WEST MELBOURNE, Australia – When you walk through the orange doors of the tiny Lukumades Greek-doughnut shop opposite Queen Victoria Market, you’ll smell deep-fried dough, melted chocolate and freshly brewed coffee, Broadsheet Melbourne reports.

“The Lukumades concept was born in 2015 when founder Exarhos Sourligas, or Mr X as everyone knows him, was living between Australia and his native Greece,” according to Lukumades website.

“While in Athens Mr X, a long-time lover of Lukumades, decided to set Greek doughnuts free from the motherland and bring them to Australia with his own modern twist for a broader audience to enjoy.”

The truck’s loyal following (it launched in June last year) is the reason owner Exarhos Sourligas decided to open this West Melbourne storefront, Broadsheet Melbourne says.

“Our customers wanted to buy our doughnuts any time, not just at festivals and events. They kept asking us to open a shop and eventually the time was right,” Sourligas says.

The colour palate and fit-out of the compact space (designed by Sydney-based Infinite Design) is the first hint Sourligas isn’t a traditionalist.

“My brief to the designer was Greek, but not too Greek,” he says. You won’t see any Santorini blues, or Grecian-inspired art. Similarly, the Greek doughnuts, known as loukoumades, aren’t typical of the version you’ll get in Greece, where they’re served with walnuts and honey syrup.

“We make hand-crafted traditional Greek doughnuts with a modern twist, delivering them to you hot and fresh from our food truck across victoria and now, from our store in west melbourne too,” according to Lukumades website.

“Whether you like your doughnuts drizzled with Nutella, sprinkled with crushed oreos or smothered in salted caramel, we have a little something for everyone. We know that ‘mia boukia then ftani’, (Greek for ‘one bite is never enough) so we give you ten with each serve, how awesome is that?

You won’t find our made-to-order golden balls of fried dough on any takeaway menu though because we’re fanatical about freshness, but it’s all good, we’ve got you.”