIVES TOPPING
400 gm can crushed tomatoes
8 fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp dried Greek oregano
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp tomato paste
100 gm Greek feta, grated, to stuff
the crust
250 gm kasseri cheese, coarsely grated
200 gm sliced black olives
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
CHERRY TOMATOES AND soft and springy – the dough should later to create the boat-like pizze.
FETA TOPPING bounce back when you place your 4 Crumble Greek feta at the edges of
250 gm cherry tomatoes, halved thumb into it. the dough and fold them in to create
250 gm Greek feta 2 Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a dough feta crust; in doing so you are
1 tbsp dried Greek oregano plastic wrap (wrap also in a blanket or now also encasing the toppings.
large towel if it is cold in your house) and 5 Take each end of the dough,
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C and line set aside in a warm place for at least one at a time, and gently twirl as
a large baking tray with baking paper. 2 hours to prove. Turn out the dough pictured. Brush the pastry with
To make the dough, combine water, onto a lightly floured surface and knead extra-virgin olive oil. Place on a prepared
yeast and sugar in a bowl, cover with for a further 1-2 minutes. Divide into tray and bake for 30-45 minutes until you
plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes 4 equal portions. Roll each dough ball get a golden crust and the cheese is
to ferment. Using a wooden spoon or out into the size of a little boat shape melted and golden.
mixing with your hands, gradually add (approx. 30cm x 10cm wide). Note To make it vegan, use vegan feta,
flour and 2 tsp salt and mix to combine. 3 Add your toppings through the centre kasseri, mozzarella, colby, provolone or
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured of each dough, leaving the edges of the pecorino romano cheese. For gluten-
surface and knead for 5 minutes until dough empty so we can fold them in free, use gluten-free flour. ➤

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 117

Watermelon and
ouzo salad
SERVES4
Watermelon has been valued by the
Greeks for a few thousand years, not
just as a culinary delight but also as
a diuretic and a medical treatment for
heatstroke (they recommended
placing the wet rind of the watermelon
on one’s forehead). Today, watermelon
is used copiously in fruit platters and
salads, as well as being fried as
fritters, baked as a part of cakes and
sweets or cooked into delicious glyko
karpouzi as a sweet preserve.
¼ watermelon (about 125gm), peeled
and sliced into chunks
30 ml ouzo
1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
50 gm Greek feta, crumbled
2 tbsp coarsely chopped mint
½ bunch basil, torn
1 Place watermelon in a large bowl and
pour over the ouzo. Leave the ouzo to
soak into the cut watermelon for a few
hours in the fridge to help create a
delicious, intense flavour.
2 Gently toss the watermelon with all
remaining ingredients together in a
large bowl.
Note This dish is gluten-free. Make it
vegan by using a vegan feta.
This extract from A Seat at
My Table: Philoxenia,
Vegetarian and Vegan Greek
Kitchen Recipes by Kon and
Sia Karapanagiotidis (Hardie
Grant, $45) has been
reproduced with minor
GT style edits.
FROUTALIA
Greek omelette
SERVES4
“Traditionally made with potatoes and sausages, froutalia is a moreish omelette
from the Cyclades islands. This is my vegetarian version,” says Karapanagiotidis.
“You can substitute zucchini, eggplant or artichokes for potatoes.” Pictured p114
2 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 3 Let pan cool down for a few minutes
about 3mm thick and wipe clean with paper towel. Add
1 tbsp dried Greek oregano fresh canola oil.
Canola oil, for frying 4 Combine eggs, herbs, olives and
3 eggs, beaten feta in a large bowl. Return the pan
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary over a medium heat and cover the
1 tsp fresh thyme base with slices of cooked potato. Pour
1 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley over the egg mixture, using a fork to
1 tsp chopped mint prick little holes into the potatoes, and
50 gm Kalamata olives, pitted cook for 2 minutes.
and sliced 5 Place a plate that covers the whole
50 gm Greek feta, crumbled pan on top to cover it and quickly and
carefully flip pan over so omelette is on
1 Toss potato slices with oregano and plate. Slide it back into pan to cook for
season with salt and pepper to taste. a further 2 minutes so both sides are
2 Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in evenly cooked.
a frying pan until hot. Add potato and Note This recipe is gluten-free.
fry on both sides until golden (make Leftovers can be enjoyed cold or sliced
sure they don’t burn). Once cooked, up as an afternoon mezze snack or as
transfer to a plate lined with paper part of dinner.
towel to drain excess oil.
MELOMAKARONA
Honey cookies
S E R V E S 1 0-1 2
“These honey biscuits have their origins in the time of the Byzantine Empire,” says
Karapanagiotidis.
SYRUP
500 ml (2 cups) water
440 gm (2 cups) white sugar
¼ lemon with skin on
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
750 gm (2 cups) honey
COOKIES
250 ml (1 cup) canola oil
220 gm (1 cup) white sugar
1 tbsp orange zest
250 ml (1 cup) freshly squeezed
orange juice
2 tbsp brandy or Cognac
½ tsp ground cinnamon
200 gm (2 cups) walnut halves,
finely chopped
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 kg self-raising flour
230 gm (2 cups) finely ground walnuts
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp clove powder
1 For cookies, in a stand mixer set to
high or speed 10, beat the oil and sugar
for about 5 minutes until it becomes
thicker with a bit of white colour.
2 Reduce the mixer to a low speed
(or speed 2), add orange zest, orange
juice, brandy and cinnamon and mix for
5 minutes. Add walnuts and mix for
another minute then turn the mixer off
and remove the bowl from the mixer.
3 Add bicarbonate of soda to bowl and
mix in with a wooden spoon. Sift in
baking powder with 150gm (1 cup) of the
flour. Gradually sift in 525gm (3½ cups)
of the flour, mixing it with a wooden
spoon to form a dough.
4 Turn out dough onto a flat surface
and gradually sift in the remaining flour,
kneading as you go for a further
5 minutes to form a soft dough. Be
careful to not overwork the dough. We
just want it to absorb the flour, you will
know you are overworking it if your
dough gets really oily. To test, press
your thumb into the dough and see if it
bounces right back.
5 Preheat the oven to 180°C and line
a baking tray with baking paper.
6 Cut the dough into small walnut-sized
pieces. Make them into small ovals as
pictured here, about 4cm long x 1.5cm
wide. Place on the prepared tray, making
sure to have spacing between them
each as they will spread during cooking.
Using a fork, press along the biscuit to
create a design for walnut and honey to
be absorbed later or use a knife to cut
three indents as pictured here on each
biscuit. These indents are important as
they are key to the biscuits being able to
fully absorb the syrup. Bake for about 45
minutes until golden then set aside to
cool. Crush the walnuts in a mortar and
pestle until fine and then add the clove
and cinnamon powder and stir through.
Set aside.
7 For syrup, combine ingredients in
a saucepan over a low heat and bring to
the boil. Cook for 5 minutes, scooping
off any white residue from the honey.
Remove from heat and keep warm (you
need the syrup to be hot when you dip
the biscuits).
8 Drop each biscuit into the syrup,
around 5 at a time, and use a spatula to
turn them to ensure each side absorbs
honey. Allow them to absorb the honey
for about 5-6 seconds on each side then
remove and transfer to a serving plate
(don’t leave them in the honey too long
or they will break).
9 Sprinkle with walnut and cinnamon
mixture to serve. "
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 119
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 FEBRUARY

