Living in Melbourne we are spoilt for choice from bars, cafes to the humble restaurant, but over the last few years there has been a shift away from the traditional brick and mortar to the movable feast that is food trucks, food parks, food festivals and all-around gathering of food!
On a recent food expedition, to the Queen Vic Night Market (@thenightmarket), we found ourselves standing before The Cypriot Kitchen, a humble purveyor of traditional fresh tasting Cypriot food that brings a unique flavour to the Melbourne food scene.
The Cypriot Kitchen is the home of delicious halloumi chips, halloumi burgers and their infamous chicken souvla topped with a sprinkling of halloumi of course. A family run business lead by the charismatic Dennis, and like him they are all passionate about creating authentic, tasty Cypriot food. With a simple menu boasting a lot of flavour that takes simple ingredients and really gives them an opportunity to shine.
And if you’re anything like @industrydarling you can never have too much halloumi! So, for her, it was like a moth to a flame – a delicious flame that is. Wanting to try all things halloumi we delved into a little of everything, a halloumi burger, a couple halloumi chips – because you can’t share – and of course chicken souvlas. And we were not disappointed!
In addition to perfectly cooked halloumi The Cypriot Kitchen charcoal their chicken to intensify its flavour and really give it an authentic Cypriot flavour. The result – tender, flavourful chicken that will leave you wanting more. Team that with a fresh grain salad, on a warm pita with a little halloumi for the perfect chicken souvla and you cannot go wrong.
That’s why this was one of our favourites for the night. The grain salad giving it a freshness that you don’t necessarily expect when you bite into a souvla. And the added benefit is there is no mess, you can eat it without the fear of wearing it, which is a very real possibility when tucking into a souvlaki.
If that is not enough their halloumi chips are crispy, soft and crunchy all at the same time. And if you’re a halloumi connoisseur or just obsessed like @industrydarling, you know that is a hard feat but The Cypriot Kitchen has it down pat. But don’t fear if you prefer something a little more traditional or are vego, sink your teeth into their halloumi burger and I promise you, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been eating halloumi burgers your whole life.
Whether you already love Cypriot food or still need to try it, be sure to check out The Cypriot Kitchen. While they are a main stay at the Queen Victoria Night Markets you can also find them this weekend at the Lonsdale Street Greek Festival Saturday Feb 29th (11am-11pm) and Sunday Mar 1st (12pm-10pm). You can thank us later!
THE CYPRIOT KITCHEN
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@the_cypriot_kitchen