Can't speak highly enough of this place, it's an absolute gem and I'm so happy it's located in this…read morepart of town. The food is incredible, definitely has that home-cooked with a lot of love flavour. The guy there is really friendly and welcoming. If you're in the area, you must try it, definitely a place that's gone under the radar.

We came for breakfast, and left planning a trip to Turkey…read more We started with a Turkish coffee each, and then shared a lamb mince Gözleme and a Turkish breakfast, which was an amazing array of bowls filled with olives, boiled eggs, cheese, small slices of sausage and more - with plenty of Turkish bread to eat it all up on. Surprisingly filling, we struggled to finish it all. The decor is great - and makes the Teahouse double as a bazaar of sorts, with everything from lights to rugs, handbags and decorative doors all carrying price tags. Definitely something different from your 'smashed avo' cafe on every corner, but that's a good thing. Might not be a place we visit every weekend, but will be sure to pop in from time to time to shake things up and try something new and interesting. Service was incredibly friendly too. Worth checking out.

Zurouna is a stylish Lebanese restaurant located on the equally stylish South Yarra stretch of…read moreToorak Road. It has a balcony out front with seating for a dozen or so people, and as it was pleasantly warm I ate out there. In a cocktail sort of mood so started with a Tides of Beirut - Arak, Cointreau, Ginger ale and lemon juice. Very refreshing and the Arak gave it a real licorice kick. Good value at $14. I'm definitely a grazer when it comes to food so rather than ordering a main I opted for two entrees. First up was kibbeh which is one of my favourite Lebanese dishes - delicious little footballs made from minced lamb, cracked wheat and pine nuts served on a bed of rocket with a side of yoghurt. Wrapped up in a piece of pita bread, this makes for great finger food and with three pieces for $12 good value to boot. Next was Zaa'ter calamari, grilled and served on more rocket with fresh pomegranate. This was quite good but nothing out of the ordinary. I was hoping for something a little spicier. Generous serve for an entree and I wasn't able to finish it all. Overall, good value for money, good location and the lady who served me was attentive and friendly. Worth a five minute detour from Chapel Street if you're in the mood for Middle Eastern cuisine.

For several years now, I've been hoping a proper Arabic restaurant would open up in my area - one…read morewhere I can get not just snacks like kubbeh and falafel, but actual lunches and dinners like the ones I'd prepare with my family. As of this month, my prayers were answered in the form of Zurouna, the newest Middle Eastern addition to South Yarra. In a word, Zurouna is sensational. It is authentic, diverse (representing Levantine but also North African cuisine as well), elegantly but accessibly fitted out with Middle Eastern lamps and mosaic patterns, and accented with really lovely staff. A rundown of what we ate: Moutabbal - smooth, smoky eggplant dip perfect for scooping up with the fresh and fried Arabic bread that is constantly replenished. Za'atar calamari - coils of tender, za'atar-sprinkled grilled squid, with rocket, simple lemon and olive oil dressing, and fresh pomegranate seeds. Perfectly cooked, not a hint of chewiness. Ma'anek - lean Lebanese-style lamb sausages with olive oil and parsley. Not greasy, gristly or gamey at all, just how they should be. Lamb shank with freekeh and yogurt - there was no shank that day, so we had shoulder instead which was sensational. Exceptionally tender lamb with nutty toasted freekeh (green wheat) and garlic yogurt. Middle Eastern home cooking at its best. Chermoula prawns - four chargrilled king prawns, marinated in North African chermoula (a beautiful garlic, coriander, parsley and cumin sauce) topping an equally aromatic cous cous salad. Chicken tagine - tender chicken breast simmered in a spicy harissa tomato sauce with plump olives, chick peas and peppers. Served with almond rice on the side, this was my husband's and sister-in-law's favorite of the night. Baklava, turkish delight and fairy floss, plus mint teas for dessert. They have very authentically added a cinnamon stick to each glass of mint tea, a classic flavor combination of North Africa. Let the mint steep in the pot, then swirl your cinnamon stick around gently for a minute to infuse. Remove and drink. I was NOT expecting this when I saw the "coming soon" sign a few weeks ago. Traditionally this particular property has been filled and abandoned by lackluster restaurants. Zurouna is beautiful and here to stay, the kind of place that makes me so proud of my culinary heritage.

