Jacqui Felgate reviews a new restaurant that’s already booked out for weeks
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He’s back! And The Hellenic House Project is exactly why George Calombaris became a household name.
Located in Highett (it’s certainly not quiet in Highett anymore!), the HHP is the latest hip and happening addition to this bustling little foodie strip in Melbourne’s south-east, joining Mexican Chilpa and pasta bar Abbiocco.
The Hellenic House Project is oh-so fun. Downstairs is essentially a casual souvlaki bar, with dining tables around the long kitchen and a few seats outside.
Fans of Hellenic Republic will recall the chips with feta and the cypriot grain salad – and both are on the menu.
Head up a narrow flight of stairs and you’ll find a rooftop courtyard before you reach “the good room” — and it’s definitely GOOD. Blue and white (naturally) interiors are warm and homely but elevated enough for special occasion dining.
We went with the “let our family feed yours menu” for $75. But you can customise this too. We asked George – who was serving every table in the restaurant along with two other fabulous waiters – if our menu could include the saganaki and the lamb shoulder. No problem.
We started with BBQ octopus with lemon puree and it was amazing. There was absolutely nothing on this menu that wasn’t amazing to be honest. We enjoyed the meze plate, church bread, the most amazing olives and Nat’s Culatello, similar to prosciutto but we were told the meat only comes from the “pig’s bum.” It’s delicious! Dolmathakia is topped with kingfish in an unusual twist and Saganaki is served in a sizzling dish segmented into little balls with black garlic and fig jam. Crispy calamari was fresh and tender and something the kids would love (there were a number of families enjoying an early dinner on the night we dined).
But the standout dish was the lamb shoulder glazed in peppered prune and served alongside dashi tzatziki. Falling off the bone, it was sweet and juicy and just the most moorish thing ever. Between the four of us we devoured the whole thing. The beef pasticcio (Greek lasagna) was another bombshell dish. I can’t wait to return to try the Murray Cod and Hilopites (Greek pasta). The “political salad” was crisp and crunchy, a lighter version of a coleslaw with a tangy orange dressing.
TRY and leave room for dessert – I couldn’t split the chocolate and EVO ganache with white sesame ice cream and the Greek yogurt soft serve with Metaxa syrup. Build it and they will come, and they have.
The Hellenic House project is already booked out months in advance.
Welcome back George.
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