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SubscribeLoginSubscribeLoginSubscribeLogin{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney/food-and-drink/article/calamansi-bar-restaurant-cremorne-open"},"headline":"A Masterchef Alum Opens a Southeast Asian Wine Bar and Restaurant Just North of the Bridge","description":"At Calamansi, Sarah Tiong is inspired by her mum and one particular fruit tree from her childhood – and she’s already luring people back multiple times a week with an aromatic Peranakan-style chicken curry.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_005-2677e971ea.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_014-50a457e394.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_007-637cf3e360.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_013-da6de26245.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_017-62feb89b85.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_001-b2a6610a60.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_016-0b07cfbbf8.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_009-70d0c94f9a.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_010-a0c26ea152.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_015-3d2e163469.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_020-182f553550.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_012-67687480f0.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_006-b1d21ab840.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_023-995d9111c6.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_008-dc129fd08f.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_003-3a8575c4f9.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Pilar Mitchell"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/16/Calamansi_Yusuke_Oba_Sep_2026_Low_002-fd666652dc.webp","caption":""}],"datePublished":"2026-09-16T11:35:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-09-17T02:08:37.236Z","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Pilar Mitchell","url":"https://www.broadsheet.com.au/author/pilar-mitchell"},"articleBody":"Sarah Tiong’s childhood calamansi tree was such a prolific fruiter, her mum put the delicate, earthy citrus in everything. “My mum and I grew this little tree together in our backyard, and it became a massive, established tree,” says the chef and Masterchef alum. “Mum would dry the calamansi to add to teas throughout the winter, put it in cordials in summer and add it to sauces. It was something we always had. We didn’t eat lemons or limes; we ate calamansi.” It’s only fitting that Tiong should name her first solo restaurant Calamansi. The chef intended it to be a wine bar, but it’s quickly become a cosy neighbourhood haunt with a menu full of dishes that reflect the food she ate growing up. For example: the silky, golden chicken curry, which she says some customers eat three times a week. “The dish is lovely and warming. It’s a Peranakan-style curry with a bit of tamarind. There’s a lot of spice, coriander seeds, it’s heavy on shallots and garlic to build a flavourful base. And it’s got to have potatoes – the potatoes make it. They thicken the sauce and suck it up as well.” Fans of Ogni, the now-closed Surry Hills venue Tiong opened with chef Rashedul Hasan (another Masterchef alum), will remember Tiong’s mum’s achar, a Penang-style, sweet, sour, spicy pickle served with prawn crackers and bitternut chips. There are also dishes that reflect her fine-dining skills, like chicken wings painstakingly deboned and stuffed with scallop and prawn mousse, and the Singapore chilli crab croquettes that evolved from a dish comprising a cone of crab meat topped with salmon roe. “It was very pretty, but it didn’t sell because people didn’t know what it was. As soon as I turned it into a croquette, we sold out three days of prep in a single Tuesday.” For Tiong, food is how she related to her mum. “In a Chinese Malay family, your mum is the figurehead. You don’t relate to her as a friend because she’s a decision-maker. In my family we overcame that through cooking. My mum was private about her childhood, but we broke through that barrier when she’d show me recipes and would reminisce about her own mum’s cooking.” That feeling of family and belonging is what Tiong wants to create at Calamansi. The venue bears her fingerprints beyond the menu, with Tiong and her staff spending weeks fitting out the space themselves, installing the banquette seating, the live-edge timber bar and the backlit wine shelves that hold a growing collection of wines, many from female winemakers. Tiong’s mum passed away in 2020, so she wasn’t able to see her daughter’s latest success. Tiong imagines her reaction. “I think my mum would say, ‘You know what? Good thing you made the decision to do this and backed yourself. It was the right decision.’” Calamansi 307 Military Road, Cremorne Hours: Tue to Sat 5pm–10pm calamansi.restaurant @calamansi.restaurant","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Broadsheet","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://broadsheet.com.au/assets/image/logo-full-white.png","width":520,"height":53}},"inLanguage":"en-AU"}(self.