The Yeeros Shop, Marrickville
Marrickville might be changing but I hope The Yeeros Shop never leaves. Regarded as a institution by long-serving locals, The Yeeros Shop is said to be one Sydney's first, well, yeeros shops, opening in 1976. Not much has changed since then. They still hand-cut the potato chips and potato scallops. They still wrap your takeaway in giant packages of butchers paper. You'll still find a huddle of elderly Greek men at the tables up the back, slowly picking at plates of lamb yeeros while they catch up.
Sydney might be in the midst of a new wave of yeeros shops - all fancy subway tiles and children's play areas and communal tables - but you can't create those childhood flashbacks of the local takeaway still serving up takeaway chips to school kids generations later.
Slicing lamb yeeros off the spit
There are four vertical spits at The Yeeros Shop, slowly rotating with either chicken, lamb or beef. They use an electric knife to shave off thin slices, caught in a metal pan that is then transferred to the counter.
Hand-cut chips ready for double-frying
Every local high school has fond memories of the chips here. The potatoes are hand-cut so you get all kinds of deliciously gnarled edges. The chips are cooked once and allowed to cool, then fried again for maximum fluffiness.
Fresh spit of lamb yeeros
We happened to visit just as they were starting a fresh spit of lamb yeeros. The mountain of fresh lamb fillets stacked on top of one another is a wondrous sight.
Lamb yeeros with hand-cut chips $15
There's no question we're going to order the lamb yeeros with chips. I love that it comes on vintage plate straight from the 1970s. I remember eating off these at my grandma's house. The lamb is succulent and smoky, with so many crispy charred bits where the lamb fat has rendered.
The chips aren't the super crunchy kind but a little soft in parts without feeling greasy. Ask for tomato sauce at the counter and they'll give you a whole saucer of it for free. None of that packet stuff for 30c a pop.
Hand-cut potato scallops 90c
They hand-cut the potato scallops too, dipped in batter and then deep-fried until golden. A generous shake of salt is mandatory.
Inside the potato scallop
Crunchy shell. Fluffy potato centre. And that crunch of salt against your lips that takes you straight back to childhood.
Lamb souvlaki and chicken souvlaki $4 each
We're warned there'll be a 10-15 minute wait for the souvlaki, but that's just a welcome reassurance that these will be cooked fresh to order. We get the lamb souvlaki and the chicken souvlaki. They're both terrifically juicy. The chicken souvlaki is particularly juicy.
Small tabouli salad $4.80
We get our greens in the form of tabouli. You can tell it's also hand-chopped, bright and fresh with no signs of sogginess. It's not overladen with bulgur either, but resplendent with parsley, tomato and red onion.
Crispy fatty lamb yeeros
Can we stare at that lamb yeeros again? Classic goodness.
The Yeeros Shop
431 Illawarra Road, Marrickville, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9559 1167
Open daily 10.30am-12am
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posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 4/01/2016 01:15:00 am
12 Comments:
At 4/01/2016 7:47 am, John - heneedsfood said…
Geez, real potato scallops are like hens teeth in this town. Well, the good ones, that is.
At 4/01/2016 9:30 am, Unknown said…
Driven past so many times... next time I'll drop in for my fill of lamb and potatoes.
At 4/01/2016 9:50 am, Melleemoo said…
I live just near there... and the willpower to stop me buying scallops happens often!
At 4/01/2016 9:53 am, Melleemoo said…
I live just near there... and the willpower to stop me buying scallops happens often!
At 4/01/2016 10:46 pm, Tania | My Kitchen Stories said…
Awww I didnt know you could have a lamb and chips plate. i gotta pay more attention!. You know you can make just about any shop look good too Helen
At 4/04/2016 12:08 pm, missy vas said…
Ok Im adding this to the list. That lamb and chips plate looks amazing.
I went to a place in Five Dock last week called Gyros Fix - you might want to try that one out as well - not a subway tile insight :)
At 4/05/2016 6:12 am, Monique@The Urban Mum said…
I am reading this with my teenage son looking on - added this to our School Holiday list! Master B says thank you for the review. xx
At 4/06/2016 9:19 am, Amanda | Chew Town said…
Wow Helen, everything looks amazing - totally a notch above most yeeros shops which is why its an institution of course. I haven't been yet, so I know when I'm headed this weekend!
At 4/10/2016 12:14 pm, Unknown said…
Potato scallops are life! The lamb looks so fresh as well!
At 5/21/2016 6:41 pm, Sara | Belly Rumbles said…
Definitely will be checking this out next tine I am in Marrickville, I have never even noticed the shop before!
At 5/27/2016 2:07 pm, divegurl said…
Potato scallops! Yum! Takes me back to my teenage-hood when they were 10c a pop!
And honey, shows how often you buy packet sauce - it's 50c these days!
At 11/05/2017 8:29 pm, Anonymous said…
Best Yeeros by far.
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