First look: This Greek newcomer in South Melbourne cranks up the creativity
South Melbourne newcomer Aegli is taking a different tack. Traditional Greek recipes are a jumping-off point for dishes that'll make you say, 'what is this?' says chef Ioannis Kasidokostas, who runs Aegli with his wife Maria Tsilfoglou. The pair have taken over the former Lume site in Coventry Street, dormant since that fine diner went into liquidati o n in 2023.
Kasidokostas grew up in Athens, cutting his teeth at Michelin-starred fine diners including the longstanding Spondi, where high-end, high-concept cooking is king.
'I've seen a glory you don't see in tavernas [which serve] simple things like meatballs and horta,' he says. He wants to bring that glory to Melbourne.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Tanker believed to be carrying fuel processed in India from Russian oil docks in Western Australia
A tanker believed to be carrying fuel derived from Russian oil has docked in Western Australia, with question marks surrounding the cargo exposing glaring loopholes in government sanctions against Moscow. Seferis sails under a Greek flag and berthed in Kwinana, 40 kilometres south of Perth, about 3am on Wednesday after departing India on July 11. Australia sanctioned Russian oil soon after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. But India did not and refines Russian crude oil into liquid fuels like diesel and petroleum. When Australia purchases those products from India, it could be inadvertently funding the war in Ukraine. The issue is, there is no real way to confirm the origins of the fuel on Seferis, let alone what is being pumped at the bowser. Russia's income from exporting oil is the backbone of its economy and has effectively bankrolled the nation's war machine in Ukraine for three-and-a--half years. While Australia has committed to starving that revenue, the involvement of third parties like India has muddied the waters. Director of national security at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, John Coyne, said the majority of the country's imported liquid fuel does not come from India, but that does not clear up the issue at hand. "If Australia is to meet its full commitment of applying those sanctions, then it must also ensure that we don't contribute to a system that washes Russian oil through India," he said. Mr Coyne said Australia could follow the lead of the European Union, which applied sanctions to refineries that use Russian crude oil. "The first step here is making that very clear declaration that Australia will not take liquid fuels that find their origin in Russian oil and result in the transfer of money back into Russia that inevitably is used to prosecute and fund the campaign in Ukraine," he said. Ukrainian and Australian campaigners say Seferis is delivering fuel from the Jamnagar refinery in India. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found in the first half of this year, almost half of Jamnagar's crude oil feedstock came from Russia. "This crude is refined into a variety of oil products — gasoline, diesel, jet fuel etc. Any country importing these products from this specific refinery can expect Russian molecules in them," CREA's EU-Russia analyst Vaibhav Raghunandan said. CREA estimated in the first four months of 2025 Australia bought more than $1 billion of oil from India that was derived from Russian crude. Earlier this month, two vessels carrying 175,000 tonnes of oil from the Jamnagar refinery berthed at Botany Bay in Sydney. The federal government said it had imposed more than 1,500 sanctions on Russia, including measures to restrict the import of oil that originated in Russia. In June, Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced Australia's first sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet, which employs a variety of murky tactics to conceal the origins of its cargo. "Regrettably, the mechanisms we would need to track and monitor all energy products via third countries are not in place in those countries," a spokesperson for Ms Wong said. "We are evaluating options to place further pressure on Russia's oil revenues." Speaking on Tuesday, WA's Defence Industries Minister Paul Papalia said the western world needed to be alert to the prospect of "Russia getting around sanctions and getting its oil to market … by sneaky means". "I think that is a real threat, anywhere in the world," Mr Papalia said. "Russia is still selling its oil around the world and they do it by third parties, things like refining in [third party] countries and then exporting." An international law expert said without mechanisms to oversee third party imports, the option to cut off India from Australia's supply is theoretically on the table. Australia introduced its autonomous sanctions laws, allowing it to impose sanctions independently of the United Nations, in 2011 and it has given flexibility to the government to target restrictions. "They can issue sanctions on a particular product and how we import that, which could include banning importing through a third-party state if it can be connected back to Russian oil," said Melanie O'Brien, an associate professor of international law at the University of Western Australia. Mr Coyne said the government would have to weigh up the implications of a drastic move like cutting ties with India. "At the pump, Australians want to pay the cheapest possible price for liquid fuel," he said. "There's [also] the pressure of our diplomatic relationship at a bilateral level with India. "All of these things play out."
