OPEN HOUSE

September 2007

Keeping it simple

Drawing inspiration from the light, simple flavours of his former Balkan homeland and a love of healthy eating has proven a winning combination for Chef Michael Popovic, owner of Melbourne's Mediterraneo Charcoal Grill and Wine bar.

A native of Serbia-Montenegro, Michael grew up in a culinary family and his decision to become a chef was almost instinctual. After working throughout Europe, he met and married an Australian and made the decision to move downunder.

He would spend 14 years working in the hospitality industry here before finally making the decision to follow a long held dream and open his own restaurant four years ago.

When he did decide to take the plunge, Michael opted not to stray very far from his cultural roots. The food served at Mediterraneo - which recently won the Best Steak Restaurant award from Restaurant and Catering Victoria as well as being a national finalist in the same category, pays homage to the traditional, fresh cuisine of the Balkans.

As the restaurant name suggests, there is a special emphasis on char grilling, a widely used technique in Eastern Europe and which Michael believes offers not only improved taste, but health benefits for his customers.

"In the Balkans, food is something to be enjoyed and appreciated but it is not fancy, There is not a lot of time spent marinading ingredients and preparing rich sauces like they do in France for instance. Dishes are simple; usually just meats which are quickly char grilled and served with a salad. Sauces are rarely used, as the idea is that the char grilling imparts the richness of flavour rather than an additional ingredient".

The menu at Mediterraneo is a faithful reflection of this philosophy. Pasture feed beef - which contains less fat than the grain fed variety - is the star attraction as well as seafood, both of which are prepared on a custom made charcoal grill which drains excess fat and oil while retaining flavour. Interestingly, the grill runs on mallee root woodchips, rather than charcoal which often contain chemicals which can affect the flavours of the foods. The idea of healthy eating is central to Michael's cuisine. Marinades are limited to olive oil, low fat options are used wherever possible and the entire menu is gluten free.

"Good quality steak and seafood does not need lengthy marinating in my opinion. Olive oil and char grilling allows the natural flavours to shine through and is so much better for you. We do offer sauces, but they are always optional and served on the side rather than on top of the meat. And nothing is deep fried; it is not a style of cooking I like at all. We also offer several vegetarian options," he said.

While the decision to offer healthy choices was less planned than the result of personal preference and cultural acknowledgement, Michael believes it has played a pivotal part in the success of Mediterraneo.

"It certainly is a growing trend. People are far more conscious of health issues when dining out than ever before. They want to enjoy good food but they also want to feel good about what they are eating, And we have had great success with the fact that we are gluten free.

And while he is pleased with his award winning establishment, Michael's real motivation remains a personal one.

"I am a perfectionist I suppose and am always driven to do well and succeed. But while awards are good, my real goal is to feel that I am doing something right. And by serving up the best and healthiest food I can to my patrons, I feel right".

FOOD SERVICE MAGAZINE

April 2007

HIGH STEAK

Mediterraneo Charcoal Grill and Wine Bar is paving its way to icon status with a simple cooking technique that deliver unquestionably tasty meals.

The inner-city Melbourne establishment recently won the Victoria Best Steak Restaurant Award thanks to its devotion to some of the best bovin in the country, but according to owner Michael Popovic, the restaurant deliver much, much more than prime slabs of beef.

Opening its doors in 2002, Mediterraneo is introducing Melbourne's fast paced culture to the relaxing style and cooking of the Mediterranean. From France to Italy and the Middle East, Mediterranean cuisine has an eclectic diversity that provides a myriad of cusine choices.

Owner and chef Michael Popovic says his style of Mediterranean cooking is inspired by the use and combination of light flavours and simple ingredients. "My style is characterised by the use of olive oil, parsley, garlic amd wine," Popovic explaines. 'The key is only using the best , top quality ingredients to complement and highlight the flavour and high quality the meat and seafood we purchase.

Specialising in the traditional Balkan method of charcoal grilling that imparts a distinct wood smoke flavour to the produce, Popovic studied hiss sraft in home country Serbia- Montenegro before working across Europe sharpeing his skills. Arriving in Australia 18 years ago, he worked in front-of-house at hotels and restaurants across the country before taking the leap at opening Mediterraneo in Albert Park.

"It took 14 years om Australia before I felt ready to open my own restaurant. It is such a public expression of your passion that I wanted to feel emotionally and commercially ready to take this step," he says.

"The toughest thing was the first year, it has definitely been the hardest part. You are trying to get people to know where you are and what to do.

"I had a lot of previous clientele that I knew from previous restaurants so that gave me a little bit of help at the beginning. We did advertise locally and in Epicure a few times, but the biggest help of how we achieve what we do now is word of mouth. Our majority clientele is regular. So it's nice to see them regularly. These people then get to know each other and it's really good environment."

