Philhellene
Located on Mt Alexander Road, Philhellene is a warm family restaurant that focuses on provincial Greek cuisine. The interior is homely and rustic with its brick walls adorned with family photos, spitting fire place and heavy wooden features. And Philhellenism, “the love of Greek culture” is what it is all about.
Straight away, our attention was drawn to their specials board – Stuffed Zucchini Flowers and Lamb & Artichoke Fricassee were just a couple of the dishes that stood out to us. Our lovely waitress patiently explained each and every special in great detail, with her eyes lighting up as she described her personal favourites.
Spinach Feta Kalitsounia
The Spinach Feta Kakutsouni was a dish we could not look past. Crispy buttery pastries filled with a jumble of spinach and salty cheese that was all kinds of delicious. Dipping these in cool and creamy tzatziki, we devoured these savoury goodies in a flash.
Chargrilled Octopus
We also ordered the Chargrilled Octopus, which had just the
right chew and char to it. Drizzled in extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of
lemon juice, my friend thoroughly enjoyed this dish.
Roast Kid Goat
The 5 hours slow roasted kid goat was superbly tender, with chunks of meat falling off the bone. Together with a warm salad of broad beans and peas and roast potatoes, we felt this dish was cooked marvellously though would have loved for more flavour.
Spicy Seafood Saganaki
This saganaki dish was a fiesta of succulent prawns,
mussels, swordfish and cous cous soaked in a garlic-rich spicy tomato sauce. We
loved the addition of almond flakes which gave a lovely crunch to the dish. Not
wanting to waste a drop, we mopped up the hearty sauce with the crusty bread.
Quince Crumble
At this point, our bellies were close to bursting - but somehow, just somehow, our waitress persuaded us to finish off with something sweet. The quince crumble particularly caught my friend’s eye. Delicate slices of quince soaked in brandy and spices, baked in custard and topped with crumble. Safe to say, my friend was all smiles after this.
All in all, our meal at Philhellene was delightful. In true Greek style, food was full bodied and generous. Service is friendly and attentive, which really further highlighted just how proud and passionate they are about their food. Philhellenism, it’s a thing.
confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of Philhellene
Philhellene
551-553 Mt Alexander Road
Moonee Ponds, VIC 3039
