3 Weeds Bistro, Rozelle

3 Weeds is one of the closest & nicest looking pubs to us in Rozelle, so it's a bit surprising it took us so many weeks to check it out.

But we got there, & I'm glad we did. The pub has been made over into the standard inner-city trendy affair, but maintains a really nice vibe. Out the back is the Bistro - the high ceilings & glass make it feel like more of an enclosed beer garden. As with most trendy bar menus these days, there isn't a lot of vegan choice on the menu, but happily they do have one fully vegan choice - the Spiced Chickpea & Pumpkin Salad with Spinach, Green Beans, Rocket & Lemon Tahini Dressing.

I really enjoyed this salad, but it definitely didn't live up to its description in the menu. No green beans for a start. The chickpeas weren't spiced (not that I could taste anyway), and most disappointing of all? No lemon tahini dressing! I suppose they had run out of the nice stuff, because the salad had just been dressed with olive oil & salt/pepper. Oh well, it won't stop me going back for a drink & it doesn't stop me recommending 3 Weeds to you as a nice quiet bar to while away a few hours with friends.

3 Weeds
197 Evans St, Rozelle
Tue-Sat 6-10pm; Sun 12-3pm
www.3weeds.com.au

About Life, Rozelle - Take 2

After a couple of weeks in Rozelle, I quickly realised that apart from Iku, About Life is the best place to get a yummy vegan lunch. And, having tried pretty much everything on Iku's menu over the years, I'm happy to keep revisiting About Life for now.

This time, I tried the Quinoa pie. It was tasty, packed with lots of vegetables & nicely seasoned. Unfortunately it was reheated in the microwave instead of the oven, so what should have been delicious vegan wholemeal pastry was basically just soggy pastry. The pie came with what seems to be the standard side serving of tomato relish, which is really tasty, so no complaints from me there.

As I mentioned earlier, there isn't really a lot of ambience here, given it's location inside a grocery store, but if you're after a quick, healthy & tasty lunch, you should give them a try.

About Life
605 Darling St, Rozelle (they also have another store in Bondi Junction)
Mon-Thur 6am-8pm; Fri 6am-7pm; Sat & Sun 8am-5pm
http://aboutlife.com.au

The Little Marionette, Balmain

One of the greatest pleasures of moving into a new area is exploring all the new cafes, bars and restaurants on offer. Luckily for me, Rozelle & Balmain seem to have an endless supply. One of the early places I checked out was The Little Marionette in Balmain. I took a girlfriend there for lunch after reading many many reviews about the best coffee & lunch spots in the area. A few mentioned a unique service - coffee delivery to the park over the road. And I reckon that's pretty cool.

When I got there, I could see why they might extend their business to the park - it's tiny tiny tiny. Only 3 tables. But oh so cute. The menu is also pretty tiny & there's nothing on the menu that is vegan by default. But when has that ever stopped us?

I ordered the Avocado & Mushrooms on Toast - I think this had feta or something like that, so I skipped that & asked for tomato instead. It was really enjoyable - the mushrooms were nicely marinated & rich in flavour & my coffee was strong enough to match them.

I wouldn't recommend you make the trip out of the city for the amazing vegan food on offer here, but if you're in the area, you should definitely stop by for a coffee.

The Little Marionette
1 Booth St, Balmain
Mon-Fri 6.30am-4pm; Sat 7am-4pm; Sun 8am-4pm

Vegan eating NZ - and the rest

To finish up my vegan eating in NZ posts, here's the rest of the vegan treasures I found along the way.

This Felafel Pita at Felafel Gourmet in Nelson was divine. I'm a big fan of sauce, and as you can see, this baby was absolutely loaded up with tahini sauce & chilli.

Felafel Gourmet
195 Hardy St, Nelson
Mon-Thu 9.30am – 5.30pm; Fri 9.30am-8pm; Sat 9.30am-4.30pm

From memory this Pizza & Salad lunch special at Winnies in Queenstown was only $10 - very good value. This is the Caprico without cheese. Not the tastiest (the sauce could have done with more flavour), but it did have a nice crispy base & wasn't short on toppings.