__next_s=self.__next_s||[]).push([0,{"children":"\n const fusetag = window.fusetag || (window.fusetag = { que: [] });\n window.__fuseInitPath = window.location.pathname;\n fusetag.que.push(function() {\n fusetag.pageInit({\n blockingFuseIds: [\"96225910\"],\n pageTargets: [{\"key\":\"sessionalcohol\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"sessionautomotive\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"sessionfinance\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"sessiontechnology\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"sessiontravel\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"pagetype\",\"value\":[\"article\"]},{\"key\":\"campaign\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"sponsor\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"sponsorcategory\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"sponsorname\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"tags\",\"value\":[]},{\"key\":\"suburb\",\"value\":\"cremorne\"},{\"key\":\"vertical\",\"value\":\"Food & Drink\"},{\"key\":\"city\",\"value\":\"sydney\"}]\n });\n });\n ","id":"load-publift"}]){"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Sydney","@id":"https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Food & Drink","@id":"https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney/food-and-drink"}}]}SydneyFood & DrinkA Masterchef Alum Opens a Southeast Asian Wine Bar and Restaurant Just North of the BridgeAt Calamansi, Sarah Tiong is inspired by her mum and one particular fruit tree from her childhood – and she’s already luring people back multiple times a week with an aromatic Peranakan-style chicken curry.Words by Pilar Mitchell · Updated on 17 Sep 2026 · Published on 16 Sep 2026 Read laterSarah Tiong’s childhood calamansi tree was such a prolific fruiter, her mum put the delicate, earthy citrus in everything. “My mum and I grew this little tree together in our backyard, and it became a massive, established tree,” says the chef and Masterchef alum. “Mum would dry the calamansi to add to teas throughout the winter, put it in cordials in summer and add it to sauces. It was something we always had. We didn’t eat lemons or limes; we ate calamansi.” It’s only fitting that Tiong should name her first solo restaurant Calamansi. The chef intended it to be a wine bar, but it’s quickly become a cosy neighbourhood haunt with a menu full of dishes that reflect the food she ate growing up. For example: the silky, golden chicken curry, which she says some customers eat three times a week. “The dish is lovely and warming. It’s a Peranakan-style curry with a bit of tamarind. There’s a lot of spice, coriander seeds, it’s heavy on shallots and garlic to build a flavourful base. And it’s got to have potatoes – the potatoes make it. They thicken the sauce and suck it up as well.”
SubscribeLoginSubscribeLoginSubscribeLogin{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney/food-and-drink/article/new-cafes-september-2026"},"headline":"Four To Try: New Sydney Coffee Shops To Add to Your Rotation","description":"Spring is here, and so is a flash little coffee van, a sibling for a Petersham favourite, a Marrickville outpost for a local roaster and a new kid with pineapple buns.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/17/NewSydneyCoffeeWrapSeptember2026-a2e5117f54.gif","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/17/Broadsheet_BrothersBenAtelier_DeclanBlackall_090926_0007-7ee77bb2b9.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace 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Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/17/Broadsheet_SampleCoffee_DeclanBlackall_090926_0012-cc6d946f93.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/17/Broadsheet_SampleCoffee_DeclanBlackall_090926_0005-23bd381450.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/17/Broadsheet_SampleCoffee_DeclanBlackall_090926_0001-44f8dad013.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/17/Broadsheet_SampleCoffee_DeclanBlackall_090926_0007-34ccc9b5f5.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/17/Broadsheet_SampleCoffee_DeclanBlackall_090926_0004-a65a5cdeb5.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/17/Broadsheet_AyceCoffee_DeclanBlackall_100926_0002-c47f4b9f3f.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/17/Broadsheet_AyceCoffee_DeclanBlackall_100926_0008-bcb81cf40d.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/17/Broadsheet_AyceCoffee_DeclanBlackall_100926_0016-1394fdd00b.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/17/Broadsheet_AyceCoffee_DeclanBlackall_100926_0005-9c66d7c575.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/17/Broadsheet_AyceCoffee_DeclanBlackall_100926_0007-84c3c8ee12.