George Calombaris is re-entering the Hellenic cuisine scene in Melbourne with a special project that feels like a homecoming, literally and metaphorically.
Unassumingly named Hellenic House Project, Calombaris’ new restaurant is a multidimensional creation of love after a period of deep introspection and inspiration that came full circle during his most recent family holiday in wintertime Greece. Upon returning, a series of synchronicities led the Greek-Cypriot chef to the right space, a former butcher shop linked to Phil Hatzikourtis and Ivo Baldari.
“The past few years have been a major realignment, readjustment. It’s all about embracing the now, sometimes sitting in the sideline, doing a lot of introspection, reaffirming the simple but big things that really matter in life, reimagining, dreaming again,” Calombaris tells Neos Kosmos.
“Bunkered down in Greece, which was amazing, over Christmas I sort of dug really deep this time around into my culture and who I am and, it felt like an awakening, coming back to my spiritual home; it gave me a profound sense of belonging, my soul was full. Every time I visit Greece, I get fire in my belly to get back into hospitality to feed people’s souls again.
“I’ve always wanted a place where I can happily take my friends and family and call it home. Hence the name ‘The Hellenic House Project’,” Calombaris enthuses.
“In terms of what’s happening at the space… It’s not a restaurant, it’s not a tavern. It’s not a café. It’s a house! It even smells like home.
“I have Korres products everywhere because I want to promote Greece and what Greece has to show in more than one ways.”
Another interesting take on the dining process, Calombaris reveals that there are no specials on the menu, true to the way a Greek family home will rotate its meals to make sure the best reaches the table to feed loved ones.
Downstairs is ‘The Kitchen’ that will serve eat in or take away souvas, salads, chips, and cold cans of beer. Upstairs, ‘The Good Room’ will seat around 50 and serve traditional home-style Greek food “that will remind customers of their yiayia or mana” as they taste the food and as they take in the vibe of the space.
‘The Good Room’ emulates ‘to kalo saloni’, an overall feel architect Billy Cavallaris has helped him achieve.
Throughout every space, Cavallaris’ attention to detail and passion for all things contemporary and Greek makes a huge difference, the chef says, alluding to several surprises in the interior design details that will inspire people to look deeper into Ancient Greek ideologies and the timelessness of the Hellenic spirit.
‘The Balcony’ will be an Aegean-style haven, a place to enjoy a drink and a tasty snack.
“On the wall, my pappou’s guitar, his art and his music has found its place while all the plates and crockery has been handmade by us with my friend Sam Gordon, to feel like they’ve come out of my grandmother’s baoulo (chest). Everywhere, there are memories from home, from where I came from.”
‘The Backyard’ will be a typical family entertainment area – a space where you can sit amongst the lemon and olive trees and enjoy a drink, a souva and something off the Sunday spit.
“In the avli, making the souvas will be the famous Alexis from Athens’ most iconic souvlaki joint, Thanassis. We have the kebab souvlaki on the menu with a special ode and proper credit attributed to Thanassis,” Calombaris explains.
“At our spiti, we will only be making Greek coffee and we are collaborating with a local Greek brand, Melvourni. No espresso machines, but you can have our hearty kafedaki made slowly with love.”
In this new project that he highlights is his “Ένα και καλό” (ena kai kalo = only one but a good one), Calombaris is supported by some of his closest people but also bringing onboard new talent he wants to see shine.
“The Hellenic Project is not the George Calombaris show. My head chef is Anthony Thalassinos who [sic] will be serving homecooked-style dishes “spitiko fagito” with a twist in the Good Room. We worked together at Hotel Sorento. He has worked in some incredible restaurants overseas and locally. He is not only at the helm, he is the face of the kitchen creating and co-creating,” he says.
Thalassinos who kickstarted his career as an apprentice at a Melbourne institution, Grossi Florentino, has also worked at London’s One Star Michelin restaurant St John and more recently under Chef Matt Wilkinson at Montalto Winery on the Mornington Peninsula before Hotel Sorrento.
“I love the Hotel Sorrento family and will continue to be involved. We still have a lot to achieve at Hotel Sorrento,” he adds.
Front of house, one of Calombaris’ closest collaborators, Federico Bianco from The Press Club and Gazi returns to make everyone feel like home and figure out the best wine and spirit pairings to match the food.
“Federico is not just a Philhellene but a true Hellene at heart. He loves and respects so much the Greek culture and history, our philosophy and how this translates in our culinary tradition, he sometimes makes me wonder about my own Greekness.
“I’m very lucky. I’ve been born into it. But it’s also about taking people on the journey and give them that opportunity to fall in love with our beautiful culture, our food, our filotimo, our hospitality.”
In Hellenic House Project, Calombaris entered with an open mind and an open heart holding many years of experience across multiple platforms and multiple lessons.
“The only thing that hopefully lasts for a long time in this life is us and our health, our well-being and our love. These are the stories we want to leave behind in the end. That’s what we wanna do at the Hellenic House, we wanna create new stories. New chapters,” he highlights, expressing his love for Highett’s homey, local vibe reminiscent of the good-old Brunswick Street back in the day “but make it Bayside”.
“Modern Greek cuisine is in my blood, it’s what I know, and there was never any doubt that I would find my way back into ‘home’ territory. Can’t wait to present this new chapter. ”