Into the sunset

Understanding the past, the last days
of summer in Paros and Antiparos,
a Mudgee escape, a local’s guide to
Athens and discovering Crete on foot.

Paros, Greece

p 124
PHOTOGRAPHY TARYN PECK.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 121
 The art of…
living history

Hey, history happens. ANNA HART learns the

ILLUSTRATION GETTY IMAGES.

true meaning of modern civilisation in Athens.

122 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 The art of travel

T
ravel journalists are fond of saying that Ottoman flavours as well as modern Bangladeshi,
a city “melds old and new”, as if time Pakistani and Albanian influences, testament to
hasn’t happened everywhere. I’m sure I’ve Greece’s welcoming of migrants. I sipped raki and
written these waffly words about craft cocktails at The Clumsies, and learned about
Singapore, Rome, Marrakech. And then I visited Greece’s fledgling natural wine scene, as creative
Athens, which cured me of this journalistic trope, young winemakers who travelled to learn their craft
because I realised I’d uttered these words without in Provence, Lombardy, Mendoza, Sonoma or
knowing what they meant. Athens was an education. Hunter Valley return to their homeland with skills
Plenty of cities wear their history modestly, and a wine-scene Instagram following. There is
accessorising with a well-placed cathedral or neat hope, but there is also humility, and it is a spirit I try
historic quarter. But in Athens, history is not just to imbibe with every sip of organic Agiorgitiko.
something nice to look at. History gets into every Chatting to new friends at one of the city’s many
nook and cranny, every glass of natural wine or rooftop bars, big-hearted hotshots who have
meze plate, every new business venture, progressive tirelessly pushed their indie fashion businesses,
community non-profit or indie sustainable fashion community soup kitchens, tech startups and
label. If there is an overarching Greek philosophy wheelchair-accessible avant garde theatres through
today, it is that history happens, hard, and our best years of chaos, I wondered if rooftop bars were the
hope is to strive for civility and against injustice, secret of their success. Rooftops and rooftop bars
with good grace, food and wine. are revered sacred spaces in Athens, and they allow
Before my trip, I had no idea that Athens, as Athenians to gaze over the city skyline, glass of raki
well as being one of the world’s or natural wine in hand,
oldest cities, is one of the In Athens, history contemplating the Acropolis.
youngest European capitals. It is not just The ancient citadel is a majestic
was only in 1834, in the symbol, for modern Athenians,
aftermath of the Greek War of something nice of their noble heritage as
Independence, that this farming to look at. History philosopher kings and the
town of 4000 residents was gets into every architects of modern western
selected as the capital of the European civilisation. It’s also
newly independent Greek state. nook and cranny. a massive, sombre reminder of
London and Paris had been the frailty of power, the futility of
capital cities since the 12th century, so poor Athens ambition, the flimsiness of perceived security. The
had some catching up to do. Two young architects, Acropolis is the ideal totem for romantic souls,
Gustav Eduard Schaubert and Stamatis Kleanthis, social justice idealists, culinary dreamers,
created a topographical plan of Athens’s ancient unappreciated online poets, emos and goths.
ruins and Byzantine churches that became the Perhaps if I meditated on the face of the Acropolis
blueprint for this modern capital of the new for five minutes every day, drunk on raki or not,
Kingdom of Greece, and 19th- and 20th-century I too would adopt a philosophy of gracious
Athens was developed in a triangle north of the acceptance coupled with true grit. Athens is a city
Acropolis and Old Town, conserving the ruins in that invented democracy, a city where philosophy
the northern half of the original city. Assimilating, has always been in fashion, and Athens will be
absorbing and accepting history is the philosophy civilised even when she’s in a state of flux.
that modern Athens was built upon. I know many travellers who rely on nature to
As I write, Greece has manoeuvred itself into restore their equilibrium during times of tumult,
a relatively promising economic position for the first when the daily news grinds us down or our routine
time in more than a decade. But ancient Athens has feels like a trap. Nature has never quite done this for
risen and fallen countless times throughout its me. I learn my most valuable lessons from cities,
Anna is a travel 3400-year history, and this explains the city’s from people. And Athens is a city I think of often
and lifestyle indefatigable spirit, despite the financial tumult when I worry that the world is going backwards.
journalist, and after what Greeks refer to as “The Crisis”. I know that every time I visit, Athens will gently
author of the
For me, food serves as a reliable barometer of mock my simplistic, linear understanding of time
travel memoir
Departures. social trends and economic fluctuations. Eating and and human progress, and challenge me to look at
@annadothart drinking my way around Athens, I savoured ancient life differently. As all the most civilised cities do. !

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 123
 Sun, seafood and empty streets. Paros and Antiparos are
at their best at the season’s end, writes HANNAH-ROSE YEE.

