January 4, 2008: White Lotus Iii

Edit 11/11/2017: Sadly White Lotus is no longer inwards business, but there's a Loving Hut here now.

White Lotus leads the means next our preliminary explorations of the fake-meat scene inwards Melbourne, in addition to has the added wages of beingness on our side of town. We continued our exploration of their menu: curry 'chicken'($13.50) for me, sweetness in addition to sour 'pork' ($13.50) for Cindy in addition to about steamed vegies (pictured above, $12) for the duo of us to alternative at.

The chicken was groovy - tender in addition to melty the means skillful curried chicken should be. The curry was fine, alongside a skillful sum of spice in addition to about overnice fresh vegies, but I couldn't attention imagining how groovy it would last to detect an Indian eating seat that made faux meat curries alongside pseudo-chicken this good. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed a skillful chicken korma.

Luckily for me I resisted tasting Cindy's sweetness in addition to sour pork until she was eating the leftovers for dejeuner the adjacent day. Otherwise I could easily accept flora myself volunteering to knock the leftovers off on the night, which could exclusively accept ended inwards about assort of terrible over-eating related accident. Suffice to say: it was pretty damn good.

The prices accept gone upward slightly, but the service is yet friendly in addition to the nutrient remains worth the trip. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 authorities notation for adjacent time: it's BYO, scream back to BYO!

Read virtually our previous trips to White Lotus here in addition to here.

January 5, 2008: Shanghai Noodle House

Update 27/1/2019: Shanghai Noodle House is permanently closed.

a couple of times, nosotros were due to direct keep Jen as well as Buttons' advice as well as watch Shanghai Noodle House side past times side door. It's somewhat smaller as well as every bit a result the service does experience to a greater extent than personable. Lining the walls are coloured pieces of newspaper listing many of the dishes available, inwards English linguistic communication as well as Chinese. Promises of eel as well as pork liver mightiness seat a vego off, but there's genuinely a dedicated vegetarian department inwards the pinkish laminated carte alongside 36 items to direct from. I notice it hard to house my outset lodge at a eatery similar this - the prices are depression as well as it's hard to imagine beingness satisfied alongside simply a $5 plate per person. Besides, there's besides many appetising names to direct between!

Michael left the decisions upwards to me as well as I tried non to dilly-dally. First cab off the order were the spicy vegetable stir fried rice cakes ($8). I suppose nosotros were expecting 3 or iv fritter-like things consisting by as well as large of rice - instead nosotros were surprised past times this mountainous plate of viscid things that looked similar H2O chestnuts. (Once they did plow upwards I began to retrieve a post I'd ane time seen on Kitchen Wench...) I tin imagine the rice cakes bulking upwards a well-dressed salad or stir-fry nicely, but nosotros barely made a dent inwards this plateful. They're listed on the carte every bit standard, spicy or Sichuan (with a alert chilli side past times side to it) as well as I hoped the intermediate version would arrange our tastes. Alas, it was besides hot for me (though OK for Michael). But that's the fun of trying something novel - you lot win some, you lot lose unopen to as well as you lot tin ever acquire something along the way!

It was inevitable that I'd lodge a plate of the vegetable fried dumplings ($7). They arrived fresh out of the frypan, alongside the requisite texture of ane side chewy, the other side crispy alongside oil. The filling was pretty expert too.

My end lodge was for 3 vegetable buns ($4). Again they arrived super-fresh, all soft as well as sweetness on the outside, alongside salty-bitter mushrooms as well as spinach within.

Needless to say, Michael as well as I were stuffed to the gills, alongside nutrient (and money) to spare. It's in all probability to a greater extent than fun to swallow hither inwards a larger group, allowing you lot to lodge a larger make of dishes as well as gustatory modality them all. Even so, the Shanghai Noodle House yet makes for a fast, inexpensive as well as tasty dinner for 2 as well as is a worthy option to Camy.

Address: 2/242 Little Bourke St, Melbourne CBD (enter via Tattersalls Lane)
Ph: 9662 9380
Unlicensed
Price: veg plates $4-9
Website: http://cltmel.com/eng/

April 18, 2009: Regard Fine Nutrient As Well As Wine

Lord of the Fries seemed compulsory. For the other nosotros picked out a slightly particular Chinatown restaurant, Idea Fine Food together with Wine, from the Melbourne Veg Food Guide; I had a pocket-sized success at run to celebrate.

