More Sydney vegan eats

I had one of those moments when I was uploading the photos for this post (all of stuff I ate on Saturday). I suddenly realised, 'holy crap, that's a lot of food!'. As one friend said, it's OK, you're on holiday. I like her thinking, but I'm not sure that I can justify the 'I'm on holiday, I'll eat whatever I want' thing for 3 months (and counting)... It's just so exciting to be in a new place - I want to try everything and I want it now!

Anyway, lets talk about the food. Next on my list of Sydney vegan-eats was Naked Espresso in Newtown. I was extremely tempted by the giant fry up and the Aussie vegan feast, but I decided to be sensible and went for the BLAT instead (using redwood vegan bacon). It came as an open sandwich with a side of vegan mayo & Dijon mustard. This was tasty, but I was left feeling a little dissatisfied. I think it's because this is the kind of meal I can make easily at home. When I go out for a meal I like to get stuff that's a bit different, or fancier than what I can be bothered to do myself. Not that I'm blaming Naked, I should have put more thought into my order.

I checked out the vegan pizzas on the Basil Pizza menu while I was there and I can't wait to get back and try them!

Naked Espresso
126 King St, Newtown
Sat-Sun 9am-2pm
www.cafenaked.com

For lunch I went back to my old Sydney backup - Iku. This time I opted for a change to my regular mezze box and got a rice ball wrap. It was all kinds of delicious, mainly because there was no skimping on the sauces. There were 2 different sauces in there, something tahini-ish and the other mayo-like and there was heaps!

Iku Wholefood
Various locations throughout Sydney, check website for opening hours
www.ikuwholefood.com.au

S & I met up with a couple of friends in Newtown for dinner & by the time we wandered down King St & chose Arabella - a Lebanese restaurant that K had visited before, we were all starving. Hence these photos are of the carnage left behind after our feast - we just couldn't wait for the photos to be taken!

This is what's left of my Fatoush - the salad was loaded up with beautiful deep-fried flat bread and tons of olive oil & lemon juice - yum yum yum!

The dips - only two of which were vegan - the hummus on the left & the garlic on the right. The waiter (possibly the owner?) had said originally that since we had ordered so much food he would 'bring us some dips'. This implied to all of us that they were complimentary. We were wrong - they were on the final bill. Oh well, they tasted good!

My fried cauliflower with tahini dipping sauce. I'm a huge fan of cauliflower but I've never eaten it like this before - I will be in future because it was delicious!

Two lonely felafels that no-one could squeeze in. I think these were my favourite dish - they were super-crispy & came with a side of pickled vegetables and the same tahini sauce I had with the cauliflower.

Just as we were all groaning & moaning about having eaten too much, the bellydancers came out (I think they are there Saturday & Sunday nights). I would have like to stay for the entertainment, but the others were all pretty tired so we said goodbye.

The food at Arabella was really really good - for that reason alone I'll go back. The service was friendly & efficient and there was a pleasant atmosphere. The prices are fairly high but now that we know how much you get for your money, next time we won't order so much.

Arabella
489 King St, Newtown
7 days 5-11pm; Fri-Sun 12-3pm
www.arabella.com.au

Mega Cafe Catch-up Part 3

The third & final instalment in my cafe catch up posts from Melbourne. Pretty much all these photos are crap - sorry about that.

This is the avocado on toast at Wee Jeanie. I've blogged about this cafe before, and visited many, many more times without blogging. This meal comes with loads of fresh rocket, a yummy tomato relish & fresh lemon.

I just love this place. The service is always outstanding, it has a fantastic vibe and the coffee is by far the best in the west. Sure, the vegan options are pretty light on, but in the western suburbs you take what you can get. Keep up the good work guys!

Wee Jeanie
50 Anderson St, Yarraville
Tuesday to Saturday, 7.30am-4.30pm

For a quick lunch in the city, it's hard to go past The Organic Food & Wine Deli. Yes, I think they are a tad over-priced, and the service is mostly miss, rarely hit. But since Soul Food in Equitable Place closed down, it's one of the only sit-down places with lots of vegan choices on the menu. My favourite thing here is the tofu burger, but I've eaten it so many times I thought I should try something different. So I did - this is the vegan kashmir pie. It was OK - not as flavoursome as the burgers and heated up in the microwave, which is annoying because it made the pastry go soggy. But healthy, filling & warm. One warning - stay away from the coffee, I've never had a drinkable one here.

TOFWD
28 Degraves St, Melbourne
Mon-Fri 7am–7.30pm; Sat 8am–6pm; Sun 9am–5pm
www.tofwd.com.au

Last, but not least is this small vegan special plate at Gopals. I have a confession to make. I'd never been to Gopals. There, I've said it. I never went in the 4 1/2 years as a uni student. I never went in the 2 1/2 years working in the CBD. Then, 4 days out from leaving Melbourne, I found myself in the city at dinnertime & I decided to take the plunge. Without too much thought I went for the vegan special on the board - about $10 I think - it included a drink & a selection of the vegan items from the buffet plus a dessert. From memory there was a dahl, mixed vegetables, rice & a salad.

This is the dessert - It was some kind of apple/pear pudding. Delicious & just the right way to finish. Gopals is a no-frills place, but the atmosphere is pretty good - especially if you sit at one of the window-tables overlooking Swanston St. The servings are big, the food is healthy & everyone is friendly. I would definitely go back.

Gopals Vegetarian
1st floor, 139 Swanston St, Melbourne
Mon-Sat, 11.30am-8.30pm

Real Foods @ RMIT

I found myself at the other end of the city around lunch-time today and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try out the veg cafe at RMIT. When I was a student there I was at the business campus in Bourke St (which was a horrible place to study - not conducive to learning at all); so I never ventured into the food court at the Swanston St campus. I also had memories of the Melbourne Uni food co-op in my head which was awesome - I wish I had been able to afford to eat properly when I was a student - I remember treating myself to a bought lunch a couple of times and getting vegan rolls at Melbourne Uni filled with organic tempeh & salad for about $4; unfortunately even $4 was beyond my buget back then.

Anyway, there have been signs in the gym lately (heads up everyone - members of the public can join the RMIT gym for the same price as students & staff - it's amazingly cheap) advertising Real Foods - I'm not sure if they are completely new if they're just doing a marketing push.

You will find them in the Food Court - just enter Building 8 off Swanston St, head up the ramp & take a sharp left - Real Foods is around the back. Unless you want to hang out with the students, you'll be getting takeaway. The menu was pretty limited (but all organic & almost all vegan and gluten free) - pies, soup or salad. I went with the mushroom & tofu pie for $4 - so cheap! It was pretty good too - filled with just the basics of tofu, mushroom, barley & gravy. Actually, I couldn't tell the difference between this pie & the ones at TOFWD and wonder if they are actually the same pie (but a LOT cheaper).I also spied some muffins/cakes on the counter & what looked like raw cheescake; and noticed they do a super green smoothie, which would be great in summer.

So, if you're lucky enough to work up that end of the city, I recommend Real Foods for a cheap quick lunch (though beware - they are probably only open during the uni semester).

Real Foods
RMIT City Campus
Building 8, Level 4 Food Court