Very small serving size as delivery. Lahmacun I ordered 2 that would usually provide me with 4…read moremeals (I usually freeze and oven reheat as it is usually a generous size from other providers.) The meal was so small that I needed to consume both (2 Meals) to feel that I had a meal. At almost $20.00 each this represents appalling value for money, in a word, "ripoff" I have not eaten there in person and going on the experience of the delivery I am unlikely to. Seriously disappointed and pissed off. PS: I am 70+ and weigh 75ish kg my appetite is small. this order was a massive disappointment.

Dips, dolma, meat skewers, lamb, kofte!! What more in terms of Turkish delights could you want?…read more Well, the Turkish Delight martini is what. Sweet, subtle hints of rose water and adorned with a beautiful portion of Turkish Delight!! A perfect Turkish feast.

I always look forward to Friday night dinners and was especially looking forward to Hellenic…read moreRepublic since it had been raved about by a fellow yelper who goes here often as well as my client friend who had been here once and was ready to go back in a heartbeat. I booked for the 6.15pm seating on a Friday which is for two hours. Due to traffic, we got there at 7pm having informed the restaurant beforehand that we were running late. We were told that we would only have the table until 8.15pm and I jokingly said well that's fine as long as the food comes out quickly. It was quite busy and very very noisy and by 7pm, my friend and I were starving. We ignored the drinks menu and went straight for the food. My friend had had the Saganaki, Cauliflower Salad and the Lamb Shoulder before and wanted to have it again. The thick pita bread looked quite enticing but I decided I would save my appetite for the lamb and cheese as my friend had warned me that both dishes were quite heavy. Food arrived quite quickly. The saganaki covered in sweet glazed figs was quite bland and very stretchy. The cold figs were a stark comparison to the stretchy fried cheese that was just impossible to cut. I've had fried cheese in Eastern Europe and Saganaki at other Greek restaurants and this was no different or special. It lacked flavour. Was just fried cheese. Then, the cauliflower salad arrived. It was still quite raw and was surrounded by dollops of wasabi mayo. I could barely taste the wasabi. The fried onion/zucchini like veggie covered in sesame tasted nice but again it lacked salt. My friend kept saying that previously when she had this dish, the wasabi had her nose stinging but that this wasabi didn't even taste like wasabi. I couldn't taste anything either. So, now we had two really bland dishes. Hence, we had to do the most dreadest thing ever - request the salt and pepper shakers. So, we hailed a waitress and asked for some condiments. She crinkled her face and came back with wooden salt and pepper shakers. Both of us took turns at each of the shakers, twisting clockwise and then anti-clockwise, and nothing came out of both of them. Surely, we couldn't both be so hopeless with these shakers. I mean it wasn't rocket science. We even shook them, looked for a hidden opening and nothing. They were empty. We called another waitperson and told him about our predicament. He seemed confused and brought us little saucers of visible salt and pepper. Had the waitress played a prank on us? The salt and pepper made some difference, but yeah the food was still average. Then, the lamb shoulder arrived. Yes, it fell off the bone and was tender but despite the squeeze of lemon and the small garnishing of parsley chutney, it was bland. My friend again said that last time she had had this dish, it had a cinammony flavour. Something was seriously wrong. Why were all three dishes so average? We then asked for the bill. It arrived swiftly and we asked for split payment. 35 minutes passed. We asked to make a payment again. Another 20 minutes passed. Then we asked to pay again, we were told that we could stay in our seats for as long as we wanted as tables had been moved around for us. We said we wanted to pay for our bill. We waited and waited and asked 3 more people. An hour and 15 minutes later, we were able to make our payment. So much drama. Both of us felt full (portion sizes are quite good) but not satiated. What a disappointment for a Friday night! :(

first time back since their renovations... food is still pretty good .. we took out the guess work…read moreand went for the $59 set. of the memorable I think would be the cauliflower croquette!! mouth watering soft centre... and the rice pudding desert. very airy and balanced with just the right amount of sweetness... having said that... if after a supposed $59 pp price tag and all I could remember was a croquette n awesome desert!! something's wrong here! I got served bowl of chips, a bowl of lentils and salad.... amongst small serving of swordfish on skewers, 1 scallop each.... and for main slow cooked chicken n lamb shoulder... it's lost the wow for me in all honesty... and for the price tag I think I better go elsewhere for the same non wow but still great Greek food.. YMMV

walked in around 12 on a Sunday and was seated straightaway. With a view of Coles there is not much…read morein terms of ambience. As I waited for my friends I perused their menu of non pronounceable dishes. I got the zucchini haloumi fritter with hazelnut and warercress salad. My skim cappucino was great but the food was not. My fritter was raw mushy and tasteless. And I only got one. No cheese was found. My friends beetroot salad just tasted like bottled beetroot. No flavours. My other friend ordered a burger and didn't like the burger bun Quite disappointing They are no longer affiliated with ygap. There was no feast and their food was not of merit

