Archive for the ‘Brunswick’ Category
V Rating: VVV I’m a bit of a newcomer to Japanese since I always believed it to be a vegetarian nightmare, what with all that fish and stuff. But after being dragged to a Japanese restaurant for a friend’s birthday last year I’ve been Japanese food’s biggest fan. Recently I’ve been bugging my wife to try out the couple of Japanese restaurants down the road and Iku Yakitori was our first target. There’s a great range of veggie fare available, with the many smaller dishes looking so appealing that on the next visit I might order a bunch of them, Tapas like, instead of a main. But this time, how could I go past the vegetarian banquet, which for $24 per person was outstanding value. First. A steaming bowl of miso soup to soothe those winter chills. Second. Organic tofu with spring onion, chili powder, ginger and soy sauce, with a seaweed salad. Third. A tofu-wrapped rice ball and a plate of sushi. Fourth. Scrumptious vegetarian dumplings. Fifth. Grilled skewers of mushroom and eggplant. Sixth. Green tea ice cream (although, this was replaced the night I was there with red bean ice cream — yummy!) Phwoooar… So full now I can barely finish my second beer. But the smallish room with the smells of cooking all around make it the perfect place to let a great meal settle before heading off home in the rain. The filthy carnivores looked happy with their food too, so, everyone’s a winner. Reviewed 28 May ‘06, SDEB.
V-Rating: VVV The Retreat Hotel is a bit of a Brunswick institution. It’s a little bit shabby and retro on the inside with a massive beer garden out the back that on a Sunday afternoon looks like some guy’s big BBQ house party with DJ. The street frontage boasts four large tables that catch the afternoon sun – perfect for that lazy afternoon in Melbourne’s cooler months. Settling in for the long haul one Sunday arvo I was expecting the veggie choice at the in-house restaurant to be poor. At best, I was expecting standard gastro-pub veggie choices such as a tomato sauce pasta or veggie lasagne. At worst, I was preparing to fall back on the emergency veggie “meal” of wedges and sauce. How wrong I was… I was startled by the veggie range given the pub location. A lentil burger, a roast veggie stack on salad, a roast vegetable pasta, a vegetable lasagne and – catch this – a vegan pasta. Now, we’re not talking haute cuisine here but the carnivore choices (parma, fish and chips etc.) aren’t exactly three star Michelin offerings either. As much as I wanted to give the veggie stack a whirl I couldn’t go past the lentil burger. I’m a bit of a lentil/ tofu burger junkie and, don’t forget, a burger goes oh-so-nice with a pint of Guinness. The burger was all I hoped for and more. The genuinely tasty lentil pattie was well balanced with the fresh salad and mystery dressing. As long as the mystery isn’t chicken stock I’m happy for the mystery to remain a mystery. The large burger and thick-cut chips to round off the plate made it value-for-money pub grub. My dining companions highly enjoyed their meat-based meals so The Retreat will satisfy both herbivores and carnivores with food+beer needs.
V-Rating: VVVVV I think I’m the only person, let alone only vegetarian, who hasn’t eaten at St Kilda’s Lentil As Anything. I’d heard all about it but never made the trek. No excuses, really. However, as a new resident of Brunswick I noted excitedly the second outlet of Lentil As Anything on Sydney Rd - inside, but run separately from, a cool pub called The Spot Bar. For those non-Melburnian readers, Lentil As Anything began life as a modest cooperative restaurant cooking exclusively vegan fare. Its gimmick is a “no set prices” menu and no bills - customers simply push whatever money they feel appropriate into an honesty box on the way out the door. This wonderful concept has many wondering if people do actually pay more than the probable menu price due to feelings of goodwill and guilt. I suppose there’s no way of testing this interesting hypothesis. However, one thing is for certain: the food is bloody excellent. Vegetarians will immediately appreciate the overwhelming selection beyond veggie risotto and veggie lasagne. The menu changes daily but the range is strongly influenced by Asian and north African recipes with rice and couscous everywhere. Food is simple but delicious and is served quickly. Staff will assure you that, in keeping with the general ethos of the business, produce is fresh, organic and sourced locally. On my inaugural trip to Lentil As Anything I enjoyed a bean and vegetable stew with home baked rye bread. My dining companions devoured a vegetable couscous and a stir fry on rice - both of which easily passed my sample taste test. All three were spiced to perfection and the servings were very generous. Washed down with a cleansing ale from the adjoining bar it was a highly satisfying dining experience. An absolute must for Melbourne-based veggies and visitors. |
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