First Look: A South Sydney Favourite Is Reborn with Cypriot Share Plates and Ouzotinis

Many of Sydney’s best meals are enjoyed with a side of noise. A Baba’s Place tarama toast pairs perfectly with the occasional roar from the flight path overhead. Chinese Noodle House’s braised eggplant dumplings get a lot of their charm from the crackle of Haymarket in the background.

This is not the case at Jaaks, the newly renovated South Sydney mezedopolio. There’s a real serenity to the dining experience here – the stillness of Kyle Bay and the soft cracks from lawn bowls on the neighbouring green.

Previously, the swish space served as a degustation-only Greek fine diner but, after a two-month project that added textured walls, concrete light fittings, art pieces and light timber furniture, the 40-seater reopened with a menu of share plates and charcoal-grilled souvlaki, as well as a new laid-back bar area.

“People’s idea of dining out has changed over the years,” co-owner Diana Valsamis tells Broadsheet. “[The new menu] gives them more options, and it’s a little bit less restrictive. It’s not just for special occasions now.”

The introduction of the walk-ins-only lounge keeps it casual. Drop in and let long-time restaurant manager Harry Sarantidis impart his passion for Greek wine while you snack on the house-baked bread, which arrives smothered in honey and topped with haloumi.

But Jaaks still feels very much like a special occasion spot – just with a little more flexibility than its set-menu predecessor.

In both iterations, the Cypriot heritage of Valsamis and her brother and co-owner George Christodoulou lays the foundation. On the current menu, an immediate standout is the sheftalies, Cypriot sausages traditionally made with pork. At Jaaks 2.0, new executive chef Arman Uz (ex-Efendy) reinvents it with melt-in-your-mouth salmon belly.

“Our mum used to roll them, our dad used to barbeque them, so it takes us back to our roots,” says Valsamis. “But it’s a very modern take on the actual dish.”

Traditionally, these dishes “come hand-in-hand with an ouzo”, which is woven throughout the menu; we recommend the Ouzotini, with cucumber-infused ouzo, Hendricks gin, mint and salt. Then there’s the house-made Lemonada, available booze-free or spiked with gin.

It’s the king prawns, however, that stand out from the ouzo-fuelled offering. They arrive drenched in garlic butter, sitting atop a creamy ouzo bisque. Make sure to order another serve of bread to mop it up.

Jaaks
12 Merriman Street, Kyle Bay

Hours:
Thu 6pm–9pm
Fri & Sat midday–3pm, 6pm–9pm
Sun midday–4pm

jaaks.com.au
@jaaksrestaurantandbar