March 30, 2011: Ebi Fine Foods

our Footscray tour, as well as thus our initial innovation to separate a scroll at Tan Truc Giang had been derailed past times our ravenous 2pm lunch-hungers. So, amongst a scroll each nether our belts, fifty-fifty an lx minutes or as well as thus browsing Savers, a few other op-shops as well as a shopping spree at Aangan or Dosa Hut. Instead, nosotros decided to banking concern gibe out the curious-sounding Japanese-inspired fish as well as fleck store that our Cheap Eats direct promised us would supply fine vegie takoyaki as well as other snack-sized treats.

The decor is a foreign combination of neighbourhood chippy as well as cute sushi place, as well as the carte du jour offers upwardly a like mix: beer-battered fish as well as chips, but too sushi, bento boxes as well as tempura options, along amongst a gain of Japanese-inspired snacks. We were intrigued past times the vegan friendly veg-bento box ($15), but could solely facial expression upwardly a twosome of snacks: a vegie croquette each ($2 a pop) as well as unopen to of the veg takoyaki ($5, inspired past times octopus balls, which are patently a mutual Kyoto street-food).

The croquettes were pretty expert - a murphy heavy vegie filling, crumbed amongst panko as well as drizzled amongst a delicious sweetness Japanese bbq sauce. But the existent stars were the takoyaki, which apprently started life equally festival nutrient cooked upwardly past times Ebi proprietor John Byrne. They've got a crispy outer as well as a gloriously squishy texture, presumably dominated past times tofu (although nosotros didn't genuinely ask) as well as are served amongst a splash of low-cal soy sauce as well as a smothering of Japanese mayo. Amazing - as well as a pocket at $5 a serve.

The dessert carte du jour includes donuts, fudge as well as home-made H2O ice cream, but live on warned - the tofu cheesecake contains both eggs as well as gelatine, as well as thus it's non equally vegan-friendly equally it sounds. Still, I'm pretty certain vegans would live on good rewarded past times the bento box - we're definitely going to banking concern gibe it out adjacent fourth dimension we're inward the west.

All inward all, our afternoon inward Footscray was a winner - delicious as well as reasonably priced food, decent java at the fairly limited but amongst aid from commenters on our previous post we're already edifice upwardly a massive listing of places to sample. Any to a greater extent than hot tips for wonderful veg-friendly places would live on appreciated.

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Despite the Cheap Eats honey as well as a thumbs up (twice!), Fill Up on Bread is a fan, equally are Charles Whyte as well as I dream of a brewery.

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Ebi Fine Foods
18A Essex St, Footscray
9689 3300
Snacks: $2.5 - $5, bento box: $15

Accessibility: Ebi has a tiny stride equally y'all travel into as well as is a niggling cramped (outdoor seating is to a greater extent than spacious). Ordering as well as payment laissez passer on at a high counter.