There is a lot to love about Feast of Merit. A quick scan of the menu instantly shows that this…read moreplace cares about quality ingredients and healthy food offerings without a gouging ticket price. In addition to taking care of your insides, Feast of Merit is also a YGAP initiative, which means all profits are put back into youth and leadership projects locally and in third world communities. It's feel-good food with a feel-good outcome. The space is large and airy, the perfect place to unwind over breakfast, lunch or dinner. I came for breakfast, but it appears they've got a few beers on tap and a bar so I am keen to check out their evening offerings. For breakfast I was torn between their 'Yeusli' (Organic puffed quinoa, chia seeds, activated buckwheat, figs, goji berries, pomegranate seeds, coconut flakes, almonds, currents, raw cinnamon, your choice of milk on the side) and one of their incredible looking smoothies. I opted for the Yeusli and had no regrets. Delicious, super-charged with raw food goodness and a reasonably-sized, filling portion. No overload of oats and yoghurt like most cafe muesli offerings. Normally I don't give 5 stars if the coffee isn't amazing, but I loved the different food offering and concept enough to bump it back up. Coffee is totally fine but the black coffee is not amazing. If you're a latte drinker you probably won't notice at all and there's the bonus of being able to choose different milks if you're not into soy or lactose. The staff were friendly and accommodating, all menu items were well priced and can feed you for $15 or less. Winner.

This is basically another one of the many kebab places that you pretty much find everywhere…read more However, this place is located in an arcade that happens to be next to the railway station, so I walk past it every so often (well, not quite because sometimes I go the other way). Anyway, being a kebab shop, you can pretty much guess that you can get HSPs here as well, which is basically what I ended up grabbing. Yeah, I have to admit that it certainly wasn't all that bad, and the service was okay. It was rather inexpensive, but as I suggested, it wasn't really the best.

So, I was overseas for a few weeks before Christmas in places where kebabs were few and far…read morebetween. Then came Christmas, and still no kebab. I had tried three times since then to buy from Kebab/i, but they were closed on all three occasions. And PitaPit is meagre consolation. Then finally... success! I bought a lamb kebab - with chips and a drink to boot! My curiosity was first piqued when I noticed that the white rectangular bag enveloping my meal read "SOUVLAKI" in blocked blue letters. Upon plucking the paper-wrapped package from its souvlaki sheath, I noticed that there was no foil wrapper to keep the meaty delight warm and prevent its characteristic kebab juices from percolating through the paper. No matter - it wasn't the first time that I had to keep a cascade of drips from splattering on my jeans. BUT unravelling the moist paper package revealed a most shocking secret! Flatbread had been used in the place of the familiar Turkish standard! Oh, the disappointment! It was not a true kebab, but a souvlaki hiding in plain sight! Despite being as tasty and filling as its more faithful counterparts, I do not believe that they should call the menu item that I purchased a "kebab". It's more of a kebab-souvlaki affair. Is suppose the apt portmanteau would be... Kebab/i

Had a gozleme and a cabbage wrap. Lamb gozleme was alright…read more The cabbage wrap was meant to be meat and rice, but turned out to be rice and meat, barely any flavour of meat. Massive in size, but too much cabbage, so it essentially was a lot of cabbage, a lot of rice and a bit of meat. So, so...

