Aspro Ble

Dinners brave enough to run the ‘Spruiker Gauntlet‘ of Hardware Lane, will arrive at Aspro Ble and bask in a shining selection of traditional Greek cuisine.

Appearing as a vision in the requisite national colour palate of blue and white, appropriate given the name literally means white/blue, Aspro Ble’s focus is on sharing food (and wine) from its meze menu.

Arriving around 8pm for dinner, we were seated at a small outdoor table in front of the bistro’s floor to ceiling windows. Quickly pouring over the menu, my accomplice and I ordered a variety of dishes, along with a bottle of 2 Black Ducks Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2011. The wine had  fresh citrus and passionfruit properties with a crisp, clean finish and a hint of lime. A nice start to proceedings.

The first dish to appear was the “bespoke” flatbread and village loaf. The bread was served with three traditional dips ($12) including hummus, taramosalata (traditional Greek caviar) and tzatziki. The dips were lean and tasty, with the tzatziki bursting with fresh cucumber zing.

Next up was saganaki with burnt fig paste ($12), a stand out of the meal. The fig paste proving to an interesting variation on the traditional lemon seasoning, acting as sweet addition cutting through the salty, fried flavor of the cheese.

Wait staff were kind enough to give ample digestion time between servings, with the next round beginning with a beetroot, leaves and walnut salad ($9) and crispy chat potato’s with olive oil, lemon and fresh herbs ($8). The salad brimmed with succulent beetroot wedges, which infused the walnuts with the earthy tang of the juices. The citrus and herb dressing on the potato’s provided a tangy culinary compatriot  to the salad.

We closed out our selection with a roasted stuffed red pepper ($12), which arrived rupturing with rice and grilled vegetables. The long grain rice stuffing had a nutty, chewy texture infused with hints of basil, with the soft, sweet skin of the pepper complimenting the strong flavors of the stuffing.

With a strong focus on simple, bold flavours, Aspro Ble awards dinners with traditional Greek dishes that have proved the test of time and still manage to get your taste buds dancing.

ASPRO BLE
389 Lonsdale St, Melbourne (cnr Hardware Lane)
9602 4444
Tue – Thu/Sat: 5.30pm – 11.00pm
Fri 12.00pm – 11.00pm