What do you get when you cross two Melbourne obsessions: chargrilled chicken shops and lively Greek restaurants? You get Kokoras. A no-fuss Greek-inspired chicken shop from the owner of beloved Tzaki. Alex Xinis (formerly of Hellenic Republic and The Press Club) brought his ode to Athens, Tzaki, all the way to Yarraville a few years back. The small space (with seating for up to 16 indoors, and 15 outdoors) found big fame. Whether it's Yarraville locals or visitors who have made their first visit to the inner West, just for a taste of Tzaki's charry flatbread, there is always a bum waiting to fill a seat. So Xinis decided Yarraville deserved more, and opened Kokoras on Ballarat Street, next door to Tzaki last year. Tinged with nostalgia, the takeaway shop tucked behind a plastic fly curtain blends the old-school charm of takeaway chicken joints with modern Greek flavours. "Everyone has a chicken shop memory. We wanted to take that feeling and give it a modern, healthier twist, something you can enjoy a few nights a week, not just as an indulgent treat," says Xinis. Spatchcocked lemon-oregano chicken is taken to the edge of grilled, charry goodness and served alongside fresh, vibrant salads such as Greek-style coleslaw (sans mayo), smashed cucumber and dill salad, and cumin roasted carrot grain salad. In terms of carbs, you'll have to double up, because both the wood-roasted lemon potatoes and the blistered flatbread are musts. Since opening, the menu has continued to evolve to give the people what they want. While the chicken plates, with salads, pitas and dips, remain crowd favourites, there's plenty of other creations to sample off the menu. The fried chicken sandwich stuffs fried chicken thighs, tzatziki, pickles, KO chilli sauce, and cheese into toasted milk loaf slices, whereas the chicken kefte subs sees chicken meatballs loaded onto a crusty roll with tomato sugo and cheese. One of the more showstopping (and artery-clogging) dishes is the famed dim sum flatbread. The wacky invention includes fried chicken dim sum inside flatbread with yoghurt and sweet soy. I mean, how could you not try it? Images: Supplied.
