Archive for February, 2006
V Rating: VVV I’m a huge fan of Indian food, not least because it usually has a great array of vegetarian choices. A Spicy Affair is no exception and scores itself a VVV rating on the back of its nine veggie mains and four veggie entrees. These include the very tasty aalo baingan (sautéed eggplant, potatoes and tomato with five spices and coriander), my favourite ever dish palak paneer (spinach and paneer cheese), daal, a korma curry and malai kofta (veggie meatballs). The main dishes are reasonably priced at $12.90. While not big, they are filling and as rice is served by the mound you won’t go hungry. All up A Spicy Affair is a good vegetarian choice. The decor is modern, the food is affordable, and the staff are friendly, if a little ad hoc (i.e. they mixed up one dish in our order and didn’t bring out rice). The aalo baingan was the hands down favourite amongst my group. The rest of the dishes were pleasant, if not outstanding.
V Rating: V-Ware I’ve learnt not to expect vegetarian miracles when eating at French restaurants. In between the snails, beef, lamb, trout, pheasant, deer and cock there is rarely anything for vegetarians to be cheery about. So it was with the Little Snail. The set $25 three course lunch menu offered some choice. There were three choices of vegetarian entrees and no choice of vegetarian mains. I ordered a crepe with mushroom sauce for the entree. For my main, I ordered the entree pasta – as a main. The penne came with a tomato sauce which I am happy to say was edible, if unmemorable. The only other vegetarian entree that was available was a salad of cold pickled vegetables. Next time I go, if I don’t want to eat the same meal, I’ll have to try that. Alternatively, I guess I could reverse the order of the menu and have entree pasta with a crepe main. You get the picture. The good news was that none of the desserts appeared to contain any meat. I had a crème brulee, which was pretty good. Not a great spot for vegetarians though: V-ware. - Garry R.
V Rating: VV Dolcissimo is part of Haberfield’s ‘Little Italy’ quarter based around the intersection of Ramsay and Dalhousie streets. After a quick stroll to take in the local menus I began to fear that I’d entered a V-Ware zone - there were long lists of ‘carne’ and ‘pesce’ dishes but not a ‘verdura’ friendly one in sight. Fortunately Dolcissimo offers some choice for vegetarians, which pushed it into the VV category. There are six vegetarian pizzas to choose from (though none are vegan) and four vegetarian pastas (three of which are vegan.) Despite the choice, Andy I went for the same option - penne alla norma (eggplant, tomato and ricotta sauce). I was tempted by the penne arrabiata, but the waiter instructed me not to have it because the chilli would be too hot! He did offer to serve it to me as napoli sauce ‘with a bit of chilli’ but by this point, slightly affronted and afraid, I decided to go with an old favourite. In traditional Italian style, the alla norma comes with the ricotta served on top of the pasta and you swirl it in with your fork. This gives the sauce a soft and creamy texture. Combined with very soft squares of eggplant, the sauce virtually melts into your mouth. Tasty as the dish was, by the end of the meal it had become a little oily. The bruschetta we shared for entree was similarly a little oily, although the tomato was fresh and the flavour was strong. Dolcissimo is situated in old terrace shop front with its three rooms squashed around and above a steep staircase. The floor is unpolished dark wood and the two main restaurants have a tasteful yet subdued decor. I first went to Dolcissimo on a Saturday evening when it was absolutely packed. Even on a Wednesday evening it was doing a good trade, giving it a bustling, warm feel. A common criticism of Dolcissimo on Eatability seems to be that the service is poor or inattentive. I didn’t find that to be the case - within the first ten minutes we’d been visited four times by waiting staff and both the entree and mains came quickly. Perhaps this is different on Saturday nights whent the restaurant is very busy. Dolcissimo also serves breakfast, lunch and what looked like a tasty range of gelato and cakes. While there isn’t an abundance of vegetarian options, there is some choice and it seems to be one of more vegetarian friendly options in the Little Italy area.
