Until I visited the Hellenic Club in the city on Moore Street in Civic last week, I’d yet to form a concrete opinion on clubs. Something I always associated with an older greyer generation and cigarette smoke, I now realise exactly what’s been missing from my social life. Fresh clean decor, comfortable seating, alfresco dining options, big screens showcasing a variety of entertainment on just about every wall, extensive bar, prices so reasonable I almost exclaimed with disbelief and a separate gambling area also makes things conveniently family friendly if necessary. The atmosphere was one of complete, un-encumbered relaxation and I was surprised to find myself following race seven at Nowra race track over a glass of refreshing sparkles with more enthusiasm than I would previously have deemed possible.
The menu is illuminated brightly over the bar and covers all tastes more than adequately. If you have queries regarding any of the dishes, staff members are very knowledgeable and all too happy to help out with suggestions or recommendations. We ordered an entree and a few mains and took up residence in comfortable, diner-style seating which wraps around one of the walls – providing plenty of space and further adding to the relaxed vibe.
Our much anticipated entree of Oysters Kilpatrick arrived with impressive speed and timeless presentation. Plucked from the pristine fresh-water farms of Batemans Bay’s Clyde River only the day before, our symmetrical ½ dozen floret of gnarly oyster shells rested peacefully on a crumbling bed of crystal white sea salt. The Thumbelina sized oyster forks added an elevated level of occasion to an already anticipated course, and the central wedges of acidic lemon completed the coastal dining sensation. These Clyde river beauties would have been delicious au-natural, but the rich, dark amalgamation of smoked barbeque over the crisp saltiness of grilled bacon completed an already pretty picture.
The salt and pepper squid is something I tend to order compulsively while it’s still fashionably frequenting menus, but I’ve never had a plate of the bite-sized marine morsels arrive so crisp and piping hot. The seasoning was shamelessly finger licking and the accompanying sweet chilli condiment added that extra punch to make the plate exponentially more memorable than stock-standard tasty. A tangy side salad of crisp dressed seasonals kept things simple, light and enjoyable.
The chicken souvlaki, we were told, is a popular menu item here and it isn’t difficult to understand why. A huge portion of herb encrusted, char grilled chicken pieces rests impaled on a long skewer, and proved both incredibly tender and surprisingly packed with fresh, herbaceous flavour. The cool creamy tzatziki served alongside bought a little more Mediterranean to the party and although the amount of food on the plate looked immense, the fresh exotic flavours and straight-from-the-grill temperature made it all too easy to consume.
I love a good steak, but I only write about great ones. Life is far too short for inferior quality meat and in Australia there is just no excuse for it. The Wagu steak at the Hellenic club is quite simply to die for and if you currently have any plans for Australia day cancel them immediately – because you need to be here, eating steak. Tender, pink and thick with an impressive marble are just a few words which come to mind. We found it perfect with a small dab of mustard (suggested by the very helpful wait staff) which accentuated every little flavour instead of drowning it in a gravy which couldn’t possibly have stood up to the power of the Wagu. Crisp golden fries are of course, never usually a necessity, but make rich, heady cuts of carnivorous glee just that extra bit more enjoyable.
If you’re currently in the market for an impressive all-rounder, this is it. There are $9.90 lunch specials for those work days where soggy sandwiches don’t quite cut it, satisfying breakfasts available from the alfresco cafe, Trivia Wednesdays, happy hour Thursdays, free cocktail food Fridays, live DJ’s, kids eat free on the weekends and if you’re a member, winning the lucky badge draw cash prize for just being at the right place at the right time would be a pretty sweet way to end the meal. Clubs are thankfully no longer domains for the nicotine riddled hermit, so I suggest you make the most of ‘Clubs ACT Small club of the year 2012’ before the secret is well and truly out.
