A passion for good food

ENA Greek Street Food continues to go from strength to strength at Southgate under the leadership of its devoted Greek executive chef Steve Pappas.

Owned by the Funky Food Group, ENA Greek Street Food has quickly cemented its place as a local favourite here in Southbank for providing a simple yet quality menu that caters for everyone.

Since opening at Southgate in April last year, Steve’s passion and experience has been the driving force behind ENA’s success and he said, when it came to Greek street food, one could not find better. “In terms of Greek street food, this is it,” he said.

“People can use the name and they can throw it around how they want, but you won’t find a more authentic Greek street food restaurant.”

“The menu isn’t necessarily following trends because it’s true to the name of being street food the list is endless as to what you can put on there so we rotate it depending on the seasons and what ingredients we can get.”

Born in Greece and migrating to Australia when he was 15, Steve said he had always been passionate about simply creating good food and, in keeping with his heritage, particularly good Greek food.

As both a long time friend and colleague of Funky Food Group’s Kosta Houdalakis, Steve said he loved creating his beloved Greek dishes amongst ENA’s family-like environment.

“I’m allowed the freedom to be creative as I want,” he said. “I have the freedom to create different dishes throughout the year. I love working here at Southgate because not only is it a Greek restaurant but also I feel like I own it.”

“We’re not stingy on using good quality ingredients so if I want to use something that most other places might say aren’t affordable we’ll always try and work out a way that we can make a dish. All of the ingredients we use are the best.”

In keeping with its simple mantra of providing a delicious and versatile Greek street food menu, Steve’s passion for quality ingredients and flavour has been given licence to flourish at ENA.

The menu offers a variety of delicious sharing plates, mains, salads and desserts and includes all the signatures one can expect to find in Greece from spanakopita and moussaka to mouth-watering seafood and souvlaki.

However, with a focus on using only the best seasonally-available ingredients, Steve and his team are constantly able to use their expertise to change the menu offerings.

ENA’s latest menu adds a new range of traditional Greek dishes such as a lamb salad with roast potato, capsicum, rocket, olives and beetroot chips, or crumbed eggplant chips with lime and sweet chili dill or even a delicious gluten free chocolate and walnut cake for dessert.

Steve said the continuously positive response to his food was validation that ENA Greek Street Food was exactly what Southbank’s diverse community had long been craving.

“There is very much an established crowd that works and lives here and it’s a hugely transient crowd and they’re two totally different types of customers,” he said.

“The challenge for me has been to create a menu where you can grab and go and you can also sit down and dine. You can come in more than once a week and it’s difficult but I think we have achieved that.”

ENA Greek Street Food is located at shop M4/9 mid-level Southgate Complex. It is also now taking Christmas and New Years Eve bookings. For more information or to book visit enagreekstreetfood.com.au