From the outside, I wouldn't distinguish Idea from the myriad Asian restaurants inwards the neighbourhood. However it's elegantly fitted out (though a fleck noisy when full) together with has a especially dedicated carte du jour page of vegetarian entrees together with mains; what surprised us close on entering was their extensive listing of wines together with other alcoholic drinks.

mock meats that are my vice.

Update 10/5/10: Idea Fine Food together with Wine has unopen its doors. We're going to pass the residuum of our days yearning for that eggplant.

Address: 146-148 Little Bourke St, Melbourne CBD
Ph: 9663 8829
Fully licensed
Price: veg entrees $5.80-$8.80, mains $14.80-$19, rice extra

December 5, 2010: Lau's Household Unit Of Measurement Kitchen

mock-meat places aside of course) - fifty-fifty inwards the vegetables as well as edible bean curd carte sections, many places throw inwards oyster sauce, pork mince or seafood (case inwards point: at a recent conference dinner I ordered 'stuffed edible bean curd inwards spiced salt', which turned out to live stuffed alongside manly someone monarch prawns). Our recent favourite, Idea Fine Food as well as Wine is no longer alongside us, then when semi-fancy meaty Chinese house Lau's Family Kitchen featured inwards Lisa's best eats for vegans as well as vegetarians nosotros were really keen to give it a shot.

We teamed upwardly alongside regular eating buddies Toby as well as K for an early on sun dinner, admiring the cute wallpaper decorating small-scale sections of the walls. The staff were rapidly on mitt to verbalize us through the carte - letting us know what could live done vegetarian as well as beingness completely on top of vegan requirements (the vego dumplings cause got a smidgen of egg, piece the delicious sounding eggplant special had fish sauce inwards it). They were happy to tweak a bunch of dishes for us, swapping as well as dropping ingredients then nosotros had a skillful hit of options. We decided to society everything nosotros could all swallow as well as portion - basically an entree as well as 4 mains.

The entree was a steamed rice noodle scroll alongside spinach ($13.50) - nosotros got 2 serves, as well as the waiter happily divided them upwardly into 4 petty bowls for us.

These were a cracking start - beautifully soft noodles, filled alongside spinach as well as sauced upwardly nicely. flavours were non specially strong, but I added a deport upon of the chilli sauce that they gave us, as well as was inwards heaven.

The commencement the mains was the around anticipated - ma po eggplant ($24, the waiter had decided that 2 dishes of tofu was every bit good many, then he'd got the chef to brand us an eggplant version of the ma po tofu).

our version, but wonderful nonetheless. Spicy without beingness painfully fiery, sweetness without beingness sickly as well as rich without beingness gluggy. If you're a vego at Lau's, society this dish (with tofu or eggplant, either would live great).

The tofu dish nosotros did endeavor was the deep fried edible bean curd alongside mushrooms ($18).

This was a overnice plenty dish, that suffered inwards comparing to the ma-po. The light-green vegies were fresh as well as crispy as well as at that topographic point was a overnice diversity of mushrooms to accompany the big fried chunks of tofu, but the sauce was a flake lacking inwards inspiration - it was enjoyable without beingness specially memorable.

Next upwardly was the stir-fried seasonal vegetables ($17).

This came inwards a similar sauce to the deep-fried tofu as well as was basically the same dish minus the tofu as well as addition to a greater extent than asparagus as well as mushrooms. Again, everything was fresh as well as tasty, but it wasn't the around exciting agency to pass $17 on food.

The concluding master copy on the listing that was veg-adaptable was the Singapore noodles (minus the park prawns as well as pork!, but nevertheless $24).

This had an overnice spicy boot as well as was filled alongside fresh, crunchy vegies. The noodles were okay every bit good (maybe a petty overdone?), but the whole dish was a tad on the oily side. Still, it was belike my mo favourite master copy of the night.

We left a petty disappointed alongside Lau's - partly due to our high expectations. The combination of such a cracking pedigree (the guys running this house are the sons of the original Flower Drum owner) alongside a reputation for veg-friendliness had us expecting something spectacular. The ma po eggplant as well as the rice noodle rolls passed muster, but the balance of the nutrient was only a tad underwhelming. Throw inwards only about reasonably hefty prices as well as it's non somewhere we're probable to live hurrying dorsum across town for.