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/10/Broadsheet_KiddoCoffee_DeclanBlackall_090926_0009-40c5936994.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/10/Broadsheet_KiddoCoffee_DeclanBlackall_090926_0023-69cbf105de.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/10/Broadsheet_KiddoCoffee_DeclanBlackall_090926_0005-478c1ffdec.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/10/Broadsheet_KiddoCoffee_DeclanBlackall_090926_0030-05728ace79.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Grace Mackenzie"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/10/Broadsheet_KiddoCoffee_DeclanBlackall_090926_0032-36c0ed1ed7.webp","caption":""}],"datePublished":"2026-09-18T01:29:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-09-18T00:04:09.423Z","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Grace Mackenzie","url":"https://www.broadsheet.com.au/author/grace-mackenzie"},"articleBody":"It seems impossible that this city can fit any more good cafes into its streets. But then someone converts a vibey little Piaggio Ape into a coffee shop and we all find time to add another stop to the mix. Here are four new Sydney cafes for you to try – each one doing its own thing well. Brothers Ben Atelier, Petersham Treasured inner west coffee shop Brothers Ben opened on a little Petersham corner in 2018. Since then, it’s grown and shifted, changed owners, and as of July, gained an outpost on the corner opposite. Brothers Ben Atelier creates more space for what we know: cheffy brekkie plates, good coffee and an unshakeable community spirit. Hit this new neighbourhood haunt for brekkie muffins and egg-topped potatoes, kimchi toasties and a serve of pancakes dolled up with miso caramel and caramelised bananas. There’s foam-topped matcha and cold brew too, plus ultra-rich slices of London Cake, the internet-famous choc-caramel layer cake by Edd Kimber, the first winner of The Great British Bake Off. 49 Palace Street, Petersham @brothersbenatelier Kiddo Coffee, Surry Hills Hong Kong coffee culture meets Thai heritage at this new Sydney cafe – and it’s been popular straight out the gate. How has owner Pakasit “Zen” Wawongmoon cut through in our arguably overloaded cafe scene? With attention to detail, Thai riffs and coconut-filled pandan buns toasty from the oven. Two years ago he closed the Bondi cafe of the same name that he co-owned – but he’s back with a truer expression of himself. Kiddo 2.0 is modelled on cha chaan tengs – the buzzy, casual coffee and tea houses found in Hong Kong – as well as the signature aesthetics of Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-wai. Cups for your standard coffees carry the traditional Chinese longevity pattern, and there’s a long list of extravagant drinks to choose from. Fly Me to the Moon is Kiddo’s interpretation of a Mont Blanc, arriving on a silver tray, ready to be placed on the cherry-red plastic crates used as tables. Almost every single table has at least one of the puffy, sweet, crunchy-topped buns – either a polo bao (pineapple bun) or a green-hued pandan number. 84-86 Mary Street, Surry Hills @kiddo.coffeesydney Ayce Coffee, Kogarah This new coffee cart is a full-circle moment for its owner John Puah. For five years in the 2010s, he owned and ran Well-Co in Glebe – reportedly Sydney’s first internet cafe – before pivoting to a career in food photography. He co-founded Jasper Avenue with his wife Amanda Owen. That’s still on the go, but now Ayce Coffee is too: specifically, on the tray of a vibey little Piaggio Ape. The skinny little Italian truck is parked up in the space next door to the couple’s studio, with the roller door coming up four days a week. The Ape was already kitted out as a coffee cart, so after a clean-up and an upgrade to the grinder, Ayce was ready to go. The block in Kogarah is part-industrial, part-residential, with a big sports park that packs out on weekends. But this cafe is on wheels, so expect to see it at markets and events around town as well. 1A-26 Phillips Road, Kogarah @ayce_coffee Sample, Marrickville This local roaster’s been at it since 2011 – no mean feat for an indie business. It was all started by Reuben Mardan, who’d done time at both Mecca and Single O. A few years later it grew from its Surry Hills beginnings to a second space in St Peters, and now there’s a third in Marrickville. The new shop’s teenier than St Peters, with just enough room for a counter fronted with a raw slab of wood, topped with ready-pour taps and all the coffee gear. You’ll find beans to take home on a shelf, in a shop with not much more than the coffee bar, a Slow Down Studio rug hung on the wall and red stools scattered out the front. The site will soon be where the team does all its roasting too, but they’re keeping you caffeinated until then. Get a dialled-in espresso or your cup of choice, and check out the coffee industry’s latest tech. Or opt for an iced white-choc matcha, oat latte or hot filter from the taps. 37 Sydenham Road, Marrickville @samplecoffee","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Broadsheet","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://broadsheet.com.au/assets/image/logo-full-white.png","width":520,"height":53}},"inLanguage":"en-AU"}(self.