Winnies
7 The Mall, Queenstown
7 days, 12pm-late
www.winnies.co.nz

The Roasted Zucchini & Lentil Salad (without the feta) at Dux de Luxe in Queenstown was really good. It was a warm salad & had a nice balance of leafy greens, lentils & other assorted salad ingredients. The dressing was good too. Dux is a cool place - I recommend it for a quiet beer at the end of the day (before the DJ starts).

Dux de Luxe
14 Church St, Queenstown
7 days, 12pm-late
www.thedux.co.nz

The ol' favourite - Avocado & Tomato on toast. I don't remember the name of the cafe, but it was a really funky little place in the main street of Wanaka.

Probably the biggest surprise of my whole trip. Stumbled into this place after arriving late into Fox Glacier. In such a small town, I really didn't expect much in the way of choice, but Cooks Saddle Cafe & Saloon had this Lentil Stuffed Capsicum listed as vegan right there on the menu - no changes required! It reminded me very much of nutmeat in texture & flavour & was very similar to the meals I make at home. A very pleasant meal to end a long day of driving.

Cooks Saddle Cafe & Saloon
19 State Highway 6, Fox Glacier
7 days, 11am-late (hours are seasonal, so call to check 03 751 0700)

Finally, this is a pretty standard Roast Vegetable Panini at Shoreline Cafe in Kaiteri. There was a false start with this one. I had asked for it without the ricotta & pesto (from memory), but it came out covered in melted mozarella (which wasn't listed on the menu). I took it back, apologising for not having specified no dairy (I'm always forgetting to do that & I really should have learnt my lesson by now). The waitress was pretty friendly about it & I was soon delivered a fresh meal. I really hate sending meals back (we've all heard the stories about chefs spitting in the food), but in this case there was nothing I could do to avoid the cheese & I was really hungry.

Shoreline Cafe
Corner Inlet & Sandy Bay Rds, Kaiteriteri
Summer - 7 days 7.30am-10.30pm; Winter - 7 days 10am-5pm (call to check - 03 527 8507)

Vegan eating NZ - Wellington

After 3 weeks in NZ I was pleasantly surprised with how well I was eating. I knew from prior research that Auckland (which I didn't even get around to visiting) & Wellington were going to be good, but I was a bit unsure about the rest of the country.

Here's a summary of the vegan eats I sampled in Wellington at the beginning & end of my trip. Starting off with a snack at Matterhorn. Matterhorn is all dark wood, dim lighting & trendy as can be. I liked it, but would have felt more comfortable at a laid-back bar. We got there too late for the full menu so had to satisfy ourselves with the bar snacks (there isn't really a whole lot more choice on the other menus for a vegan anyway). There are a couple of vegan options in the snacks - I went for the White Bean & Lemon Dip with Crispy Pitas & Spring Onion Relish.

This was yummy - not much different from what I make at home, but then, I wasn't at home was I?

Matterhorn
106 Cuba St, Wellington
Mon-Fri 11.30am-late; Sat-Sun 10am-late
www.matterhorn.co.nz

While discussing where we should go for dinner one evening I discovered Southern Cross. This pub/bar has a very vegan-friendly menu, making it oh so easy by actually marking the suitable items with the goold ol' 'v' for vegetarian or 'vg' for vegan. Love it. First visit I chose the Homemade Dips with Olives & Toasted Bread.

Not super-fancy, but everything it promised to be - there was a kumara & a beetroot dip & all the breads were really tasty.

The bro went with something a little more adventurous - a Stonegrill with Marinated Tofu, Veggies & Sesame Soy Noodles. The stonegrill is a volcanic rock heated to 400 degrees celsius, which you then use to grill your own meal. It's pretty cool. And also very tasty.

On my second visit I wasn't as hungry, so chose the Warm Winter Salad of parsnip, pear, walnuts, greens & marinated tofu. It was a big meal & extremely satisfying. Really hit the spot.

I loved this place. The vibe was great, the staff were friendly, the service was efficient & the music was cool. You should definitely put it on your Wellington list.

Southern Cross
39 Abel Smith St, Te Aro, Wellington
No idea what their hours are, but you could give them a call - 04 384 9085
www.thecross.co.nz

Here we have one of the vegan breakfast options at the Maranui Cafe - the Scrambled Tofu with Avocado. There was way too much soy sauce on this - especially for a breakfast dish. But I loved the avocado toast - it went some way to balancing out that overwhelming salty flavour.

