Yiro Yiro Belmore

[Linkhttp://www.yiroyiro.com.au/ Yiro Yiro], a new addition to busy Belmore Road, has a very modern, relaxed feel about it. The walls are mostly black, offset by white framed mirrors and clean, white countertops.



A graffitied mural stretches along one wall and wraps around, covering the side of the counter. A visual of the Parthenon is superimposed by marble statues and surrounded by Greek flags and tsoliades. The counter features the emblems of soccer teams Olympiakos and AEK (I think), a few more statues and the comedic shadow puppet, Karagiozi.



If these aren’t enough clues for you, then the sides of the recessed ceiling, lined with small white frames depicting picturesque islands or simply the words “Greece” or “Kos” (an island) make it a dead giveaway.

If you’re not into subtlety at all, there’s always the logo: “Yiro Yiro: Greek Street Food.”

The shop offers Yiro (meat in a pita bread), souvlakia, chips and Greek salad and there is plenty of room to sit, as long as it’s not too busy.

Yiro Yiro recently opened (just over a month ago), and is located in Belmore, just down the road from Canterbury Leagues Club. Yiros have always made for popular street food in Greece. More recently however, specialty Yiro stores have begun popping up all over Sydney, so I was interested to see how this place stacked up against all the other newbies in town, and of course, it’s equivalent in Greece.

Service is quick, though the cashier made a mistake with the order, which made it a bit awkward, but they were very professional and in the end gave me what I ordered free of any extra charge.



The options are traditional: chicken, pork and lamb. The meats are marinated and slow roasted on spits before being sliced into thin, bite-sized pieces.
The yiro ($9.00) is enclosed in a thick, slightly spiced and tasty pita bread, and the marinated meats (whichever you choose) are complimented with slices of tomato, onion and parsley. Tzatziki and chips, seasoned with a sprinkle of paprika, complete the meal.

The pork yiro is a blend of all these flavours, the heavier, spicy meat well balanced by the refreshing vegetables - if you can actually get it all in one bite that is. I struggled to get everything together and there could have been a little more tzatziki in this particular yiro as it ran a little dry.



Our side of chips ($6.50) is topped with crumbled fetta, oregano and a subtle hint of lemon. The fetta is soft and slightly melted onto the hot chips, while the oregano adds an extra bit of tangy flavour, which is only enhanced by the lemon - it is delicious. The only problem is that the fetta is not evenly spread and there’s likely to be some scavenging for those chips that are loaded with cheese and oregano.

The shop also offers a range of standard soft drinks and water, as well as popular soft drinks imported from Greece.

Unfortunately, Yiro Yiro in Belmore seems a bit pricey, comparatively. While it is not necessarily much, considering the location and product, it is noticable. A yiro will set you back about $9.00, while plain chips are $4.00.

All in all, Yiro Yiro is certainly not the best yiro shop I’ve ever been too, but it is still pretty yummy food.

Rating: 6.5/10

Where: 374 Burwood Road, Belmore South, 2192.
Cost: $5 - $15 per person.
When: Sunday - Thursday 11am - 10pm. Friday and Saturday 11am - 11pm.
Good for kids: Yes.
Take away: Yes.

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#greek_
#greek_restaurants
#belmore

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