L A S T D A Y S

124 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
O F S U M M E R
Photography TARYN PECK

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 125
 I
t’s the first week of October and it’s a balmy
26 degrees in Naoussa, a small fishing village
on the Cycladic island of Paros. An air of
peacefulness pervades the whole island. The
boutiques are uncrowded, the streets empty and
there’s never a line for the best loungers at Piperi
beach. You can get a table at any of the Naoussa
hotspots – including the buzzy seafood restaurant
Barbarossa, wine bar Yemeni or Sigi Ikthios,
famous for its trademark fiery prawn saganaki
– without waiting.
Paros is one of the most accessible Greek
islands: a small airport links the hotspot via daily
flights to Athens and the fast ferry from Mykonos
will get you poolside at Naoussa hotel Avant Mar
with a tequila cocktail and a dish of taramasalata
in under an hour. Avant Mar is a new boutique
hotel just outside of town, which first opened its
doors in July in peak season. Temperatures this
summer soared as crowds of tourists packed the
winding alleys of Naoussa for months. Only this
past week, right before most restaurants and hotels
126 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
close until the next year, have things really begun
to quiet down. “You’ve come at the best time,”
admits general manager Anna Asimakopoulou in
a whisper, as she takes me on a tour of the pristine
property. I know there are other guests, but
I rarely see them. It is almost as if I have the whole
hotel, all curves of white stone shaded by swaying
palm trees, to myself. And still, by coming late in
the season, as the crowds have finally peeled away,
the weather is still good. One morning I head
down to Piperi beach, where Avant Mar has
cordoned off a gaggle of loungers for guests. The
sun is bright and the water refreshing. “The
Aegean is still warm!” Asimakopoulou encourages
me. I spend a lazy morning stretched out in the
sun before ambling along the coastal walk into
town in search of gyros. I find one at Kargas, on
an unassuming corner in the heart of the village.
Tender slices of pork and just-warmed pita are
served with dollops of tzatziki garlicky enough to
blow the roof off, all for less than $10. In the high
season, Kargas would be heaving, with lines

Clockwise from above:
a fisherman in Paros
prepares his nets; Lyda,
Antiparos; fresh fish.
Opposite: alfresco
tavernas at Paros.
PREVIOUS PAGES Boats
in the port of Paros.
A single town rests at the tip of the
island. The remainder is largely
undeveloped, studded with tavernas,
miles of sand and the bluest water.
snaking around the corner. But in early October,
everything is just right.
The ferry from Paros to Antiparos takes just
seven minutes. Where Paros’ reputation as a chic
hideaway is only growing – Asimakopoulou shares
conspiratorially that some guests arrived via
helicopter to dine at the hotel’s Nobu Matsuhisa
restaurant – Antiparos is, as the name might
suggest, the antithesis. Sure, the island is home to
some very famous residents (Tom Hanks and Rita
Wilson) who, in turn, bring with them some very
famous guests (the Obamas). But where Paros
boasts a population of 12,500, Antiparos is home
to just 1200 people. A single town rests at the tip
of the island. The remainder is largely
undeveloped, studded here and there with small,
family-run tavernas, miles of sand and the bluest
water you’ve ever seen.
Antiparos is, in a word, laid-back, as evident
the second I walk through the doors at Lyda, a villa
run by The Thinking Traveller and my home for
the next week. Maddalena, my contact on the
ground, is searching for the keys. “Is there a key?
Where is the key,” she laughs, rifling through
drawers in the sun-drenched kitchen, with views ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 127
 across the sea to Paros. Finally, she locates a set
I spend the week moving lurking in the back of a cabinet. “But it’s like the
from sunbed to sunbed, and outback here,” she assures me, with a smile. “You
eating every meal at a don’t need to lock the door. (Maddalena’s
different alfresco dining spot. husband hails from Sydney; the couple now live
in Paros full-time.)
With its pale stone walls and abundant herb
gardens, Lyda feels as if it has sprung organically
from the hillside, and though it is only a 10 minute
drive from the port, the villa feels completely
secluded. Comprising six bedrooms across four
Clockwise from left: buildings huddled around the enormous pool
Lyda’s poolside overlooking the glittering Aegean, there’s more
views; its exterior;
and its lounge area.
space than most small hotels. And I intend to
Opposite: a sailing enjoy it: I spend the week trying out the various
boat in the port outdoor areas, moving from sunbed to sunbed,
at Paros. and eating every meal at a different alfresco dining
spot. (Trust me, there are enough of them.) On my
first night, I am treated to a dinner prepared by
Stella, The Thinking Traveller’s private chef on
Paros and Antiparos, who arrives in the late
afternoon with bags of fresh produce. She prepares
me a feast: grilled octopus with fava beans and
caramelised onions, a salad of ripest figs and goat’s
cheese, slow-cooked, rosemary-rich lamb falling off
the bone and, to finish, a pavlova topped with
mangoes from Stella’s garden in Paros.
The next morning, I take my coffee to
a lounger just outside my bedroom. Daniela, the
villa’s housekeeper spots me and sits down for
a chat. “You should go into town,” she advises. ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 129
 Holiday makers disembark from boats and head
straight for the taverna, ordering platters of
salty sardines. A trio of older men sit in the
corner and drink their coffee in the sun.
“It’s so nice now. So quiet.” In high season, she
tells me, there are too many people jostling for
space on the tightly winding alleyways. “Now, there
are no people. Only cats.” The walk from the villa
is just 20 minutes, and takes me right past Oliaros,
a jewellery and antiques store that has held court
on the island since 1981. I take my time looking at
each window, full of treasures: priceless antique
coins set into necklaces and the most beautiful pair
of coral teardrop earrings. I also stop at Leto,
which stocks the finest quality linen shirts,
exquisitely cut in shades of persimmon and
periwinkle. Because it is the end of season, Leto
is having a sale. Another win. On my walk back to
the villa, I swing by Pipinios for a dinner of
expertly charred lamb chops, dressed with only
salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
The true majesty of Greek cooking is this
simplicity. A drizzle of olive oil on a piece of fish,
the tang of soft mizithra cheese, mixed with
cucumbers and lettuce in a salad, discs of zucchini
and eggplant, flash-fried and crisp, dipped into
taramasalata. This is the food served at Perigiali,
a family-run taverna with big windows fronting
130 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Panagia beach, about 10 minutes walk from
Lyda. This is the closest beach to the villa, and
one afternoon I spot the taverna while reclining
near the pool. I make my way there for a late
lunch. “The calamari is good,” the waitress
suggests, “caught fresh in Antiparos this morning.”
So I order that, with a side of saganaki. The
calamari comes out with a wedge of lemon, grilled
and springy, and the saganaki oozes onto the plate
Clockwise from once I’ve cut into it. Everything is simple, but
above: poolside perfectly prepared.
at Avant Mar;
gyros. Opposite, On my last day, I cross the island from Lyda
from top: Avant to dine at Agios Georgios. The southern corner of
Mar’s Thymes Antiparos is home to a stretch of deserted beach
restaurant;
aquatic
and two seafood tavernas: Captain Pipinos,
adventures beloved for its grilled octopus, and Mpakas,
in Paros. a newer eatery right next door. Both have tables
 BOOKING INFO
Avant Mar, Paros, starts
from $980 per room per
night. avantmar.com.