Maranui is a really cool cafe with great staff, great music, a laid-back vibe & fantastic views over the harbour. There's not a great deal on offer for vegans, but the coffee is good, so I recommend you at least give it a go.

Maranui Cafe
Maranui Surf Life Saving Club
The Parade, Lyall Bay, Wellington,
7 days, 7am-5pm
www.maranuicafe.co.nz

Last but not least is the Wellington stalwart - Midnight Espresso. For an omni cafe, this place is uber-vegan friendly. There's loads to choose from - whether you want a quick counter snack or something more substantial off the menu.

On my first visit I was just after a refreshing drink & decided to ask if their milkshakes could be made vegan. The answer? Yes they can. And to replace the dairy ice-cream they used avocado... aweseome! So here is my Vegan Raspberry & Avocado milkshake - super creamy, beautifully rich & even a little bit good for me :-)

My second visit to Midnight was at lunchtime & I was starving after a morning of tourist-type activities. I chose the vegan nachos. They came loaded with vegan goodies - beans, olives, jalapenos, salsa, avocado, vegan mayo & hommus. Yum yum yum!

Wellington knows how to do cool without pretension like nowhere else I've ever been & Midnight is no exception. Friendly staff, awesome laid-back vibe, good music (of course) & a menu that will leave you wanting to come back again & again until you have tried it all. A must for any veg*n in town.

Midnight Espresso
178 Cuba St, Wellington
Mon-Fri 7.30am-late; Sat-Sun 8am-late

Sydney Cruelty Free Festival

Last Sunday I was lucky enough to be in Sydney for the Cruelty Free Festival. I stopped off early in the morning to have a quick look around, but having just eaten a big breakfast, I decided to head off to do some work & return later in the day.

By the time I got back it was about 2pm & my tummy was rumbling pretty loudly. After umming & ahhing for a while I decided on the spinach & mushroom gozleme for lunch.

The gozleme was much more filling that I anticipated, so I had to walk around a bit before I could face dessert. There was SO MUCH to choose from. Cupcakes, cheescake, brownies, icecream, pastries, cookies, I was overwhelmed with choice.

In the end I couldn't go past the vegan cornetti (cream horn). Look at that beauty!

The pastry was super-light & flaky, filled with a delicious soy cream. I'm normally not a big soy-cream fan, but this one was nice.

Because there was so much choice I decided to have a second dessert course. This is a hazelnut Hungarian pull-apart pastry. It was their last one, so even though I only wanted a half, I got the whole thing for $5 - bargain! It was huge - about the length of a paper towel roll but much wider. And it was still warm from the oven - I had to stop myself from devouring the whole thing & making myself sick.

After another day of eating way too much I settled down on the grass in front of the main stage to watch some bands. It was so nice I abandoned my plans to move on and stayed for the rest of the afternoon. I was lucky enough to catch one of my favourite Australian artists - Diana Anaid.

Diana is a long-term vegan and animal rights activist. It was the perfect end to the festival to lie in the sun and listen to her beautiful music.

Thanks CFF organisers! Hopefully next year I'll be able to help out as well.

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

Crave Sushi, Terrigal

Just a quick note to tell you about a new cafe in Terrigal. Crave Sushi has taken the place of a cafe (which I can't recall the name of) that was stupidly trendy & overpriced.

Unfortunately it seems to have maintained the status quo. While the staff were very friendly the day we visited (in complete opposition to what other reviewers have described), the prices are high, even for Terrigal standards. This is no fine-dining Japanese restaurant and offers nothing different from a standard Japanese takeaway that you would get on every corner in Sydney & Melbourne.

But, it still offers vegans another choice on the Coast, so I thought I should share. Here are the vegetarian inside-out rolls - crammed with lots of yummy tofu & fresh vegies.

I would still recommend vegans go to Body Fuel for a decent meal, but, if you find it closed (as we did), Crave at least offers a healthy alternative.

Crave
16 Church St, Terrigal
7 days, breakfast & lunch; dinner on the weekends in summer (call for exact times - 4384 6751)

Truman Cafe, Albert Park

My Melbourne office has just moved from South Melbourne to Albert Park and I quickly made it my business to discover the local food & coffee delights. I reckon I hit the jackpot on day 1. Truman Cafe seems to have only opened a few months ago, but in true Melbourne fashion, already has a loyal local following.