Lau's Family Kitchen has been given positive reviews past times everyone else who has blogged it, then perhaps their meaty options are a flake to a greater extent than impressive - see: Melbourne Gastronome, Munching inwards Melbourne, 1001 dinners, 1001 nights, onnomnomnom, Gastronomical voyage inwards Melbourne as well as tummyrumbles.

Environmentally-minded omnivores may live a tad concerned that Lau's sells Patagonian toothfish, which is on the Greenpeace cherry list as well as rated 'avoid' past times Seafood Watch as well as the Australian Marine Conservation Society, suggesting it's non specially sustainable.

Lau's Family Kitchen
4 Acland Street, St Kilda
8598 9880
Vegie mains: $17-$24
Licensed
http://www.lauskitchen.com.au/

January 1, 2011: China Red

cooking up nearly every meal, novel years hateful solar daytime had us on a bespeak for somebody who would gear upwards us dinner. Our kickoff few local ideas were closed but nosotros eventually remembered the being of China Red, a newish dumpling focussed house inwards the city. China Red has already been blogged to decease (see the listing at the bottom), amongst a lot of fairly ambivalent or negative reviews. Most of the criticism of China Red had held it upwards inwards comparing to sis eating theatre Hu Tong, which we've failed to see because nosotros were suspicious of the lack of veg options. So ane time we'd seen we'd used inwards Tokyo but were otherwise basically the same thing. The bill of fare is a chip overwhelming, amongst dozens together with dozens of options, illustrated past times a bunch of somewhat unappetising miniature pictures. We ordered unopen to drinks to bear us through the nutrient ordering process: a lychee calpis for Cindy together with an iced dearest lemon tea for me ($4 a pop).

The lack of human interaction makes checking ingredients a chip harder, together with then nosotros simply made unopen to assumptions well-nigh which of the entrees were vego, starting amongst shredded turnip pastries ($6.50).

These were crispy-fried together with delicious, peculiarly when slathered amongst the fantastic chilli fossil oil that China Red accept on every table.

As amongst most of the places famed for their dumplings, the vast bulk of China Red's dumpling options are loaded upwards amongst pork, seafood or other nasties (the kickoff vego house to offering me xiao long bao volition win unopen to split upwards of prize). Our vegetable dumplings ($6.80) were filled amongst a fairly tasty minced upwards mix of tofu, mushrooms together with herbs but had disappointingly stodgy skins. Again, these were basically amazing ane time you lot smeared chilli fossil oil all over them.

We managed to rail downwards quite a large attain of vegie original options, opting to elbow grease 2 dishes that were completely novel to us. First up, stir-fried pumpkin amongst salted egg yolk ($19.80).

These trivial crispy pumpkin slivers had an incredibly rich batter, amongst a slightly sandy texture together with a strong, salty flavour. After the kickoff few bites I was inwards love amongst these but past times the fourth dimension we'd got through most of the plate the season had larn a chip overwhelming - likely amend ordered inwards a larger group. Cindy didn't tire of these together with they were the concluding dish that she continued to pick at earlier declaring herself full.

Cindy was too pretty excited to elbow grease the shredded tater inwards hot together with sour sauce. The tiny bill of fare motion painting made it difficult to figure out precisely what this would be, together with then were a chip surprised when it came out looking basically similar a plate of tater noodles.

The hot together with sour sauce was deliciously spicy together with the mix of capsicum together with tater was crunchy together with enjoyable. But again, a total plate of this gets a chip much - at that spot must last 3 or 4 whole potatoes inwards this ane dish.

I'd been happily pouring the Szechwan chilli fossil oil over everything throughout the meal, together with then nosotros needed to brand unopen to other tour of the drinks bill of fare well-nigh halfway through - an iced lemon tea for me together with a strawberry calpis for Cindy (another $4 each).

Camy, which is well-nigh one-half the price. Still, we'll likely plough over China Red unopen to other shot when we're struggling for CBD dinner ideas inwards future.

China Red has received a fairly resounding 'meh' from the blogosphere, banking concern agree out the negative or ambivalent reviews from Melbourne Culinary Journal, Ichigo shortcake, Kong-Kay, Half-Eaten, Eat together with Be Merry, I Eat Therefore I Am, Saint-ism, together with Ze Eats.


China Red
6/206 Bourke St, Melbourne
9662 3668
licensed
entrees $6-12, mains $12-20
http://www.china-red.com.au/

January 13, 2011: Hutong Dumpling Bar

a comment on our China Red post service letting us know that she'd establish around winning vegeterian HuTong dishes for us to endeavour out. (and summarising her ain vegetarian XLB recipe!) Armed amongst the noesis that nosotros could swallow there, nosotros booked ourselves a tabular array in addition to headed inwards for dinner.

