Gazi

With A's love of Greek and Mediterranean food, and with Jimmy Grants still lingering at the back of my mind, Gazi was an easy pick. We were ready to get down and dirty for some Hellenic dirty food feasting.

Espressotini  - Vodka, Kahlua, Vittoria Espresso, Coffee & Amerretto Foam

Cauliflower Skordalia

A rich and thick puree of cauliflower topped with chopped smoked almonds, cauliflower and a sprinkle of crispy mince pork.  The dip was smooth and creamy, which we generously lapped up with warm fluffy pita bread. Both A and I enjoyed the flavours of this skordalia, but had the strangest association with childhood favourite, Chiko Rolls.

Eggplant 

Simple and fresh were two perfectly grilled eggplant slices buried underneath a collection of pepita seeds, sesame seeds pine nuts, spring onion, finished with grated salty kefalograviera cheese and Gaia dressing. 

Brussel Sprouts  

Admittedly, this was the first time I tried brussel sprouts. Having heard so many people express their loathing of these leafy green, I was quite intrigued to see how this dish would be executed. Our friendly  waiter assured us there would be none of that soggy brussel sprout business and encouraged us to give it a go. Surprising, this dish turned out to be quite delicious  and full of fun textures. Sweet, crisp brussel sprouts topped with fluffy red quinoa, crunchy fragrant hazelnuts, plump golden raisins, and light fluffy manouri cheese. 

Duck Souvlakakia

Lamb souvas are always the way to go, but feeling like something out of the ordinary, we decided to go for the duck. Smokey thick pita bread supported pieces of deep fried duck, onions, parsley, mustard mayo, quince and chips. It smelt and tasted delicious. Though the duck was a little on the dry side and needed a bit more seasoning itself, the quince and mustard made up for it. The quince added just the right sweetness to the souva and matched perfectly with the mustard mayo. Overall, a delicious little treat.

To top off a wonderful lunch, we were graced with George Calombaris' presence. And when I say graced, I only refer to George. Both A and I were absolutely star-struck and were practically jumping out of out seats. Butterlies and the whole shebang. And to get a happy snap together, we were over the moon.

Gazi, Greek and George - what a lethal combination. We left with massive smiles that could not be wiped off our faces for the rest of the day. 

Gazi

2 Exhibition St 

Melbourne