Originally published on Broadsheet

French crepe batter, Greek fillings.

Crepe culture is huge on the Greek islands. “Locals go crazy for them, especially after clubbing,” says Sylvia Gabriel. She and her husband Thomas Deliopoulos (the same pair behind Kalimera Souvlaki Art) have just opened their own Greek-style crepe store in Oakleigh, Mykonos Cafe and Crepes.

At 16 years old, Deliopoulos’ parents forced him to serve in the Greek army. He served as a chef, befriending a French man during a deployment to Kosovo.

When Deliopoulos left the army, the Frenchman gave him three things: a beret, 10 bottles of French wine and his grandfather’s crepe recipe.

After immigrating to Australia in 2011, Deliopoulos brushed the dust off the recipe and has merged the French batter with his Hellenic expertise to create cross-cultural crepes.

On the menu is the bougatsa crepe. Bougatsa is a traditional Greek filo pastry filled with custard and sprinkled with cinnamon. So what have the couple done? Replaced the filo pastry with a crepe and pumped it with bougatsa fillings.

Deliopoloulos is a self-proclaimed “madman” ready to push crepes to a realm no one’s seen before. “Next I am making a moussaka crepe, filled with eggplant, mince and béchamel sauce,” he says.

The crepes are named to honour famous Myconian landmarks. The Psarou crepe – filled with cheese, turkey, capsicum, salami and mushrooms – is named after a beach Deliopoulos says is the island’s most famous. The legendary Pierro Club (which closed in 2005) gets a mention too, reincarnated into a white Nutella Oreo and Grand Marinier liqueur crepe. What is the luxury Mykonos Blu Resort in crepe form? Salmon, capers, dill, egg and spring onion (obviously).

The decor could make you forget you are actually in suburban Australia. On the cobblestone-painted ground sit white tables and chairs surrounded by vibrant flower vines, momentarily teleporting customers to the streets of Mykonos.

Mykonos Cafe and Crepes
58 Portman Street, Oakleigh
(03) 9569 6767

Hours
Tue–Thu: 11am–7pm
Fri–Sun: 11am–9pm

mykonoscafe.com.au

Image credit: Gareth Sobey.