Popovic's passion is evident in the high ceilings, rendered stonewalls, colourful modernist impressions of Spanish bullfights and the soft sounds of the flamenco guitar throughout the restaurant all evoking the carefree atmosphere of the Mediterranean .

"Essentially what we are is a charcoal grill, with 100 per cent grilling.

"The food is married with charcoal which means it's the best quality. It adds a great taste thanks to the smokey flavour and aroma to the meat.

"We don't use any butter. Everything is gluten free because we don't use flour. The only thing that is deep-fried is chips. We use only good quality olive oil. The majority of the fat from the meat or the produce, drips off, and we just glaze it with olive oil and it's absolutely healthy."

Popovic explains the health conscious approach of his menu - by offering a range of meal sizes and accompaniments allowing diners to select the option that best fits their eating habits.

"We provide portion controlled, low-fat dishes to provide healthy options when people want to eat out. Our custom designed mallee-root charcoal grill drains excess fat and oil from steak and seafood while maintaining their strong flavours," he says.

He believes it is the diversity and focus on high quality, health concious dishes that have led to the restaurant's current success.

" We provide a great steak but, more importantly, we are a quality restaurant that delivers a wide range of exceptional dishes including steak-alternative meals such as seafood and vegetarians."

mX 2007
Jan 18th 2007

I'm always a bit sceptical about awards giving "best of" categories. It reminds me of my co-judges insisting we give a first prize for country sponge at the delightful Glenlyon Fayre to something barely edible (although the best of a bad bunch).

So, with respect for the Restaurant and Catering Victoria, the "Best Steak Restaurant Award" may or may not denote something special. The advertising that it beat "world famous steakhouse Vlados" perhaps adds some glamour but, despite terrific steak, the concept of meat, meat, and more meat leaves the Vlado's experience one only for the overly-dedicated carnivore.

It could be fantastic with a plate of oysters or light seafood to start.

Chargrill goodness

So, what of the award-winner? The menu's focus is "steaks", but while the mains are dominated by other meats, there is a strong seafood emphasis among the entrees. Lots of chargrilling of good, fresh, simply cooked sardines, scallops and calamari where the clean, smoky char flavour lifts the sweetness of the seafood. [Not the oft-encountered simply burnt flavour.] And simple garlic prawns have fresh firm bite and fine flavour.

Art of the grill

The menu devotes a page to steak. Three sources with cuts selected as the best from each and all are free-range and grass-fed and aged for a minimum of 28 days.

Grass versus grain is all about flavour over texture, and when its char-grilled the flavour is important. And the char-grill is the pride of Mediterraneo.

Sourcing the best charcoal - Mallee root from western Victoria - and an ever-watchful eye of the chef/owner keeps the grill at just the right temper for the meat. A stutter-sounding Portland Porterhouse has the option of either 250 or 400 grams, King Island rump weighs in at 550 grams, and Gippsland Black Angus Scotch Fillet at 450 grams.

Charming and knowledgeable staff explain the fat marbling and advise on the minimum cooking that suits each cut. The three steaks came perfectly cooked and the preference shifted around the table. The concensus was the King Island rump for flavour, supposedly based on the grasses that sprouted from English mattresses from ships wrecked in Bass Strait and unique to this beef. The Angas scored for tenderness, and the Portland for texture and flavour combined.

Delightful Extras

The char-grilling added a subtle smokiness that lifted the meats' sweetness. The steaks come with roasted spuds and a red wine jus and mustards are offered. Sweets are a safe selection but the Crepe Suzette seemed a classic end, and good coffee was matched with a Slavic baklava.

It's your local

Mediterraneo is an inviting, comfortable space brightened by colourful paintings, friendly, professional staff, and a chef ever poking his head for a chat between his chores at the grill, gives the feeling of a "local".

But it's a quality steak restaurant that deserves its recent award with devotion to fine meat and its appropriate cooking, a balanced menu and extensive wine list.

Christopher Hayes is the principal of Australia food and wine guide, Eat and Drink.

THE AGE
August 27 2004

Feel good about the bottom line

For all those who are counting carbs, you will know about the willpower that it can take to walk into a restaurant and try to make sure that you are ordering the right foods.Trying to make sure that there aren’t any hidden breadcrumbs, a bed of rice, pasta, or some form of potato. Once it’s there in front of you, that’s when it’s hard to stop the fork from somehow digging itself into the carbs and finding their way into your mouth and before you know it, you have eaten the lot. It can sometimes take out the enjoyment of going to a restaurant to eat. Wouldn’t it be easier if the choice was more about the restaurant that you choose rather than the food on the menu? Mediterraneo is on e of those restaurants that can cater to your low carb requirements. As a seafood and steak house, the choice and quality of food is outstanding, with the presentation of the mixed grill and mixed seafood platters a must see for all. It almost seems a shame to spoil the sight until the mouth-watering taste hits your tongue and cooked on a mellee root grill, you know that there won’t be excessive fats on the menu either. The shopska salad is a brilliant side order to complement the steak or seafood, with the grated Bulgarian fetta giving it a creamy texture. The selection is fantastic and the bottom line is that is that you don’t have to worry about your bottom line.