__next_s=self.__next_s||[]).push([0,{"children":"\n const fusetag = window.fusetag || (window.fusetag = { que: [] });\n window.__fuseInitPath = window.location.pathname;\n fusetag.que.push(function() {\n fusetag.pageInit({\n blockingFuseIds: [\"96225910\"],\n pageTargets: [{\"key\":\"sessionalcohol\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"sessionautomotive\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"sessionfinance\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"sessiontechnology\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"sessiontravel\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"pagetype\",\"value\":[\"article\"]},{\"key\":\"campaign\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"sponsor\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"sponsorcategory\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"sponsorname\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"tags\",\"value\":[]},{\"key\":\"suburb\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"vertical\",\"value\":\"Food & Drink\"},{\"key\":\"city\",\"value\":\"sydney\"}]\n });\n });\n ","id":"load-publift"}]){"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Sydney","@id":"https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Food & Drink","@id":"https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney/food-and-drink"}}]}SydneyFood & DrinkFour To Try: New Sydney Coffee Shops To Add to Your RotationPhoto: Declan BlackallSpring is here, and so is a flash little coffee van, a sibling for a Petersham favourite, a Marrickville outpost for a local roaster and a new kid with pineapple buns.Words by Grace Mackenzie · Published on 18 Sep 2026 Read laterIt seems impossible that this city can fit any more good cafes into its streets. But then someone converts a vibey little Piaggio Ape into a coffee shop and we all find time to add another stop to the mix. Here are four new Sydney cafes for you to try – each one doing its own thing well. Treasured inner west coffee shop Brothers Ben opened on a little Petersham corner in 2018. Since then, it’s grown and shifted, changed owners, and as of July, gained an outpost on the corner opposite. Brothers Ben Atelier creates more space for what we know: cheffy brekkie plates, good coffee and an unshakeable community spirit. Hit this new neighbourhood haunt for brekkie muffins and egg-topped potatoes, kimchi toasties and a serve of pancakes dolled up with miso caramel and caramelised bananas. There’s foam-topped matcha and cold brew too, plus ultra-rich slices of London Cake, the internet-famous choc-caramel layer cake by Edd Kimber, the first winner of The Great British Bake Off.
SubscribeLoginSubscribeLoginSubscribeLogin{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/food-and-drink/article/bougatsaki-opens-brunswick"},"headline":"“It’s Like a Greek Vanilla Slice”: Brunswick Scores Australia’s First Bougatsa Shop","description":"The tiny window is passing out the flaky, custard-filled filo pastry parcels with icing sugar and cinnamon, honey and walnut, Biscoff, and more.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_033 of 42-c301b9de51.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_005 of 42-1875ce1b1e.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_010 of 42-bd80151ffb.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_013 of 42-dc3ec373af.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_021 of 42-ad5e53e2dc.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_023 of 42-94946080f6.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_028 of 42-36bda0f922.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_030 of 42-92455962b8.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_014 of 42-a25354c3bd.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_018 of 42-beb3d49c39.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_008 of 42-2491b23378.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_034 of 42-fb152a5a8d.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_004 of 42-463613b5cc.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_001 of 42-3e4eb5e13b.