Perth Now
24-07-2025
- Perth Now
Perth dessert cafe's mighty high tea revamp
Honouring the past while looking to the future has been no cake walk for Kefi & Cakes owner Zoe Mallis, who sought to refresh Mt Hawthorn's Bites by D earlier this year to align with an evolving dessert and high tea market. Ms Mallis took over ownership of the cafe in 2020 after serving as head pastry chef, and announced the space would be undergoing a makeover in January this year. Re-opening in a 'pastel dream' of vibrant florals in late February, the owner said long-time customers can expect the same focus on authentic, house-made products and elegant desserts they always had. And they can be sure the dessert specialist is still behind the operation, despite some confusion it had changed hands. Kefi & Cake is the evolution of Bites by D. Credit: Zoe Mallis 'While the name has changed, the heart of the business remains the same, now infused with a deeper connection to my Greek heritage,' Ms Mallis told PerthNow. ''Kefi' is a Greek word that reflects joy, good vibes, and living in the moment — and that's exactly what Kefi & Cake stands for: good food, good people, and good fun.' Ms Mallis has trained at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu London culinary school, and was even commissioned to design a showcase cake for the Ritz' wedding open day. Wedding cake commissioned by The Ritz. Credit: Zoe Mallis But beyond her sumptuous snacks, the owner is hoping to elevate the holistic experience as she leans further into the catering space. 'The pastels and florals tie in beautifully with our target market, which includes baby showers, hen's parties, and birthdays. It's about creating something memorable and perfectly suited to those special occasions,' she said. Kefi & Cakes' decadent desserts. Credit: Zoe Mallis Those stopping by at her vibrant new cafe will notice there's more than just decadent desserts on the menu. Louis Vuitton dessert cake. Credit: Zoe Mallis Buoyed by the feedback from guests, Ms Mallis said the community response has been overwhelmingly positive in the months since she rebranded. 'I often hear people say 'wow' when they walk in, and many have described us as a 'hidden gem,'' she said. Kefi & Cakes is located at 147 Scarborough Beach Road in Mount Hawthorn.
News.com.au
18-07-2025
- News.com.au
$4.1m Rimac Nevera R breaks 24 world records in one go
A Rimac hypercar has smashed 24 world records, including going from 0 to 400km/h and then coming to a complete stop in just 25 seconds. The hair-raising Nevera R has been crowned the new 0-400-0 champion, breaking a slew of records in the process. In just 25.79 seconds, the electric supercar accelerated from standstill to 400km/h and back to a halt, beating the previous record by a full 2.04 seconds. Equipped with a breathtaking quad-motor all-electric powertrain, the Rimac has been labelled 'the fastest accelerating production car the world has ever seen.' Among the new benchmarks set by the electrifying ride is a jaw-dropping 0 to 60mph time of just 1.66 seconds. During its record-breaking run, the £1.8 million ($A3.4m) Nevera R hit a blistering top speed of 431.453km/h. Producing an astonishing 2,107 brake horsepower, the Nevera R soared to the top of the performance charts, according to Luxury Auto News. The dramatic improvement is thanks to a re-engineering of several major components. A fixed rear wing and enlarged diffuser generate greater downforce while enhancing aerodynamic efficiency. Meanwhile, Michelin Cup 2 tires reduce understeer and boost lateral grip. These upgrades work in concert with a next-generation All-Wheel Torque Vectoring system, designed to maximise traction and handling precision. 'When we first introduced Nevera, it almost seemed like the pinnacle of hypercar performance had been reached. In a single generation, we had created a performance jump that previously would have taken decades,' Mate Rimac, founder and president of the Rimac Group said. 'But now, through relentless innovation, Nevera R goes even faster, while still maintaining much of the comfort and practicality that makes the Nevera a real, usable daily car,' he added. 'Breaking records is in our DNA, and we won't stop here.' The Nevera R smashed its own 2023 records, securing its spot at the very top of the EV leaderboard. The original Nevera already held several elite titles, including the production EV top speed record of 412 km/h, a Goodwood Festival of Speed hill climb record of 49.32 seconds, and the electric production car lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife at 7:05.298. Now, there's even more opportunity for the Nevera R to go after what few records remain. Limited to just 40 units worldwide with a starting price of €2.3 million ($A4.1m), each Nevera R now carries the distinction of being part of the most comprehensively record-breaking hypercar ever created. The Rimac Nevera R doesn't just edge out the original Nevera — it leaps ahead, according to CarBuzz. The performance gap is clear across nearly every metric. The R version cut 1.61 seconds off the 0–200mph time, coming in at 9.25 seconds. It also hit 0–400 km/h (249mph) in 17.35 seconds, nearly four seconds quicker than the standard model. In the 0–250–0mph test, the Nevera R was over five seconds faster, highlighting massive gains in both acceleration and braking. It also improved the standing mile time to 19.71 seconds, shaving off almost a full second. The quarter-mile came in at 7.90 seconds, beating even the drag-ready Dodge Demon 170, and without special tires. Top speed rose from 412km/h to 431km/h, and it accelerated from 200–300km/h in just 3.89 seconds. Each upgrade shows Rimac's engineering wasn't just refined, it was reimagined.