Villa Lyda starts at $12,850

per week for exclusive
use of the three-bedroom
Getting main house.
there thethinkingtraveller.com

You can reach Paros via

a flight from Athens or
ferries from Athens
and Mykonos. perched above the water with views of Despotiko,
an uninhabited island that was once the sanctuary
of Apollo. Maddalena, who has been guiding me
all week with restaurant suggestions, says that
Mpakas is her favourite, so I settle in. By now, it’s
the very tail end of the season; in just a few days,
most of Antiparos will shutter until the tourists
flock back in April. But the energy down here is
still high: groups of the last holiday makers
disembark from boats and head straight for the
taverna, ordering platters of salty sardines, smoked
mackerel and seafood pasta. A trio of older men sit
in the corner and drink their coffee in the sun.
While I wait for my lunch – octopus swimming
in orzo and a rich tomato sauce, fried whitebait
and yet another Greek salad – I look out at the
shimmering sea. Most of this week, Antiparos has
been cloaked in high winds, the peril of coming so
late in the year. But today, the air is still. A last gift
at the end of the season. !

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 131
 DESTINATION

Mudgee
We hit the road for a weekend escape, exploring the best regional Australia
has to offer. This month we head to Mudgee in NSW’s central west.
Words MATTY HIRSCH

S T A Y
The Shed by Zin is not equipped with WiFi. There’s no TV, and mobile reception is spotty at
best. Once the slow, majestic sunset begins over the distant hills, however, you’ll be thankful
for the absence of distraction. This self-contained and warmly appointed former artist’s
studio occupies a quiet patch of Tinja, the thousand-acre certified organic and biodynamic
farm that winemaker David Lowe and chef Kim Currie are lucky enough to call home. Kitted
out with a kitchenette, free-standing fireplace, barbecue and outdoor fire pit, it’s an ideal
weekend hideaway for a solo traveller or couple, perhaps with a four-legged friend in tow.
Warm touches like estate wines and olive oil sweeten the deal, along with freshly squeezed
juice and sourdough from Althea by Zin, the couple’s bakery in town. While Mudgee is only
a 10-minute drive away, the ultimate amenity here is your proximity to the property’s famed
assets: Lowe Family Wine Co’s cellar door and The Zin House – a longstanding flag-bearer
for regional fine-dining – which are both a short stroll up the hill. Make the most of it and
ease into your day with a tasting overlooking the vines, followed by a tour through the
gardens and orchards that govern the restaurant’s hyper-seasonal six-course menu. Without
the pressure of table turns, you’re free to take things at your own pace in the airy, art-filled
dining room, luxuriating in the likes of house-made charcuterie, rotolo stuffed with bitter
greens and tender cuts of Tinja beef. To finish, call for another glass of the hallmark
zinfandel, saunter down to the sunken lounges that surround an open-air hearth, and toast
to a finely turned vision of genuine, generous hospitality. lowefamilywineco.com.au

132 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 The weekender

T H E R E G I O N
Three-and-a-half hours by car – or a swift 50 minutes by plane – from Sydney,
Mudgee is every bit the picture of a well-preserved and proudly traffic-light-free
country town. Heritage buildings, independent boutiques and old-timey pubs line
the leafy streets, which play host to lively markets most Saturday mornings. It’s
prime territory for a weekend of pottering, but also perfectly positioned for further
adventures: a jaunt to one of several nearby historic villages, a bushwalk through
Wollemi National Park or a hot-air balloon flight to see it all from the sky at sunrise.

T H E W I N E R I E S
Grapes were first planted here during the
1850s gold rush, and today the thriving
region teems with more than 35 cellar
Clockwise from doors. Logan Wines makes for a very fine
left: Logan Wines
estate; Mudgee’s first stop on your way into town, covering
Lowe wines and all bases from skinsy pinot gris to plush
vineyards; tempranillo in a striking glassed-in tasting
winemaking at room. If succulent, expressive rieslings are
Huntington
of interest – and they should be – Robert
Estate; Althea by
Zin coffee, Stein Winery is an essential address, with
croissants and ace cured meats from estate-reared
exterior.Opposite: Berkshire pigs a worthy bonus.
Shed by Zin. Traditionalists will relish the shiraz-cab and
other classic trappings in the Huntington
PHOTOGRAPHY TIM WHITE (LOWE WINES) & MUDGEE REGION TOURISM (HUNTINGTON).