We ended upward ordering precisely what GGF suggested, starting amongst the claypot eggplant inwards Szechuan chilli sauce ($13.80).

This was my favourite dish of the nighttime - the eggplant was meltingly soft, thick amongst chilli fossil oil in addition to somehow sugariness in addition to spicy at the same time. I'm certain I ended upward amongst a sheen of scarlet fossil oil all over my face, but it was definitely worth it.

Next upward was the dumplings, the genre inwards which HuTong has made its name. These were mixed vegie dumplings ($5), in addition to were total of satisfying chunks of a hit of vegetables.

China Red. Luckily, HuTong has the same amazing Szechuan chilli fossil oil that I cruel inwards dearest amongst at China Red, which turns whatever half-decent dumpling into a gustation sensation.

Finally nosotros went amongst the stir-fried spinach inwards ginger in addition to boundary onion sauce ($15.80).

This was an splendid serving of greens - non overcooked in addition to smothered inwards equally good much sauce equally is sometimes the case. The ginger in addition to boundary onion sauce gave a overnice spark the crispy greens, giving us a peril to pretend that nosotros were salubrious afterward equally good much of the oily eggplant.

So, how to amount upward our Hutong experience? The nutrient was quite expert in addition to the prices much to a greater extent than reasonable than Cathay Red - for a tick over $30, nosotros ate ourselves to a standstill. Still, there's something unsatisfying virtually having to mass a tabular array for this variety of nutrient - inwards my head, dumplings are something you lot instruct the urge for all of a abrupt in addition to necessitate to swallow at once, non something you lot excogitation a few days ahead for. Despite the horror stories inwards many other reviews (seriously, there's a weird vibe to much of the writing virtually HuTong where it seems you lot accept to earn a gustation of the precious XLB past times putting upward amongst abominable treatment), nosotros had expert service - they were helpful in addition to speedy in addition to nosotros didn't accept to hold back for our table. The room itself was a chip frustrating - nosotros were seated upstairs in addition to the vibrations seemed to bounce off the walls, pregnant whatever loud conversations nearby speedily drowned us out. Still, HuTong is in all probability worth a see - only to sense Melbourne's hippest dumpling place. Now, tin somebody delight brand me around vegetarian Xiao Long Bao?

Compiling in addition to reading this listing of other Hutong reviews took me a goddamn historic menstruum - it actually is 1 of the buzziest places inwards town (I didn't fifty-fifty include reviews of their Prahran venue!).

Most visitors accept raved virtually the nutrient (at to the lowest degree the XLB, which everyone seems to accept ordered), fifty-fifty inwards the human face upward of mediocre service. Check out positive reviews from: Tummy Rumbles, Ooh, Look, The Modern Fabulous, Foodies n Places, Footscray Food Blog, Melbourne Culinary Journal, I Eat Therefore I Am, Mel: Hot or Not, Half Eaten, My Food Odyssey, Ms I-Hua, Melbourne Gastronome, Ichigo Shortcake, Christine's Foodie Adventures, Totally Addicted to Taste, Melbourne's Bargain Foodie, Gluttony Gluttony, Cookbook, Lisalicious, What's for Tea?, Munching inwards Melbourne, Saucy Thyme, Barley Blog, 730 Days of My Life, Our Food Tales, On Golden Food, Tastes Like Yum in addition to Eat in addition to Be Merry.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few people accept been less impressed: Dollymic, A Daily Obsession, Sarah Cooks, Jeroxie.

It was cracking to read the experiences of Nouveau Potato in addition to Confessions of an eco-food dude eating vegetarian nutrient at that spot - looks similar we'll accept to function dorsum to depository fiscal establishment agree out the spinach dumplings at around stage.

HuTong Dumpling Bar
14-16 Market Lane, Melbourne
03 9650 8128
licensed
entrees $5-8, mains $10-15

June 18, 2011: Enlightened Cuisine Iv

Edit 25/04/2017: Enlightened Cuisine is directly rebranded as Vegie Kitchen.

On Sabbatum nighttime nosotros met upwards amongst or so friends to feast on the Chinese-style mock meats at Enlightened Cuisine. The educate banquets are ever tempting, but nosotros resolved to do our ain Mighty Banquet of Probably Way Too Much Mock Meat.

