When it comes to brunch, Australia has garnered a world-wide reputation for innovation, with people across the country, and in particular Melburnians, spoilt for choice.

But when it comes to the foodie scene in Thessaloniki, there’s one name on everyone’s lips and that is Dimitris Koparanis.

The food blogger and chef, who heads the now world-famous Estrella restaurant in the cosmopolitan city, is turning diner’s tastebuds on their heads.

Through constant experimentation, study and research, Koparanis has developed menu ideas which embody the very essence of what excites him about food: simple, disctinctive and edgy flavours, achieved by using ingredients in a way that tells a story.

“My favourite ingredients to work with are leguminous vegetables, fresh vegetables – straight from the garden, culinary herbs, olive oil and last but not least, humour!” he says.

Though his repertoire has grown over the years, it always comes back to his renowned hybrid dessert: the bougatsan. Half-Thessaloniki, half-Paris, the croissant is filled with the thick custard of a traditional Greek bougatsa. It’s fair to say, we can’t wait to see what he’ll create next.

Neos Kosmos reached out to Koparanis to discuss his back story and what he thinks has made Estrella the hotspot that it is today.

How did you get into cooking?
When it comes to cooking, I’m self-taught. I was actually a food blogger and I started cooking in 2010 in an attempt to give back and show some appreciation to my followers. I started out working at Ergon, the first restaurant by the owners of Estrella, and also at Sani in Halkidiki.

How long have you been at Estrella?
I started at Estrella in March 2013, where I took on the role of creative director. What this has entailed is making decisions about things like the character of the restaurant, the direction of the menu, if it would be ‘avant garde’, ‘fast casual’, ‘street food’ or whatever else. Also how we will serve the food, and the direction we would take with marketing strategies. And all of this would have to ultimately come together with a menu that is genuinely tasty and popular among diners.

What do you think are the strengths of Estrella? What has made it so popular?
Estrella is a new type of restaurant, you could even say it is post-modern, where the food functions unto itself beyond the space, and beyond the restaurant’s design. The space is very basic, it has all the necessities. It is a corner space, with mainly glass partitions and a few tables. By moving away from what has been the norm for restaurants – a focus on the interior design – the food can be the ultimate protagonist in this space. The food that we’re doing at Estrella sells itself, rather than as part of the restaurant. This is the new element that we have introduced; so that we’re not relying on the restaurant’s design, but instead placing significance on the food alone.

What do you enjoy cooking most? Do you have any signature dishes?
Our menu is basically breakfast and brunch, which is served all day. It mainly consists of eggs, omelettes, the ‘Ottoman burger’ inspired by the Ottoman history of the city, the #bougatsan – the first Greek dish to go viral, the breakfast pizza (a pizza made with the same dough of Thessaloniki’s famous koulouri, topped with fried eggs and bacon), a breakfast gyro with chicken and tirokafteri (spicy feta and capsicum dip) and egg, and also a dish with 63° eggs, which we have named #eggjob, served with crispy angel hair and cheezels. For this season’s new menu, my inspiration so far has been popular culture.

What are your influences when it comes to food?
I’m inspired by many things, all of which have nothing to do with food, from history to fashion, cinematography, books. Also various things that I remember or something I see on the road.

Can you tell me about the food scene in Thessaloniki? Has it changed over the years?
Thessaloniki is a restless city; there’s always something happening and people constantly want something new. But this doesn’t mean that there isn’t space for more classic options. In general terms, it is a city that loves food and what we call food culture.

For more information and recipes, visit www.thefoodieanarchist.wordpress.com/ or visit Estrella’s tumblr: www.bougatsan.tumblr.com/