Estate line-up, whereas First Ridge Wines

plays a more experimental hand with its
square focus on Italian varieties. Wrap
things up at The Cellar by Gilbert, where
structured flights go great guns with the
T H E R E S T A U R A N T S High Valley cheeses produced next door.
Jump-start your morning like many a local, with
coffee and a signature jaffle in the vine-covered
courtyard at Alby & Esther’s. Over at Althea by
Zin, outstanding organic bread, pastries and
Viennoiserie take top billing, with almond
croissants and canelés not to be missed.
Pipeclay Pumphouse does the long lunch
tradition proud with a six-course spread that may
run from tomato carpaccio and prawn boudin
blanc to strawberry-and-ricotta mousse, with
vineyard views to match. Come dinner, it’s all
about local and seasonal produce filtered
through a timeless Med-inspired lens at The Barn
at Blue Wren Farm, while Three Tails Brewery
and Smokehouse has your craft beer, live music
and Texas-style barbecue needs covered.
 A brand new ancient
Part-time Athenian ANASTASIA MIARI on the best
places to eat, drink and sleep in her metropolis.
M
y city is not an easy city. A historic meeting
(or collision) between the Middle East and
Europe, Athens is chaotic, hot and
frenetic. A soundscape of motorbikes,
market sellers and characterful locals is what I wake to
every morning but then again, so are the blue skies,
warm spanakopita and lush bitter orange trees that line
most pavements. Usually reserved merely as a stopping
off point between the mainland and the islands by
those seeking the white-washed, blue-shuttered houses
of Instagram, Athens has only recently been getting the
love and recognition it so deserves.
Yes, people have travelled to the city to visit its
Ancient Wonders (the majestic Parthenon, its ancient
Agora) for centuries. Lord Byron and Henry Miller
were fans but the Athens of the 21st century has so
134 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
much more to offer than just a slice of the city’s ancient
past. Since the years of the 2008 financial crisis,
boarded-up shops have become buzzing restaurants
showcasing Greece’s finest culinary talent. Old hotels
have been renovated and restored to their former glory.
Verdant parks that were once no-go zones have been
filled with flowers, playgrounds and cultural events,
drawing people back once more.
From gallery openings, pop-up dining experiences
and book launches – Athens is a city that is lived by the
locals after dark. We spill out from restaurants into
graffitied streets, we drink rakomelo and tsipouro to
the twang of the bouzouki and we populate hotel
rooftops until the wee hours. The entire city breathes at
night and once the sun comes up, we can always rely on
Greek coffee, spanakopita and the Acropolis to enliven.

Sunshine, drinks and dining
on the Saronic Gulf
From the port of Piraeus to the
ancient temple at Cape Sounion,
Athens’ Riviera coastline is lapped
at by inky blue water. I always
recommend friends stay along the
coast upon stepping off a plane to
Athens. It’s the ideal place to recoup
after a long journey, with its fresh sea
PHOTOGRAPHY RUPERT PEACE (ONE&ONLY). & MANOS CHATZIKONSTANTIS (SARDELAKI ME THEA)
breeze and white sailboats bobbing
languidly in the distance. The city’s
nightlife is easily accessible by Uber
within 20 minutes and by day, you can
soak up the sun on a beach and drink
freddo cappuccino in anticipation of
aperitivo hour.
The smart, palm-lined boulevards
of Vouliagmeni plus its roller-blading
residents might momentarily have you
believing you’re in Los Angeles. It’s in
this preened neighbourhood that the
recently revamped Four Seasons Astir
Palace welcomes guests to its 303
mid-century rooms, suites and
bungalows. Designed in the late 1950s
by renowned Greek architects
Emmanouel Voulekas, Pericles
Sakellarios, Konstantinos Dekavallas
and Prokopis Vasileiades, the refresh
retains the original ultra-cool modernist
design aesthetic. Nodding to the
hotel’s retro roots, the bungalows or
Clockwise from left:
Nafsika pool at Four
Seasons Astir Palace;
sardines at Sardelaki
me Thea; Alelia Bar
at One & Only
Aesthesis; street
scenes of Athens.
Opposite: Tzistarakis
Mosque in
Monastiraki Square.
“cabanas” are still a significant feature
and serve as best place to chill.
Come sundown, cocktail bar Avra’s
clientele is made up of smartly
dressed Athenians, come to bask in
the orange glow on the terrace and
sip on a classic mix as the sun dips its
way into the horizon. There are six
restaurants on the Four Seasons
premises, including Matsuhisa Athens
(a Nobu off-shoot with Japanese fusion
dishes) but most notable is Taverna 37
for its relaxed offering of classic Greek
dishes with contemporary flare.
Beyond the hotel, Sardelaki me Thea
is my favourite spot for its incredible
seafood offering and prime position on
the water, with tables dotted right up
to the water’s edge. It’s the perfect
place to people watch the ultra-tanned
beach-goers below. Further north, the
brand new One&Only Aesthesis is
bringing sun-soaked glamour to the
golden stretches of Glyfada. And it’s
another luxe homebase that is adding
to the local dining scene with two
restaurants from Michelin-starred chefs
– Ettore Botrini and Paco Morales –
and three chic bars. ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 135

Old meets new in Monastiraki
Beyond the beach, downtown Athens
is where it’s at when it comes to
experiencing the best of the city’s
nightlife and culture. It’s here that the
two sides of the city collide. The
ancient agora and the Acropolis take
centre stage in this neighbourhood,
from which you can see the hill-top
temple at all times. Meanwhile the
weekly weekend market happens on
the streets of Monastiraki, with vintage
ceramics, carpets, linens and jewellery
thrown into a jumble to be found
among various other treasures.
Athenians sip cold coffees on
pedestrianised streets that are
coloured with street art while those
visiting the city head up the slopes
of the Acropolis to get up close to
the marbles our ancestors kindly
left behind.
I would never suggest skipping the
chance to see the Parthenon marbles
and the Acropolis Museum is an
unmissable option if you’re new to the
city but its Monastiraki’s rooftops that
allow for the best view of our most
prized monument, Mona hotel’s
rooftop bar is my most-frequented of
all the options, owing to its lush rooftop
garden vibes, great wine list and good
tunes. This also happens to be my
hotel of choice in the area. Once an
abandoned factory, Mona is now a
cultural hub comprising 20 boutique
rooms, each one different from the last
plus a speakeasy-style basement
venue and the aforementioned rooftop
where you’re likely to chance upon
a good party with the cream of Athens’
artistic crop. It doubles as a member’s
club, which hosts monthly supper clubs
with leading international chefs –
a great chance to meet Athenians and
dine in the shadow of the Acropolis.
For aperitivo hour, wine bar
Heteroclito has an impressive
selection of Greek wines that will have
Clockwise from top
left: a suite at Mona
hotel; the view from
Mona; Heteroclito
wine bar; and its
selection of wines.
weekly according to the best of what’s
available and in season. Think Greek
flavours and produce with a smart,
contemporary twist. The open kitchen,
terrazzo floor and stainless steel
interiors make it a cool alternative to
the standard taverna fare. If you’re
craving a Greek salad and something
a bit more traditional, the almost-
hidden Diporto is a basement
restaurant that’s been operational for
over a century. The moustached
owner is a total grouch but his hearty
chickpea stews, fava, grilled fish
and veggies are all worth the

PHOTOGRAPHYTRISTAN HOLLINGSWORTH & EFTIHIA STEFANIDI (MONA HOTEL).

