Aegli chef Ioannis Kasidokostas takes traditional Greek recipes and executes them in unexpected ways.
At South Melbourne restaurant Aegli, run by chef Ioannis Kasidokostas (Sowl) and his wife Maria Tsilfoglou, traditional Greek recipes are a jumping-off point for dishes that’ll make you say, ‘what is this?’. Kasidokostas grew up in Athens, cutting his teeth at Michelin-starred fine diners including the longstanding Spondif.
Magiritsa is a lamb offal soup usually eaten at Easter time, which the chef has remixed with “offal of the land” – mushrooms. He combines the best Victorian-grown varieties he can find with truffles from Meteora, a mountainous part of Greece. Another soup he’s riffing on is youvarlakia, traditionally bobbing with meatballs made of beef or pork. His seafood spin currently features Corner Inlet snapper minced in-house, rolled into orbs and slowly poached in a rich fish stock.
Extra care and consideration are given to staples such as bread and cheese. Slow-proved spelt rolls arrive warm, while house-made anthotyro cheese is double-baked to order and served with a relish of sour cherry and capers. Familiar Greek favourites also dot the menu, from taramasalata to brined and slow-roasted lamb shoulder accompanied by house-made tzatziki.
Twists on classic desserts include the orange and filo cake portokalopita, served with an ice-cream of anthotyro cheese and olive oil. A melding of bougatsa and diples – fried, honey-dipped sheets of dough – results in a hybrid dish akin to millefeuille. Cocktails are just as much a love letter to Greece. A spritz stars kumquat-infused vermouth from Corfu and the margarita is perfumed with aniseed from tsipouro. The wine list balances Greek imports, such as bone-dry Santorini assyrtiko, with Australian bottles.
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