V Rating: Super V
Where: 286 Bondi Road, Bondi Beach
When: Mon - Sun 11.00am - 10.00pm
Tel: (02) 9365 0134
Price: Take away: Small = $4.00, Medium = $6.50, Large = $8.00. Add $1.50 to eat in.

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.

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