IONIO
Westfield Doncaster Shopping Centre, Level 2, 619 Doncaster Road, Doncaster
03 9840 1423
Greek
$$
Food
- Marinated Olives
- Housemade Labne w/ Fennel
- Housemade Dips w/ Pita
- Grilled Dodoni Saganaki
- Fried Cheese Balls
- Charcoal-Fired Lamb and Chicken Gyros
- Chargrilled Rabow Trout wrapped in Vine Leaves
- Homestyle Moussaka
- Goddes of Grains Salad
- The Greek Salad
- Roasted Beetroot Salad
- Smashed Baklava
- Warm Bougasta w/ Cinnamon Sugar
The Good
The meal as a whole was rather delicious. The highlight for me though was most probably the Moussaka. The bechamel on top had just the right consistency and creaminess. The slight charring on top gave it a slight and palatable crunch with every bite. The lamb and beef mince was seasoned perfectly and carried great flavour of the protein itself without being overly oily. The eggplants within were soft, juicy and succulent. A pretty perfect moussaka if you ask me and I just couldn’t help myself but to get more.
The Charcoal Grilled Lamb Gyros was one of the best I’ve ever had. The protein itself was flavorful and succulent. Combined with a hint of charcoal permeating throughout, the depth of flavour was simply unbeatable and made the gyro rather spectacular.
I also enjoyed the both the Hummus and Taramasalata dips. Flavours were bold and forward, combined with a thick, creamy texture, these dips were flawless. The fish roe was essentially the cherry on top and gave it an extra burst of flavour and texture. When asked if I was finished with the dips… Yeah no. They were simply too good to give up and I wiped the plates clean with the pita bread.
The Fried Cheese Balls proved to be rather unstoppable. The outer had a nice solid crunch which embodied an oozing ball of flavourful, soft and stringy cheese. The flavour was spot on, and combined with the fried outer, it just begged for a second bite.
Penguin usually loves fish, but this Rainbow Trout brought fish to a whole new level. Unravelling the vine leaves revealed a perfectly cooked, lightly seasoned rainbow trout which had some of the juiciest and most tender protein. Thanks to the light seasoning, this allowed for the fresh aroma of the fish to penetrate and be the highlight of the dish.
The Dodoni came fresh out of the grill and was bubbling vigorously. Cutting a slice for tasting revealed high quality cheese that had just the right cheey consistency and a rich salty flavour. Granted it’s an acquired taste, but for someone who universally enjoys cheese, this was a real winner.
The salads were overall done very well. Ingredients were exceedingly fresh and dressing was light, which promoted the freshness of all the ingredients. The standout though would be the roasted beetroot, which was cooked to the perfect softness while still maintaining a slight crunch. It also had the richest, earthiest flavour once bit into. The Grain Salad was a bit tooooo healthy for the penguin, so while flavours were pleasant, I’m still not sure how I feel about that one.
The Mediocre
While the concept, and undoubtedly the presentation of the smashed Baklava with Ice Cream sounds and looks great, I think I still prefer the original, un-smashed version. The texture of flakey and slight chewiness of each sugary layer in a traditional Baklava was unfortunately lost, which I feel is a critical component of any Baklava, smashed or not. The ice cream though was nice and creamy without being overly rich. The flavour profile was simply amazing when combined with the flavours of the Baklava pieces and orange zest.
The Bad
Nothing.
The Verdict
Overall a rather delicious and authentic Greek meal - feast no less. The majority of dishes were executed and presented flawlessly making for a consistently scrumptious experience that proved to be too delicious for my (lack of) self control around food.
The traditional Greek dishes, namely the dips, souvlaki, moussaka and the cheese were absolutely flawless and should be the standard that all Greek restaurants aspire to achieve.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Absolutely. Who would’ve thought, hidden away in a huge shopping centre, is such divine and authentic Greek cuisine! I am so thankful to be invited and discovered this place!
I most definitely will be back, especially for their Thursday night Meat Feast where you apparently get to share a whole roast lamb….