Hobart eatery cracks the kebab code
Judging by the steady stream of patrons coming through the doors, it seems locals are pretty stoked this Hobart souvlaki joint has been brought back by the Lambrakis family, writes Alix Davis
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What do men in high-vis workwear have in common with men in high-performance European cars? Apparently, it’s a love of enormous souvlaki, as members of both tribes are in evidence at Moonah’s Parthenon Souvlaki the night we visit to eat souvlaki which definitely requires two hands. “We get people coming from everywhere,” says owner Jack Lambrakis, who’s resurrected the Parthenon brand that once boasted five locations.
“Tasmania has been lacking real souvlaki for too long,” he says.
So he and his son Harry decided to bring it back. “We are good friends with the original family and they were so thrilled that we have kept their heritage going.”
Judging by the steady stream of souvlaki-lovers coming through the doors, Hobart locals are pretty thrilled too. There are tables and chairs at Parthenon but order and go is the most popular option. We perch at a window bench and watch as fluffy pittas (made by a Greek family in Sydney) are topped with juicy chicken and lamb with an efficiency honed by years of practice.
All the classic toppings are in evidence – crisp shredded lettuce, tabbouleh, cheese, onion, hummus and a choice of sauces.
We go for a classic mixed lamb and chicken souvlaki ($15) and a halloumi souvlaki ($15). We add a small chips ($4) to the order and call it done. The menu is short and sweet and Lambrakis tells me that their HSPs (that’s a Hellenic Snack Pack ($18) not a Halal Snack Pack) are popular, as are the open plates ($18) - a selection of meat and salad with tzatziki and sliced pita. But it’s the enormous souvlaki that really draws them in.
There’s so much filling that the pitta (some of the best I’ve eaten) barely encloses it and I’d highly recommend keeping the wrapping on, unless you want to encourage complete structural failure. These are best eaten with someone you already know and love, as it’s going to get messy and would be a challenging first date (the fluorescent lighting might not be the most flattering either).
But we’re here for the food, not the atmosphere and it’s worth it. All the produce is Tasmanian and the chicken and lamb, carved fresh from the gyro then grilled on the hotplate, is juicy and flavoursome. The chips are crisp and fluffy, with just the right amount of chicken salt and the halloumi souvlaki contains plenty of fat slices of my favourite squeaky cheese.
I can’t resist a Greek sweet treat and the honey-soaked melomakarona biscuits are delicious.
Traditionally, melomakarona were dry pieces of bread dipped in honey and offered at funerals and as a treat during Lent – when people were fasting and abstaining from animal products. I
It has now evolved into a cinnamon-scented cookie dipped in honey and covered in walnuts and I highly recommend them. These are made by a local Greek woman, as is the baklava - layers of paper thin pastry spiked with nuts and more honey syrup. It’s shatteringly good and I can only imagine how busy Greek bees must be to produce enough honey for all these wonderful desserts.
They’ve only been open a couple of months but Lambrakis says Parthenon 2.0 is proving so popular they’re already considering opening another location. That’s honey to my ears.
PARTHENON SOUVLAKI BAR
11 Springfield Ave, Moonah
Opening hours: Mon - Sun, 11am - 8pm
On the menu
Classic souvlaki, $15; halloumi souvlaki, $15; chips $4.
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