The first reason for that must be the coffee - perfect every time, smooth, strong and delivered in cute retro style.

The second reason is the atmosphere - a little bit retro, a little bit warehouse, a little bit bayside and with funky, chilled music all day long.

The third reason doesn't have a photo - it's the staff. Every single person I met over 3 days was super-friendly, helpful, efficient but laid-back at the same time and just all-round charming.

The menu doesn't have any outstanding choices for vegans, but it's not too bad for this part of the bay. On the first morning I ordered the sauteed mushrooms on toast. I think they came with feta, so I asked the waitress if that could be left out. She immediately asked if I was vegan, which I loved - it gives me confidence when 'vegan' isn't a foreign word. It turned out that the mushrooms were pre-cooked in butter, but as it wasn't busy the chef was happy to make up some fresh without the butter for me - what outstanding service!

The second meal I at was the now standard cafe fare of avocado & tomato on sourdough. A simple dish, but the freshest ingredients plus loads of avocado made it something special.

And then, once I spotted the pepper grinder I kept finding reasons to add more... and more. Just look how cute it is!

My final meal didn't get a photo - it was just a quick serve of toast on my way to the airport. I can't wait to get back to Melbourne now - Truman is the kind of place that becomes your home away from home. Vegans, don't go there expecting a feast, but I still recommend it based on the coffee, service & overall vibe.

Truman Cafe
381 Montague St, Albert Park
Mon-Fri 7am-5pm; Sat-Sun 8am-5pm

Funky Pies, Bondi

Since I've been hanging around Sydney more I figured I may as well get out there explore this city's vegan offerings. While not quite as vegan-friendly as Melbourne, and with quite a reliance on Asian-inspired food (which I like, but don't love), I have been pleasantly surprised at what I have found so far.

On the day S & I completed the Coogee-Bondi walk, I made sure we timed it so we could visit Funky Pies for lunch. I have eaten their pies many times in Melbourne, but I was itching to visit the cafe after reading these reviews by Melbourne bloggers last year.

I was also happy to finally try the one pie I have never been able to get my hands on in Melbourne - the Eezy Chic 'n' Cheezy. I opted for the less-healthy option of mushy peas, mash & gravy (in place of salad).

As you can see, the pastry is super flaky & the pie was nicely browned on top. The filling delivered what it promised - chunks of 'chicken', broccoli & mushrooms in a creamy sauce. While I enjoyed it, it's not my favourite Funky Pie (that honour is still held by the classic Funky Chunky for now). I think the flavours probably weren't strong enough for me. The cafe itself is small, but has a great vibe with friendly staff. They also sell a range of vegan-friendly products alongside their own pies.

For dessert, I couldn't go past the brownie. Unfortunately, I left it in my bag all day and it melted a little bit. I realise that this photo doesn't look very appetising - but check out all that coconut oil! Cholesterol-free deliciousness!

I still haven't managed to get to Funky for their weekend breakfast, but I'm determined to try those pancakes, so stay tuned!

Funky Pies
144 Glenayr Ave, Bondi Beach
Mon-Fri, 7am-8.30pm; Sat-Sun 11am-8.30pm
http://funkypies.com.au

Blue Mountains noms

I have just spent a lovely weekend in the Blue Mountains. The mountains are a haven for all kinds of alternative lifestyle types, but unfortunately there's not a lot of vegan noms on offer. There have been a couple of vegetarian cafes up there in the past, but I think the last one closed down a few years ago.

Lunch on day one was a picnic in the middle of one of our walks. After walking for a couple of hours this sourdough pumpkin seed roll with falafel, hummus & olives was unexpectedly delicious.

That night we headed into Katoomba for dinner & after walking the main street and checking all the menus for potential vegan fare, we decided on Cafe Zuppa. It had a promising listing of vegetarian mains. Sadly, none of those were vegan-friendly, but the staff were quite friendly & helpful about it. I chose the vegetarian pasta (no cheese). This was a huge bowl of tasty fettucine smothered with semi-dried tomatoes, artichokes, olives, eggplant & onion. Not mind-blowing, but tasty & very filling.

