Since July 2015, The Souvlucky Country in Bondi has been offering locals in Sydney's eastern suburbs something that their tastebuds were missing- authentic home cooked Greek meals.
The name of the shop ‘Souvlucky Country’ was inspired by a combination of two things. Owners Maria and Harry see Australia as the “Lucky country" and together with “Souvlaki” that originates from Greece, they combined the words to name their shop the ‘Souvlucky Country.’
“Harry and I enjoy eating, cooking and hosting meals at the dinner table to spend time with family and friends. We wanted to have the ability to recreate this warm atmosphere and share the delicious Mediterranean flavours. Our main philosophy is to cook with passion and serve authentic dishes to every person who walks into our shop,” Maria says.
The menu has been inspired by their childhood memories and experiences of Greek food. They want their customers to feel as though they have travelled to Greece when dining at ‘The Souvlucky Country’, as Maria says, “There’s lots of home-cooked, authentic flavours you can mix and match according to what you crave on the day.”
All their mouthwatering dishes are cooked with passion and made from scratch, using fresh products, ensuring they maintain the real flavours of their homemade recipes, so they don’t buy pre-made or pre-mixed ingredients. Their delicious tzatiki is made fresh on the sport every day or two and the spanakopita and tiropita, which taste just as good as yiayia's (but don’t tell her that) are baked every morning.
Maria prides the fact that she brings back customers dirty, yet licked clean plates to wash in the kitchen, as that shows how much diners enjoy their food, which further encourages Harry and herself to cook better every day. The top four popular dishes customers love to is the gyros (slow cooked lamb, served with their marinated meat wrapped in fresh pita bread, drizzled with housemade tzatziki, tomato, onion, parsley paprika & chips), spanakopita, fresh cut potato chips served with feta cheese and the mixed grill plate (which features a bit of everything for those who can’t decide on one specific items from the menu).
Personally, Maria’s favourite dishes are the moussaka and the loukoumades. They are made from heritage recipes passed down from her yiayia and her mother, who are both amazing cooks.
What makes the Souvlucky Country unique is the experience customers will receive when they visit the store. “It could be the atmosphere, the smell or the taste that makes it memorable to you. You'll need to come and try for yourself to decide what makes it unique to you!” Maria stated.
A: 62A Bronte Rd, Bondi Junction NSW 2022
H: Monday to Thursday 10am-10pm, Friday and Saturday 10am-11pm & Sunday 10am-10pm
P: (02) 9389 3597