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_015 of 42-b0be930f0b.webp","caption":""},{"@type":"ImageObject","width":860,"height":600,"author":{"name":"Nick Connellan"},"url":"https://cdn.broadsheet.com.au/images/2026/09/18/Bougatsaki - Casey Horsfield_003 of 42-1a2c03af0f.webp","caption":""}],"datePublished":"2026-09-19T07:11:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-09-20T02:20:12.070Z","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Nick Connellan","url":"https://www.broadsheet.com.au/author/nick-connellan"},"articleBody":"You’ve probably eaten loukoumades, the Greek doughnuts that seem to be at every market in Melbourne. Ditto for galaktoboureko, the syrupy cake available at various Greek bakeries. Bougatsa, though? It’s basically unknown outside the Greek community. Kosta Kostidis and his mum, Martha Oplopiadis, want to change that with Bougatsaki. At 11am today, Saturday September 19, they’ll open what we feel confident calling Australia’s first shop dedicated to bougatsa, a flaky filo-based pie filled with sweet semolina-vanilla custard. “It’s like a Greek vanilla slice,” Kostidis says. “In Greece you see it at every corner shop. Every corner shop is its own little bougatsa shop. I wanted to bring something like that down here. My goal is to have anyone and everyone eating my product.” Kostidis started baking bougatsa (“boo-GAH-tsa”) at home, using a recipe from his pappous, after a back injury put him out of work as a plumber. “My grandpa was a baker his whole life when he was in Greece. He’s from Serres, up north, where bougatsa actually originates from,” he says. From that came a pop-up at Northcote Festival 12 months ago, which sold out in five hours. Kostidis says the brand has been booked almost every week since to appear at soccer games, markets and festivals, but it couldn’t grow much as a mobile business. Enter a cousin who married into the famous Melbourne fruiterer family, LaManna. Specifically, the branch that runs the gargantuan LaManna Essendon Fields and an associated food factory in Footscray. They got him a tiny corner tenancy inside Italiano’s Fresh Produce on Sydney Road, formerly a LaManna fruit shop. And the bougatsas are now being made at scale at the Footscray factory using filo imported from Greece, ready for Kostidis to collect and bake on-site. Get it the traditional way, dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon, or with Kostidis’s own spins of Nutella, Biscoff, or honey and walnut. He’s also selling a savoury, gozleme-like version with spinach and cheese. All of it makes his pappous happy. “He’s over the moon,” Kostidis says. “He kind of lives through me now. The biggest thing is that I put a smile on his face.” Bougatsaki 403 Sydney Road, Brunswick 0402 517 737 Hours Wed & Thu 9am–6pm Fri & Sat 9am–8pm Sun 10am–5pm bougatsaki.com @bougatsaki.au","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Broadsheet","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://broadsheet.com.au/assets/image/logo-full-white.png","width":520,"height":53}},"inLanguage":"en-AU"}(self.__next_s=self.__next_s||[]).push([0,{"children":"\n const fusetag = window.fusetag || (window.fusetag = { que: [] });\n window.__fuseInitPath = window.location.pathname;\n fusetag.que.push(function() {\n fusetag.pageInit({\n blockingFuseIds: [\"96225910\"],\n pageTargets: [{\"key\":\"sessionalcohol\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"sessionautomotive\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"sessionfinance\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"sessiontechnology\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"sessiontravel\",\"value\":[\"any\"]},{\"key\":\"pagetype\",\"value\":[\"article\"]},{\"key\":\"campaign\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"sponsor\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"sponsorcategory\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"sponsorname\",\"value\":\"\"},{\"key\":\"tags\",\"value\":[]},{\"key\":\"suburb\",\"value\":\"brunswick\"},{\"key\":\"vertical\",\"value\":\"Food & Drink\"},{\"key\":\"city\",\"value\":\"melbourne\"}]\n });\n });\n ","id":"load-publift"}]){"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Melbourne","@id":"https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Food & Drink","@id":"https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/food-and-drink"}}]}MelbourneFood & Drink“It’s Like a Greek Vanilla Slice”: Brunswick Scores Australia’s First Bougatsa ShopThe tiny window is passing out the flaky, custard-filled filo pastry parcels with icing sugar and cinnamon, honey and walnut, Biscoff, and more.Words by Nick Connellan · Updated on 20 Sep 2026 · Published on 19 Sep 2026 Read laterYou’ve probably eaten loukoumades, the Greek doughnuts that seem to be at every market in Melbourne. Ditto for galaktoboureko, the syrupy cake available at various Greek bakeries. Bougatsa, though? It’s basically unknown outside the Greek community. Kosta Kostidis and his mum, Martha Oplopiadis, want to change that with Bougatsaki. At 11am today, Saturday September 19, they’ll open what we feel confident calling Australia’s first shop dedicated to bougatsa, a flaky filo-based pie filled with sweet semolina-vanilla custard. “It’s like a Greek vanilla slice,” Kostidis says. “In Greece you see it at every corner shop. Every corner shop is its own little bougatsa shop. I wanted to bring something like that down here. My goal is to have anyone and everyone eating my product.”