Chevapi Grill Balkan Kitchen
As diners eat their way around Eastern Europe, a sausage stop in the Balkans is recommended.
Overview
For anyone who grew up on snags at Bunnings, cevapi might strike a familiar chord — only smokier, spicier and skinless. Without the delightful snap of a sausage casing, what you get instead is a more robust, juicy chew that defines the Balkan staple.
The good news is that cevapi is made from scratch at Chevapi Grill in South Melbourne. Even better news: the venue has the green light from Coeliac Australia, so the gluten-free crowd can join the barbie.
Tucked along the quieter stretch of Clarendon Street, Chevapi Grill's minimal shopfront can easily pass for a local cafe — but inside, it's all smoke and sizzle. Cevapi arrives at the table with sides like cabbage salad and a roasty eggplant-and-pepper 'ajvar' spread. Order it with pillowy lepinje flatbread and condiments like paprika and feta dip to build your own Balkan-style pita pocket, or opt for a mixed meat platter featuring pljeskavica (Serbian minced meat patty that also makes its way into burgers), beef sausages and more.
Cevapi might be the eatery's namesake sausage, but the kitchen isn't a one-trick pony. Other Eastern European dishes stake a claim for the spotlight: hearty red peppers stuffed with pancetta, beef and rice; a lineup of savoury bureks including plain cheese and leek and potato; and polenta chips or crispy whitebaits to replace the quintessential chippies.
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