you converted from sauvignon to grumpy frowns.
Assyrtiko after one drink. It’s on a busy
pedestrian-only street – a buzzy
people-watching spot before dinner.
Speaking of, Linou Soubasis kai Sia is
a favourite for atmosphere and an
expertly curated menu that changes

Live like a local in Kolonaki,
Exarcheia and Kypseli
While each of these neighbourhoods
has its distinct energy and nuance,
they sit alongside each other at the
heart of the city and are residential
areas. Once upon a time the artists,
actors and musicians of Athens lived in
the beautiful neoclassical homes and
mid-century modern “polykatoikies”
that line these streets. It’s in these
zones that you can stroll the narrow
pavements and look up, marvelling at
balconies and rooftops that overflow
and drip with flora. It’s here that you’ll
find Athenians sitting playing
backgammon in the shade of bitter
orange trees and chance upon weekly
food markets that sing with the colour
of fresh produce and lively locals.
Kolonaki is where you’ll find the
swankiest apartments with rooftop
pools that you can glimpse from on
PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES (MONASTIRAKI)
high when hiking up Lycabettus
Hill. Owing to its status as the
neighbourhood for the well-heeled,
it boasts an exceptional local bakery,
Kora, that makes the best pastries in
Athens and Monsieur Didot, a pretty
neoclassical house that’s been
transformed into a boutique hotel with
six luxury suites. It’s rumoured that
John Lennon and Yoko Ono once
stayed here on an Athens trip but
aside from this, the parquet floors, high
ceilings and Juliet balconies as well as
the intimate feel of the place make it
particularly wanderlust-worthy.
For the best architecture and
a genuine feeling of being among
locals, stroll through leafy Pedion tou
Areos park towards Kypseli. The
pedestrianised walkway of Fokionos
Negri is home to a Municipal Market
with frequently changing pop-up stores
that range from ceramics made by local
artists to vintage clothing and art
books. Eprepe is the bar to head to for
a good Negroni and an even better
selection of seasonal small plates that
burst with flavour while Geitonia is
Clockwise from top
left: view of the
Acropolis at sunset;
breakfast in bed at
Monsieur Didot; and
its open-air terrace.
where you can find a homely selection
of “mageireuta” or “cooked” dishes
that you might well be served by
a Greek yiayia.
Then onto the graffitied streets of
Exarcheia for the Saturday morning
farmers’ market at Kallidromiou Street
which has become a bit of an event –
not just a place to stock up on your
weekly veggies. The cafés lining
Kallidromiou become packed by 1pm
and local buskers and bouzouki bands
set up between stalls of honey, olives
and flowers, giving the whole chaotic
scene even more character. Once
night draws in, you can grab the best
meze bites at Frumel followed by
seemingly endless glasses of tsipouro
(essentially a Greek grappa) at the
local rebetiko (live music) night at the
tiny Feidiou 2. "
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 137
Walking on a

The best way to experience Crete’s oregano-scented
villages is on foot, writes LIBBY TRAVERS.
Photography SOPHIE DUMONT
T
he best taverna in Crete has been
built on a rocky outcrop where
the Aradena Gorge spills out to the
Mediterranean. The arid cliffs stand
sentinel over a glassy aquamarine bay. Each
morning the sun chairs are laid out on Marmara’s
pebble beach, slowly filling as hikers make their
way out of the gorge; their swim to be chased
by one of the best lunches on the island. There
are only two ways into this gustatory paradise:
by boat or by foot.
Crete is an island that rewards the hiker,
with trails that zigzag all over. At 240 kilometres
from east to west, it’s the largest island in Greece
and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean, taking
in fertile valleys and deep gorges along with
a considerable mountain range in the middle
that rises to 2400 metres.
Its size and geographical contrast allows for
incredible biodiversity. Home to thousands of
species of plants, some 10 per cent are only found
Clockwise from
top left: village
streets in Spili,
Crete. Opposite:
Marmara Beach.
in Crete. You sit to draw your breath and that
breath is clouded with the perfume of the
surrounding thyme and wild oregano. This
biodiversity in turn rewards the curious diner.
On my first trip to Crete, I spent a month
in the tiny seaside village of Loutro, on the raw
and rugged southern coast. The tourist season had
not yet begun and I had the town largely to myself.
We – the hoteliers, restaurateurs, fishermen, cooks
and I – were often held captive by the sea and the
winds, sometimes for one day, sometimes for five
(there are no roads to Loutro, only goat tracks
and the sea). I learnt to walk for my supper.
I wandered gorges, cliffs, beaches and
meadows, following maps drawn on the back of
paper napkins and paths created by herds of goats.
I was treated to an excellent meal in the mountain
village of Anopolis and time with a goatherd Yanis
and his goats on the walk home. I ate dolmades
wrapped in sprightly vine leaves and zucchini
blossoms in the village of Agia Roumeli. ➤
G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 139

At most good tavernas you
will find pies (kalitsounia)
stuffed with an ever-
changing mixture of wild
local weeds and herbs.
140 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
Clockwise from left:
hills of Preveli ;
narrow streets of
Argiroupoli Village;
sardines at Taverna
Dialeskari at
Marmara Beach; a
bell tower
in Marmara.
In Marmara, I was not only rewarded with a
number of excellent meals from wood-fired ovens,
I also met my husband.
When Julien, a French hiking guide, walked
into the taverna at Marmara on that fateful night,
he was halfway through a well-trodden loop,
leaving Chania for Sougia, I spent a day walking
into the valley of Lissos (an abandoned Minoan
village), through Samaria Gorge to Agia Roumeli
and then onto Loutro via Marmara, before
catching a bus back to Chania. It is a loop he has
guided hikers through for more than a decade.
Around a week is enough time to take in the
key sites, gorges and walks. The famed Samaria
Gorge – at 18km it is the longest in Europe – is
a highlight. You can split your accommodation
between Sougia and Loutro. (If you want a real
treat, try to nab one of the three humble rooms
at Marmara.) While there are many professional
hiking tours, there are also simple, well-marked
trails that can be followed with relative ease.
Having now spent a number of years walking
and eating around Crete, I have also learnt to see
that supper in the hills and sea that surrounds us.
I have been privy to the waxing and waning of
the fish hauls, shifting with the moon and the
agitation of the waves. I have watched the spring
flowers come into bloom, first the poppies,
then the thyme, marjoram and wild oregano.
I’ve watched the olive trees come into fruit, and
seen the capers come into flower. I’ve walked
among the goats and talked to the goatherds.
It is rare to see the food of adversity holding
such a dear place in hearts (and on tables). In
many other parts of the Mediterranean, these
traditions have been scorned in place of modern
conveniences or indeed forgotten altogether. I am
particularly enamoured with their use of weeds.
At most good tavernas you will find their wild
weed pies (kalitsounia) are stuffed with an ever-
changing mixture of local weeds and herbs (hikers
aren’t the only ones traipsing the hills), the pastry
made extra flaky with the addition of a little raki
(Crete’s national drink).
 CHANIA