After dinner we stopped off at The Carrington for a drink. This gorgeous hotel has only recently reopened after extensive restoration work. I could easily have sat in front of the fire all night, but eventually we had to make our way home.

The next day we picked up some lunch at the Leura Markets. There was a mexican food stall with a clearly advertised vegan wrap. I love supporting businesses that make it easy for vegans so I happily tried one. It was really tasty - the tomato & bean mix was pleasantly spiced & topped up with lentils, zucchini & eggplant. Along with a simple fresh salad & nicely toasted flat bread it was the perfect antidote to the cold winds that were blowing through the mountains that day.

Eating out in Italy

I knew before I arrived in Italy that my dining-out choices were going to be limited. I wasn't too worried, as my budget doesn't really stretch to lots of expensive meals anyway. But there have been a few memorable meals in the last couple of weeks.

Starting with the drinks - espresso! At home, I drink soy lattes, but soy milk isn't very big over here, so I've happily been taking advantage of the cheaper espresso option everywhere. As one friend joked - I like my coffee like my heart - bitter & black :-)

Vino - this is the house white & red from a small place we visited on our first night in Palermo. It was local & very nice. I think the small carafe cost about 5 euro.

Here we have the more refined glass of local vino bianco, watching the sun go down over the Amalfi Coast from Vivaro wine bar in Praiano. The owner, Gennaro, is very lovely, happy to chat & wouldn't let me pay for the wine. Although I think I accidentally promised to go dancing with him on Friday night...

Granita is every in Sicily, and there is no better way to cool down. I obsessively sought it out everywhere we went. Here is our first - fragola (strawberry) & limone.

Limone & menta (mint). The mint syrup in this one was too sickly sweet by the end.

This is caffe - tasted like it was made with real espresso, rather than syrup. Very strong, but it hit the spot.

Because I can't eat the pasta here (it's all fresh & made with egg), I have been eating a lot of pizza. It's usually the cheapest thing on the menu too - usually 3-5 euro for a whole pizza.

Australian pizza can never live up to the Italian stuff. I think the secret is in the tomatoes - all the sauce is made fresh each day.

This is from a small restaurant in Palermo & was listed as Boscaiola - mushrooms & tomato.

This is from a small takeaway in Agrigento - I can't remember the name but it was packed with spinach, rocket, tomatoes, olives & mushrooms. I had to get this one 'senza formaggio', but it made no difference to the flavour.

This is probably my favourite so far - a potato pizza (senza formaggio) from a tiny place in Catania. The potato pizza in Sicily (and maybe all over Italy?) is made with chips, rather than slices of potato. At first I thought it was strange, but now I'm totally sold on the idea - fried food on top of pizza is sooo good!

One thing I found out about before I arrived in Sicily was a local snack called 'Panelle' - chickpea fritters. 'Pane e panelle' (literally, bread with fritters) is a street snack - though we didn't see it served everywhere we visited. These little pockets of deliciousness are simply chickpea flour, salt, pepper, oil & water, all deep fried to perfection & served with a squeeze of lemon. I can't wait to get home & try the recipe myself.

The best meal I have had so far was at a great bar called Re di Bastoni in Taormina. This is the vegetable platter from the antipasto menu. So much food! On the side was a fresh garden salad of lettuce, tomatoes & corn. Then there was artichokes, sundried tomatoes, eggplant & olives. The only downside were the little tomatoes, which I thought were stuffed with breadcrumbs. Unfortunately they were stuffed with some kind of fish. When I bit into one, I thought I was going to throw up. I haven't eaten meat, even by accident, for 13 years, so I was a little upset. I don't blame the bar though - I should have asked what everything was. To top off that huge platter they also gave me a basket of bread! It was a wonderful meal, washed down by a few cold beers & accompanied by a chat with the lovely bar staff Massimo & Paolo. Great evening all round.

Finally, of course there are many things I can't eat. Mostly, it doesn't bother me. But some things look so yummy, like these pretty marzipan fruits which you see all over Sicily.

And this entire cupboard of sweet pastries in Erice. Drool...

I know there are a few vegan-friendly places in Rome, including at least one proper restaurant, so stay tuned for more news from this vegan in Italy!