#navbar-iframe { display: none; }

« Home | Restaurant Arras, Sydney » | Steersons King Street Wharf, Sydney » | The Abercrombie, Broadway, Chippendale (CLOSED) » | Sepia, Sydney » | Tommy's Beer Cafe, Glebe » | Spiedo, Xanthi and Chat Thai, Westfield Sydney » | Mohr Fish, Surry Hills » | Chinta Ria... Mood for Love, Sydney » | Crave SIFF: BBQ Madness and World Chef Showcase wi... » | Azuma Kushiyaki: Sugar Hit 2011 »

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Cyprus Community Club, Stanmore - Aphrodite Restaurant

Cyprus Cypriot Club calamari

I've always thought that community clubs are some of the best hidden gems you'll ever find. This is food made by the people, for the people, where decor is secondary to what's served on the plate.


For my Eat This column in the October edition of Time Out Sydney I headed to the Cyprus Community Club in Stanmore.


Eat This...
Kleftiko


WHAT IS KLEFTIKO?
If you’ve never tried goat before, this is your best introduction. Kleftiko is roasted baby goat: hunks of meat sprinkled with salt, pepper and oregano and then slow-cooked in the oven for three hours. Dig your fork past the crisp layer of fatty skin and you’ll find meat that is soft and tender.

Cyprus Cypriot Club roast baby goat
Kleftiko baby goat with roast potatoes $20

WHERE CAN I GET IT?
Head to the Cyprus Community Club's Aphrodite Restaurant on a Friday night, where kleftiko is a weekly special ($20) served with a side of lemony roast potatoes. Kleftiko is only available during the goat kidding season but should continue for the next couple of months.

Cyprus Cypriot Club

WHAT'S IT LIKE?
The Cyprus Community Club has been around for 81 years, and by all appearances, so have many of its patrons. There’s nothing fancy here, with worn carpet and dated function centre chairs and tables, but who’s quibbling about the décor when the food is this hearty and generous? The bistro is reasonably quiet during the week, but things really kick off on Saturday nights, with traditional live music from 9pm and a dance floor that is soon heaving with boisterous Greek and Cypriot locals.

Cyprus Cypriot Club bbq baby octopus
Barbecue baby octopus $9.50


Cyprus Cypriot Club loukaniko pork sauage
Loukaniko smoked pork sausage $14

WHAT SHOULD I ORDER?
Grilled meats and seafood make up the bulk of a menu that incorporates both Greek and Cypriot dishes. Start with fresh calamari ($9), dusted lightly with flour and pan-fried until golden, or a tangle of tender baby octopus ($9.50), barbecued on the grill. Meat lovers should get into the loukaniko ($14), a chunky smoked pork sausage, or the chicken or lamb souvlaki ($13). All mains comes with a pile of rice, chips and vegetables.


Cyprus Cypriot Club keftethes meatballs
Keftethes Cypriot-style meatballs $8

ANY CYPRIOT SPECIALTIES?
Afelia ($14) is a classic Cypriot dish of cubed pork, marinated and then braised in red wine and crushed coriander seeds. Keftethes ($8) are Cypriot-style meatballs studded with potato and don’t forget the haloumi cheese ($9). It’s worth ordering the sikoti lamb's liver ($8), cooked until just tender. Offal lovers won’t find a bigger serving of sweetbreads ($10) than here – a mountain of thymus glands pan-fried with a simple but generous squeeze of lemon.

Cyprus Cypriot Club sikoti lambs liver
Sikoti lamb's liver $8

Cyprus Cypriot Club sweetbreads
Sweetbreads $10

Cyprus Cypriot Club broad beans
Broad beans $8

Cyprus Cypriot Club live music
Live music


View Larger Map
Cyprus Community Club on Urbanspoon

Cyprus Community Club
58-76 Stanmore Road, Stanmore, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9550 3862

Opening hours:
Lunch Tuesday to Sunday 11.30am-2pm
Dinner Monday to Thursday 6pm-8pm; Friday to Sunday 6pm-10.30pm

This article appears in the October 2011 issue of Time Out Sydney in my monthly Food & Drink column Eat This!  [read online]



More Time Out Sydney reviews:
Akash Pacific Cuisine, Liverpool (Fiji Indian cuisine)

ATL Marantha, Kensington (Indonesian fried chicken with edible bones)
Balkan Oven, Rockdale (Macedonian burek)
Durban Dish, Baulkham Hills (South African cuisine)
Good Kitchen, Hurstville (Hong Kong cafe)
Hijazi's Falafel, Arncliffe (Lebanese breakfast)
Island Dreams Cafe, Lakemba (Christmas Islands cuisine)
Kambozza, Parramatta (Burmese cuisine)
La Paula, Fairfield (Chilean empanadas, lomitos and sweets)
Mario Tokyo Pizza (Bulgogi Korean pizza)
Olka Polka Bakery & Deli, Campbelltown (Polish cheesecake and rye bread)
Sea Sweet, Parramatta (Lebanese sweet kashta cheese burger)
Sizzling Fillo, Lidcombe (Filipino pork hock crackling)
Tehran, Granville (Persian cuisine)
Tuong Lai, Cabramatta (Vietnamese sugar cane prawns)
12 comments - Add some comment love

posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 11/02/2011 01:03:00 am


12 Comments:

  • At 11/02/2011 7:21 am, Blogger joey@forkingaroundsydney said…

    I think goat has a great flavour and texture, and the Cypriots do it justice. Looks like a fab place for a rowdy get-together!

     
  • At 11/02/2011 8:16 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Real food, real prices, real people, love it. Sounds like Saturday night is the time to go!

     
  • At 11/02/2011 9:20 am, Anonymous john@heneedsfood said…

    Looks like a vegetarians nightmare. Mmmm sweetbread!

     
  • At 11/02/2011 9:22 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I'm sure this is the most authentic Cypriot fare you can get in Sydney. Good servings and good prices!

     
  • At 11/02/2011 9:22 am, Anonymous Hannah said…

    Oooh, liver! Nom nom nom!

     
  • At 11/02/2011 10:42 am, Anonymous Tina@foodboozeshoes said…

    Look at that spread of food!!! Yum!

     
  • At 11/02/2011 10:42 am, Blogger Mel said…

    I've never tried goat (as far as I know?) but this looks like the place to go for it.

     
  • At 11/02/2011 1:55 pm, Anonymous Ayden said…

    No, I've never heard of Kleftiko... looks good though, and look at that, you learn something new each day.

     
  • At 11/02/2011 2:38 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I've always wondered what it was like to eat at these cultural community clubs. Food looks so rustic and delicious :9 keen to try the goat.

     
  • At 11/03/2011 2:26 pm, Blogger Phuoc'n Delicious said…

    I am salivating! Greek food is possibly one of my favourite cuisine! Love places that just focus on perfecting the food, that's what it's all about. I think I'll just have to make my way down here one Sat night just to enjoy the good food and atmosphere.

     
  • At 11/03/2011 8:59 pm, Blogger greenbeenfood said…

    funny seeing these images...takes me back to a big boozy night at this club with some greek friends over 10yrs ago! It was sooo funny, loud, salty, tasty, wine fueled & a little bit of that liquorish stuff. i have never forgotten the evening! Dayle

     
  • At 11/04/2011 3:32 pm, Anonymous Nic@diningwithastud said…

    Love goat! Lol @ the band - they dont look too happy :/

     

Post a Comment

<< Home


      << Read Older Posts       |       >> Read Newer Posts