THE AGE

May 18 2004

Tastes of the Mediterranean

The food at the Mediterraneo is all of a very high standard, but the mouth-watering, taste tantalising sensation of the Mediterranean "Shopska" salad, topped with grated Bulgarian Fetta, will leave you drooling at the memory.
The rest of the menu gets the tick of approval as well. Platters are served with a European meats in an awe-inspiring presentation that approaches an art form. The same can be said for the seafood platter. Each platter gives you a sample of a variety of choices from the menu.
The restaurant offers a number of seating areas, including a romantic outdoor zone covered with a canopy and beautifully decorated with tasteful lighting. There is also an upstairs room, which is perfect for any boardroom lunch or dinner function.
The decor in the main restaurant area is good for a casual lunch or corporate function, and the menu offers enough to impress a respected client, friend or loved one.

CITY WEEKLY

Sept 11 2003

Charcoal grilled meals from Mediterraneo are not only a healthy alternative, they taste absolutely delicious to boot. The hot coals of proprietor Michael Popovic's custom-made mallee-root grill, and the well-selected prime quality meat and seafood combine to produce low-fat, succulent meals. as the name suggests, the menu has a strong Mediterranean influence, and the decor features colourful modernist inpressions from a Spanish bullfight. The soft strains of flamenco guitar in the backround will make you think you are on a European holiday.

The menu has plenty of variety, but the specialties are steak and seafood. King Island's finest grain fed beef is delicious, and the seafood is mouth-wateringly fresh. For a light meal the char-grilled scallops and pancetta brocettes served on a parmigiano, pear and rocket salad is a popular option. If you have a raging appetite, the chef's special mixed meat platter - a selection of beef, pork loin, chevapchichi, shaslik and chicken - will hit the spot. Mediterraneo is licensed and has a broad selection of Australian, French, Italian and Spanish wines. The lunch special on Thursdays and Fridays is great value, with a choice of two courses and a glass of wine for $20."

METRO REVIEW
Issue 21, Jun 4 2003

It's a cold drizzly Sunday night in Melbourne. Work tomorrow. Oh to escape! But to where? Somewhere sunny? A place where chickens buzz as we shelter under the shade of an olive grove and watch the sun bounce off the Mediterranean?

OK. I know that's a little hard when you've got an appointment with the Monash Freeway the next morning, but i couldn't help dreaming a little as we reclined in our high-back cane chairs, waiting for the waitress at Mediterraneo to serve our drinks.

Mediterraneo has a stylish but free and easy feel. High cielings, light, rendered stone walls, colourful modernist impressions of a Spanish bullfight (without the gore) and the soft yet complex sounds of the flamenco guitar inspired thoughts of a southern European holiday rather than being one sleep away from Monday moring.

Olives, Balsamic vinegar and a light oil with bread gave way to a rivolita soup ($8) full of very fresh and just tender borlotti beans. We also enjoyed some decent-sized char-grilled scallops wrapped in pancetta on a parmigiano, pear and rocket salad ($16.50). The pancetta was enough not to diminish the taste of the scallops, but if you like your scallops for that pure juicy burst of the sea then you might just want to order them without the wrapping.

Next came a New York cut of prime King Island eye fillet ($34.50). Cooked over a hot bed of genuine Mallee-root coals on the proprietor Michael Popovic's custom made charcoal grill, the steak was a melt-in-your-mouth experience with an interesting woody finish.

We also tried the French-cut lamb cutlets with couscous and ratatouille ($22.50). The cutlets, as with most of the menu were cooked without oil and were a lighter but just as flavoursome alternative to the steak. As a side order our curiosity was rewarded by a fresh "Shopska" salad with Bulgarian fetta ($11). To finish we shared a tangy lemon and pear tart garnished with fresh fruit (($9.50).

Mediteraneo has an extensive wine list from Australia, Spain, Italy and Chile, but we were driving and opted for wine by the glass from the bar, including a light-bodied but spicy cabernet from Chile ($5.50) and a crisp Leeuwin Estate Art Series riesling ($7.00).

Mediterraneo prides itself on its steak and seafood, but the menu is varied and the feel is definitely modern Mediterranean with more than a nod from the Spanish side of that wonderful sea.