APOPIGADI
C RET E

AGIA
SOUGIA ROUMELI

LOUTRO

SFAKION

Clockwise from left: RECOMMENDED WALKS

This is the food you want to eat in the heat.
It is food to sustain you: fava beans cooked with
olive oil, weeds boiled and served with olive oil
and lemon, snails fried with rosemary, and goat
cooked slowly in a wood-fired oven. You eat the
fish while looking out over the sea from whence
it came. There is a delightful lack of ego in the
kitchens in Crete – it’s all about your comfort
and satiation rather than a testament to the
person behind the stoves. It is also about eating
the landscape – after being out in it. It’s an island
that rewards the intrepid hiker and diner. !
Cycladic architecture
in Crete; Taverna
Dialeskari at
Marmara Beacha;
map of hiking trails.
GETTING ABOUT
KTEL buses, for travel to and from
Sougia and Sfakia, and also for
shuttles to the top of the gorges.
Tickets can be purchased at the
bus station in Chania.
Anendyk Ferries connect Sougia
to Agia Roumeli to Loutro to
Sfakia. The ferries are timed to
meet each other, but also to meet
the buses that will take you back
to Chania. Tickets are at the wharf.
WHERE TO EAT
Oasis Taverna, bottom of Agia
Irini Gorge
Polifimos and L’Anchorage,
Sougia
Rousios, Agia Roumeli
Marmara, Marmara
Pantelitsa, Loutro
Anopoli Taverna, Anopolis
You will need a pair of good hiking
shoes, sun protection and a lot of
water (at least three litres per day
for most hikes).
Sougia to Lissos – an abandoned
Minoan village and burial site.
There is a shuttle ferry running
over summer. It's approximately
90 minutes on foot each way.
Agia Irini Gorge (ex Sougia) – bus
to the top of the gorge, 7.5km to
Oasis Taverna then 2km along
the road.
Samaria Gorge (ex Sougia) –
buses run every morning ferrying
hikers to the top of the gorge,
beating the hordes who arrive
an hour later from Chania. The
18km walk will take you into Agia
Roumeli, where a boat will ferry
you back to Sougia at the end
of the day.
Aradena Gorge – round trip from
Marmara, or bus from Sfakia to
the top and walk down.
Loutro to Marmara – can also be
done on foot, following the grey
and yellow painted markers that
hug the coastline.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 141
 A G o ur m e t Tr av e lle r p r o m o t i o n

Gourmet shopping
They’re the flavours of the month, so put these items at the top of your wish list.

1 2 3

Fullerton Hotel Begin your journey into the
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elegance, the luxury five-star hotel offers
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Artmob Arrernte artist Sam Juparulla
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tells a story relating to his going through
ceremony. RRP $2400, artmob.com.au
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4 5 6

OXO Australia Effortlessly wash and
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it a must-have for any home chef. Enjoy
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RRP $76, oxoaustralia.com.au
Aurum Poultry Co.’s new Salt Baked
Pullet Chicken is a simple, ready-to-cook
version of the Asian classic. Perfectly
suited to those with busy lifestyles looking
to create a delicious meal at home.
RRP $38, aurumpoultryco.au
True North have released their 2024/2025
itineraries, so its time to plan your next big
adventure. Whether it’s the Kimberley
Wilderness or exotic PNG and Indonesia,
it’s bound to be the trip of a lifetime.
truenorth.com.au
 Gourmet Traveller Marketplace
CLOTHING, FOOD & TRAVEL

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 Gourmet Traveller Marketplace
TRAVEL & ART

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 Gourmet Traveller Marketplace
ACCOMMODATION, TRAVEL & CLOTHING

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 FASHION . HOME . BEAUTY

Resort mode
Vacation dressing, breezy
interiors, summer beauty, and
GT-approved coloured glassware.

146 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 2

3
1

5 6
PHOTOGRAPHY KRISTINA SOLJO & WILL HORNER. STYLING JACQUI TRIGGS.

7 8

1 Kenzo Nautical Stripes cropped

cardigan, $652, Farfetch. 2 Large utility
tote in Washed Yellow, $625, Haulier.
3 Contrast Trim Smock dress, $549,
Oroton. 4 B-I sunglasses, $1328,
Balmain. 5 Alight Tuck shorts, $395,
Zimmermann. 6 Multi-Loop Anchor
ring, $450, JW Anderson. 7 Dahlia
Collectable saddle bag, $749, Oroton.
8 Granville espadrille, $1200, Dior.
OPPOSITE Regatta Ring lilo, $1200,
Oliver James Lilos.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 147
 E IN
OM S
H

PIR TIO
A

MARINE CORE

PHOTOGRAPHY DEREK SWALWELL. MERCHANDISING HOLLY DORAN.

So calming it’s almost
a neutral – why kitchens are
entering their blue period.

