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

Wee Jeanie, Yarraville

I know I've been AWOL for quite some time. I won't go into details, suffice to say life has been chaotic and difficult.

However, this is worth coming out of hiding for. The long awaited new addition to the Yarraville cafe scene has finally opened - and it's called Wee Jeanie - how cute!

Rumours about Wee Jeanie began a long time ago. The building work went on for months. Then they took the covering away from the windows so we could all peek in & get excited about what was forming behind the glass - here's a photo from that time. Then, one cold day, I walked past & realised it was finally open. I went in straight away to sample the coffee. I was expecting good things - after all, it's the same people that are behind Corner Shop, and the same lovely Coffee Supreme.


I wasn't disappointed - my soy latte was perfect - strong but not bitter, smooth, creamy, hot but not scalding, delivered with a smile.


The space is lovely - small but cosy, natural materials, clean and simple. The music choice has been great every time I've been in and the staff are always friendly.


There's also a lovely courtyard with a beautiful glass-topped table.

After a few more coffees, I finally got around to visiting for lunch a week or so later. There isn't an extensive menu - the idea behind this cafe is to pop in for a takeaway or a quick bite. There are a range of sweet things & salads in the cabinet, plus a short menu - the food is simple, but good. Vegetarians will have no trouble eating here, and vegans aren't left out either. I have noticed a couple of different vegan salads - a lentil one plus the one I sampled below. I'm not sure if there will be a vegan salad option on offer every day, but you can always go with the avocado on toast option if pressed.

So, the food. This is a Chickpea, Roast Zucchini & Sumac salad, with a side of Rosemary Bread (complimentary). It was truly awesome. Perfectly spiced, with nutty chickpeas, soft zucchini, rocket and spring onions. So simple, yet so so delicious. The bread was AMAZING too - fresh & crusty & perfectly flavoured with rosemary & salt.

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