Kalamaki Greek Street Food, Melbourne CBD by Bureaucrat

For lunch with Ms C and Ms H, I suggested that we go to Kalamaki Greek Street Food.  KGSF is the reincarnation of Astro Ble - a Greek restaurant that never seemed to be open when you wanted to eat there.  Since it opened, I've walked pas KGSF a few times and had a gawp at the food people were eating.  Certainly the food looked good and it's quite popular.... a good sign indeed.

Based on visuals, KGSF is much more welcoming that its predecessor.  It's brightly lit, decorated in bright blue and crisp white colours.  A main communal table with high chairs, statement lights and neatly stacked tins of Greek produce.  I've never been to Greece before but all of us agreed that the vibe of the place really made you feel like you were in Greece (or at the very least, you weren't in Melbourne on a drizzly, grey day).

Having placed our orders with the friendly staff at the counter, we perched ourselves on the chairs and I sipped on my Greek orangeade through a paper straw. 

Soon after our food arrived.  Ms C got the souvlaki w haloumi, red onion, lettuce.  Ms C loved her souv - especially the squeaky, salty cheese and the fluffy but pleasingly chewy pita.

Ms H got the souv w slow roasted lamb w salad, virgin tzatziki (presumably this meant it was made without garlic).  Some of the souvs here come rolled with a few chips.  Most likely this isn't authentic but rather an Aussie twist to this classic twist.  Ms H seemed to like her souv.

I went for the pork souv, which also came with red onions, chips and tzatziki.  As with the way I eat burgers, I like to deconstruct them (it's too messy to eat the whole thing intact).  The pork was good but a wee lean/dry.  I really loved the pita - chewy, flavoursome and and something very moreish about it.  I would have been quite happy with just the pita, chips and the salad, sans pork.  While I liked the chips in souv, it did make the overall meal a bit carb-y. 

Because I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try some of the salads, Ms C and I shared a serve of Smyrni salad ($9) - pearl barley, lentils, pine nuts and pomegranate dressing.  We both really liked the salad.  The zingy dressing with lots of finely chopped red onions kept the salad light and refreshing despite the heavier barley and lentils.  I'd definitely order this again.

Verdict

Food - 8

Ambiance - 7.5

Service - 7

Price - 8.5

Overall
I quite like KGSF.  Its souvlaki but a bit more polished and upmarket, but at a very competitive price - the three souvs that we had were all $8 each.  You definitely can't buy the equivalent at one of them dodgy souv places that are dotted all around town.  Propz for the meat in the souv for being real meat (and not them huge, compressed roll of meat that's cooked on a vertical spit roast).  Also, these souvs are much more healthier than the ones you get late at night after a night of drinking.

They also have a range of dips and sides on offer too.  I'd definitely have got them in mind for trying next time.

The food is simple, tasty, quick and cheap - just like how street food should be.

Address
Kalamaki Greek Street Food
389 Lonsdale St
Melbourne Vic 3000
Telephone: 9602 4444