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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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