148 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 Home

1
2

9 8
6

10

11

12

14

13

1 Nemo Applique de Marseille wall light, $1250, Cult Design. 2 Interior wall paint in Ol’ Blue Eyes, from $59 per litre, Tint Paint. 3 Oliveri Vilo Pull Out mixer
in Brushed Gold, $1199, Harvey Norman. 4 Nebulae pendant light, $1724, Ross Gardam. 5 Tura Joinery Pull (500mm), $343, Pittella. 6 Bold sideboard, POA,
Fanuli. 7 New Savior limestone, $385 per square metre, CDK Stone. 8 Fable Outside high stool, from $530, Didier. 9 Raise glasses, $95 for two, In Good
Company. 10 Flexform Gustav dining table, POA, Fanuli. 11 Fiori bowl, POA, Fanuli. 12 Muuto Ridge vase in Off White, POA, In Good Company. 13 Bosch
600mm Series 4 Pyrolytic oven, $1899, Harvey Norman. 14 No.B9 Le Corbusier chair, from $407, Thonet. OPPOSITE Erskine House by Kennedy Nolan.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 149
Home

10
11

12

1 Muuto Ambit pendant, $339, In Good Company. 2 Gubi floor lamp, from $1960, Cult Design. 3 Ximena vase in Dark Blue, $55, James Lane. 4 Luigio
valet stand, POA, Fanuli. 5 De La Espada Kim side table, from $4795, In Good Company. 6 Gubi C-Chair in Paper Cord, from $1470, Cult Design. 7 Brera
sofa, from $18,330, Poliform. 8 Fable oak low stool, from $380, Didier. 9 Chestnut Sisal, $70 per square metre, The Natural Floorcovering Centre.
10 Crevasse table, from $5820, Didier. 11 Carl Hansen & Søn CH25 lounge chair, from $7410, Cult Design. 12 Vera ex large vase in Juniper, $550, Lightly.
OPPOSITE Villa Mandra in Mykonos, Greece, designed by K-Studio.

150 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
 BREEZE IN

Pared-back forms and natural

materials invite lightness
and airiness inside.

E INSPI
M
RA
HO

TION
PHOTOGRAPHY CLAUS BRECHENMACHER & REINER BAUMANN.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 151

EDIT
NT
LLIGE
TE
N
THE I
HOLIDAY HAIR
Tresses take a hit when you are living your best beach life. From heat
protection to recuperation, this rescue squad has summer strands covered.
1 LIVING PROOF NO FRIZZ
SMOOTH STYLING CREAM
Humidity is the enemy of sleek summer dos.
This emollient fix conditions from root to tip,
smoothing over brittle fibres to lock in
moisture so the weather can’t penetrate.
$67, mecca.com.au
2 OLAPLEX VOLUMIZING BLOW DRY MIST
If you are going to the effort of heat styling this
season, a spritz of this solution will repair and
protect while giving bouncy blowouts more
staying power. $54, au.olaplex.com
3 DAVINES THIS IS A SEA SALT SPRAY
Add texture to limp hair or magically transform
post-swim locks into perfectly tousled waves
with this mist. $44, adorebeauty.com.au
152 G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R
4
5
2
3
8
4 ROBE THE COMB
Beach hair? This is how to apply gentle care.
The wide-toothed detangler is designed for
maximum glide to slip through strands after
a swim or disperse restorative products with
minimal snagging. $40, robehaircare.com
5 ILES FORMULA HAUTE PERFORMANCE
HAIR MASK
A cocktail of vitamin B5 and vitamin E to
restore suppleness and gloss. Leave on for 20
minutes to get your whole head in the game
before a night out. $120, roguebeauty.com.au
6 ORIBE POWER DROPS
Hair care that reads like a high-octane skin
serum – think vitamins A, B and C plus
hyaluronic acid. Add a few drops for hydration
6
WORDS ANNA McCOOE. PHOTOGRAPHY KRISTINA SOLJO. STYLING & MERCHANDISING HANNAH BLACKMORE.
and strengthening. This is our pick to lather
through lengths before swimming. It creates
a barrier around the follicle to keep out salt
or chlorine. $90, roguebeauty.com.au
7 GHD CHRONOS STRAIGHTENER
One swipe of GHD’s next-gen straightener is
all it takes for ready-for-anything hair. It’s three
times faster than the original GHD and said to
deliver 85 per cent more gloss, taking us from
beach to bar at pace. $465, ghdhair.com/au.
8 ROBE LEAVE-IN TREATMENT
Consider this luxe cream item number one on
your holiday packing list. Comb through locks
after washing to fill in porous areas, protecting
damage-prone hair from the sun and surf.
$70, robehaircare.com
 Slug

Summer
spritz 3

From light and bright to sultry

and seductive, these fragrances
deliver the scent of summer. GT team
favourite

1 Dark vanilla and wood come to life in sultry evening air. Matiere Premiere Vanilla Powder Eau de Parfum, $279, Libertine Parfumerie. 2 Made for rooftop
bars and city nights. Maison Francis Kurkdjian 724 Hair Mist, $120, Mecca. 3 The next big cult fragrance featuring florals, citrus, suede and overtures of
mystery. Byredo Animalique Eau de Parfum, $377, Mecca. 4 Trails of jasmine, plucked from Italy’s Medici Gardens. Santa Maria Novella Gelsomino Eau de
Parfum, $285, Santa Maria Novella. 5 A citrus burst to transport you to a sun-drenched island in Greece. Maison Margiela Under The Lemon Tree Eau de
Parfum, $215, Mecca. 6 Orange blossom meets lemon in a Mediterranean fever dream. Le Labo Fleur D’Oranger Eau de Parfum, $345, Le Labo Fragrances.
7 Radiance in a bottle. Tiffany & Co. Rose Gold Intense Eau de Parfum, $210, David Jones.

G O U R M E T T R AV E L L E R 153
Objects of desire

Best in glass PHOTOGRAPHY KRIISTINA SOLJO. STYLING HOLLY DORAN.

We’re experiencing the world through rose,

emerald and cobalt coloured glasses.

Clockwise from left: Ichendorf Milano pink and amber cocktail glass, $60, Daily Food. Arlo HiBall tumblers in Indigo, $59.95 for four, Ecology. Tom
Dixon Tank wine glasses in Black, $245 for two, Ecology. Elegance Champagne classic flute, $189 for two, Waterford. Fatto A Mano Champagne wine
glasses, $750 for six, Riedel. Ichendorf Milano cocktail glass in Pink, $39, Daily Food. Cote d’Or Murano Champagne glass in Pistachio, $330 for two,
Fairfax & Roberts. Mykonos stripe vino glass, $59 for two, Kip & Co. Camille tumblers in Marine, $69.95 for four, Ecology. Mykonos blue tumblers,
$29 for four, No.22. Palmier wine glasses in Green, $149 for two, Maison Balzac. 1815 Wine in Blue, $139 for four, Royal Doulton.

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