This place is amazing ! They are located in the Prahran Market and is a must stop while you are…read morethere. I wish I had any idea what I ate but I literally just pointed at what looked good and had them dish it up. I'm going to make a guess on what I ate , here we go : izmir köfte - Turkish meatballs and potatoes, simple and sweet, packed with flavor, not spicy, awesome. Kisir - Turkish bulgur wheat, this had some spice, great flavor and my new replacement for rice, it tasted like Spanish rice with more of s kick, made with tomato, onion, and red capsicum (red bell pepper). Sarma - lamb stuffed cabbage roll, I could eat this all day, it was pretty big and was packed with rice I think, could have been more bulgur wheat and minced lamb, not gamey at all, perfect ! Börek - spinach and cheese börek is exactly what it is. Spinach and cheese inside of delicious bread. Now I might have this name wrong because I think börek is in filo dough, crispy and flaky, and this was more of a soft flatbread. Maybe Gozleme ? No idea, but I loved it. Oh ya all above cast $24.50, so much food , couldn't eat it all, definitely will have food for later. Im giving the 5 star review because this place is truly delicious. All the items I got I loved, I usually can complain about one of the items and I can't and woon this one. Also the lady who helped me was super sweet and helpful. So far the first and best Turkish food I have had and what a great introduction. Thank you !

This is more of a proper sit down joint, than a take away premise…read more That said, I ordered the felafel wrap; and it was very good. The felafel was crisp and tasty but also fluffy and soft. it comes with tones of sauce though and eating it can be messy. Still the quality and serving size is quite good.

Apart from Chapel St, finding a really good kebab in this area can be a little difficult. Nicosia…read morehowever makes it very easy to get a really good kebab this side of town. They are a restaurant that offers both and delivery which adds that extra bit of convenience when they get full and you cannot find a table but still want to eat their Turkish delights and Turkish delights for dessert as well. They have a display at the front of house which will make it that little bit easier to sort through the menu when it comes time to choosing what you are going to eat if you eat in.

$8 for a mixed chicken and lamb sandwich with a ton of veggies, fries, and sauce in it! The…read moreportions are huge and the prices are relatively cheap. Plus, the owner is a super friendly Iranian guy who is also the guy making all the food and running the whole show. What a pleasant guy to chat with. You can't go wrong here!

"...Used to be MK CHICKA RICE.. Now PRO KEBAB & PIZZA - MIGHT STILL BE HAVING TEETHING PROBS.!!"…read more I dunno.. really hate to say 'not good' things about a NEW BIZ.. BUT.. PRO KEBAB & PIZZA, Burwood Road, Hawthorn was 'full-on disappointing' today... - They used those tough Lebanese Flat Breads instead of Turkish Breads - Nothing for the kebab juice or sauce to soak into, except right out the bottom, and all over me - so all over me... - Sweet Chilli Sauce and BBQ Sauce not a good option - No kick, just all sickly sweet sugar... - Lamb had a real fatty aftertaste - Not nice on the palate, or the memory... - And those little Cream Puffs - OMG - Totally inedible - Stale choux bignet; Sour, bitter tasting cream filling... -Turkish style Chicken Pizza was good - No complaints there... I'd recommend they do just PIZZAS...!!! Seriously... Spent a little under $50 - A helluva pricey pizza - Couldn't eat the other stuff... Honestly... Visited on Wednesday 17 Feb 2016 for after school mangiare.

Falafel House (as you might expect from their name) specialise in falafels, which they do…read moreexceedingly well. And at 2 in the morning, on your way home from a big night out, there's nothing that a vegetarian could be more thrilled to see than a big Mediterranean falafel wrap. As well as being open late and serving good quality and relatively healthy fast food, Falafel House is also awesome because they sell all kinds of old-school milk bar staples like milk shakes and thick shakes (they even have Blue Heaven flavour)! To walk home with a falafel wrap in one hand an a chocolate milkshake in the other makes me all kinds of happy.

When shops come and go at an alarming rate along Toorak Road, it's comforting to know Falafel House…read morehas been a constant. They stay open until 4 am and open again at 9am seven nights a week. So, fantastic for the Big nights out, or when you're burning midnight oil. They've got more than souvlakis and kebabs, schwarmas, burgers and fish chips too oh and dimmies as well. Coffee is served and try the Turkish delight or baklava. Now I want to stress that the meats hanging off the rotisserie are ACTUAL meat cuts be it lamb or chicken or beef and NOT the kind of meat glue that's just yuck. So you know you are getting tasty proper slices of lamb, chicken or beef. Or a combination just ask. And choose your toppings from Garlic sauce to tabbouleh and pickled turnips and chilli. My mouth is watering already. I would recommend the lamb kebab or souvlaki burger. Tasty and satisfying. It's a beeeet more expensive than others but again, you aren't eating meat glue. The gentlemen serving you are always happy to be there. It's a pretty basic setup but importantly it's kept clean and you can sit inside our outside. I heart Falafel House.