V Rating: VV I didn’t mean to eat at Jarrah’s Brasserie. Oh no, Andy and I were going to eat at a great vegetarian restaurant on King Street, then wander leisurely towards @Newtown to catch Bonnie Prince Billy. However, after running late, spending half an hour in the queue, and being told that Bonnie Prince Billy would be on a good hour and half before he finally showed, Andy and I decided to risk Jarrah’s Brasserie rather than miss out on part of the show. It turned out to be a reasonable experience. At first sight the menu looked like a vegetarian wasteland. The only options were chilli bean nachos and a wild mushroom and rocket risotto. Fortunately, three of the four specials were vegetarian. Andy chose the pumpkin, sage and goat’s cheese risotto and I had grilled veggie and haloumi skewers with a mint yoghurt dressing and lentil salad. My meal was lovely. The capsicum and red onion were bursting with sweetness and were complemented nicely by the saltiness of the haloumi. The fresh taste of the lentils and mint sauce also went well with the overall meal. Andy’s risotto was quite creamy but pleasant, with large pieces of pumpkin offsetting the base. It struck me as unusual that so many specials would be vegetarian when so few of the main items were. The (vegetarian) waitress helpfully explained that 2 - 3 of the 4 specials are always vegetarian to correct the balance. While the menu is initially daunting, the fact that Jarrah’s provides some interesting vegetarian alternatives through the specials menu lifts it to a VV rating. Jarrah’s will never be a first choice restaurant given the plethora of great Newtown eateries. However, it is a good option if you’re going to one of the great @Newtown gigs and want to be sure to score a good seat.
V Rating: Super V I have a few, small pleasures in life, one of which is Laurie’s Vegetarian Take Away, winner of the first ever Super V rating. Laurie’s is a small and simple shop at the beach end of Bondi Road. There are a limited tables and chairs inside, but the shop has a community feel with one wall taken up with community notices and another plastered with colourful posters for live music. As you’d expect, Laurie’s forte is its selection of cheap and tasty take away food. The Laurie’s menu is pretty constant. There is a choice of six hot dishes (lasagne, pasta, mild chickpea curry, Mexican beans, lentil casserole and roast veggies) and five salads (cajun tofu, persian rice, two green salads, and a cous cous salad). You can have any combination of these to take away. All dishes are vegan, except for the lasagne and pasta. My personal favourites are the chickpea curry, lasagne, roast veggies and cous cous salad. But what I love about all of these dishes is that they taste like home cooking. I can’t stress what a godsend this is when you’re coming home late and don’t have the time or inclination to cook, but still want a healthy, low-fuss meal for dinner. In fact, one of the main reasons that Laurie’s scores a Super V rating is because it makes being vegetarian convenient, cheap and easy. The other reason is the tempeh burger with satay sauce. This is the best burger I’ve ever had. At $6.00, it’s also one of the cheapest. All Laurie’s burgers come with a toasted brown bun, yummy home made coleslaw with poppy seeds and lettuce. You can then add your choice of ‘burger’ (from tempeh, tofu, chilli bean and soy) and your choice of sauce (satay, homemade tomato, and sweet chilli). Extra condiments like cheese, guacamole and sour cream can be added. My all time favourite combination is the tempeh burger with satay sauce and cheese. I wish I could compare it to alternative options, but this was monogamy at first bite. In the unlikely event that you tire of the main Laurie’s dishes, there are other items on the menu, like empanadas and pies, baked potatoes and nachos and desserts (the tapioca pudding with berries is my favourite). Laurie’s is not a flash venue and the food is best described as simple, reliable and homely. But that’s all part of charm. This list will help you find a veggie friendly restaurant specialising in your favourite type of food. SYDNEY ASIAN CAFE FRENCH INDIAN ITALIAN JAPANESE LAOTIAN MIDDLE EASTERN MODERN AUSTRALIAN NEPALESE PUB / CLUB GRUB SPANISH THAI VEGAN VEGETARIAN CANBERRA ITALIAN MOROCCAN MELBOURNE Lentil as Anything (Brunswick, VVVVV) Here are the V-ratings for all the restaurants Veggie Friendly has reviewed. Leading the pack are Laurie’s Vegetarian Take Away , Vegal Kitchen and Oh Calcutta!. Sumac and the Pink Peppercorn lead the Veggie Hall of Shame. SUPER V (Vegetarian nirvana) VVVVV (Good Vegetarian restaurant) VVVV (OK vegetarian or outstanding non-vegetarian restaurant) VVV (Good choice) VV (OK. Some choice) |
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