Braised seafood, tomato, kritharaki and feta The Thalassino Youvetsi at Hellenic Republic was another dish that i raved about the last time.

Time time, the kingfish was nice and moist and the prawns were ncie, but probably frozen. The squid was braised until it was soft and tender but still very tasty. The feta cheese was salty but smooth, and much more fragrant that a salty gritty lumps you usually get.

I do love the combination of dill, fennel and tomato so common in Greek cooking!

The youvetsi pasta was a bit heavy for lunch though.

--- Casual lunch at Hellenic Republic. A few small plates, and a bit of seafood youvetsi. And of course, loukoumathes.

Hellenic Republic (03) 9381 1222 434 Lygon St Brunswick East VIC 3057 www.hellenicrepublic.com.au

Reviews:

• Hellenic Republic, by Larissa Dubecki, Epicure, The Age, February 12, 2009
• It's all Greek at Hellenic Republic, by John Lethlean, Executive Style, Sydney Morning Herald, March 11, 2009 Calamari, kalamata, Calombaris. It's all Greek and all good at Hellenic Republic.
• Hellenic Republic - Gourmet Traveller - March 2009 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller

George Calombaris gives classic taverna dining a baby-boomer twist that’s confident, exciting and rekindles diners’ memories of their Grecian adventures, says John Lethlean.

• Hellenic Republic - blog.youknowitmakessense.net 06 December, 2008 Stepping inside does not quite equate to entering a portal to the Aegean coast, although if you answered to the name of Onassis and enjoyed cruising the Greek isles in boat shoes and linen trousers you'd complement the design well.
• Lunch @ Hellenic Republic - eatalmostanything.com Saturday, January 03, 2009 saganaki with peppered figs - this was deliriously good