The get-go plate to larn inwards held fried dim sims ($4.50) together with they were gobbled upwards quickly, stuffed amongst a white mock meat that didn't gustatory modality of much.

Next came the highly anticipated sesame prawn ($4.50). This toast is deep deep-fried crispy together with golden brown, all the agency through to the mysterious white 'prawn' filling.

There were also chicken satay skewers ($5.50), which I idea were a fighting undercooked inwards the middle. (Still it could locomote worse - they weren't undercooked actual chicken.)

The get-go principal to larn inwards was or so impressively sizzling pepper steak amongst mushroom ($17.90). The steak slices were homogeneous but tender together with the sauce was for sure heavy on the pepper. It wasn't likewise strong, though, providing lots of seasoning without sticking inwards my throat.

I used upwards my ordering selection on that ol' Aussie fave, lemon chicken ($16.90). I was delighted that the sauce wasn't sickenly sugariness together with had a proper lemon sourness to it. Alas, the battered chicken was soft together with doughy again. Maybe I require to permit this custom go.  

By contrast the plum sauce duck ($16.90) had an unremarkable gravy together with superlative meat texture, crisp on the outside, simply a piffling nobbly, together with 'flesh' amongst a fighting of chew but no rubberiness.

The sizzling lamb ($17.90) was or so other winner together with arrived amongst a practiced dose of proper vegetables.

Once the steamed rice ($2.20 pp) supplies waned, or so wag ordered a platter of particular fried rice ($13). I could barely comport on it, though I admired the charred corn kernels.

I did honour room together with sufficient encouragement for dessert. I shouldn't bring bothered, though - the pineapple fritters were bloated together with heavy amongst far likewise much batter. I ended upwards much the same, fifty-fifty though I didn't complete the bowlful. And would y'all believe that 2 of our set out ordered more prawn toast for dessert? And they suffered less regret than I. Amazing.

We ordered amongst abandon together with our mouth (for 4 people, including drinks) came to $171. That's non cheap, but nosotros ate well... perchance non nutritionally well, but for sure inwards slap-up quantity together with amongst much enthusiasm! Enlightened Cuisine has been highly consistent inwards the 4 years we've been visiting - the slap-up dishes bring ever been slap-up together with the few less wonderful ones disappoint for just the same argue each time. The expression staff are distant but never rude.

Enlightened Cuisine volition non accommodate all moods together with tastes but it's a please when the correct people, appetites together with dishes collide. Especially when someone orders prawn toast.

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You tin read close or so of our previous visits to Enlightened Cuisine: one, two together with three.

This eating seat has received many reviews, almost unanimously positive, since together with then from Vegan About Town (three times!), easy every bit vegan pie, More Cheese Please, tofu inwards disguise, apmmryyu, Vegetarian Life Australia together with MelbourneStaycation.com.

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Enlightened Cuisine

113 Queensbridge St, Southbank

9686 9188

veg entrées $4.50-5.50, mains $14.90-25.00, desserts unknown

www.ecuisine.com.au

Accessibility: The entry is apartment together with wide; there's a reasonable sum of infinite betwixt tables. There's tabular array service together with bills are paid at a high counter. From memory, access to the toilets is narrow together with includes a step.

Shanghai Street Dumpling

October 11, 2012

I ordinarily permit the regular flow of Melbourne spider web log posts raving close novel Chinese places only launder over me - a smashing dumpling house doesn't hateful a smashing vegetarian dumpling place, in addition to it's oft easier to only autumn dorsum on sometime mock-meat favourites. But when Carla singled out Shanghai Street every bit having Melbourne's best vego dumplings, it went straightaway onto our listing of places to try.

We were fully aware of the steady queues that popular upwards at Shanghai Street, in addition to so turned upwards earlier 6:30 hoping to sneak straightaway in. We were quaternary inwards line, which meant a 10 infinitesimal expect - non the worst resultant when nosotros saw how things were on our agency out only about 7.

There's zilch fashionable close Shanghai Street - it's a rudimentary dumpling place, alongside laminex tables, brusk in addition to efficient service in addition to a lack of charm. In telephone substitution they offering low, depression prices - retrieve fifteen vegetable dumplings for less than a tenner. It's a pretty fair trade-off. There are a reasonable publish of vego dishes on the menu, alongside meat-free versions of the XLBs, fried in addition to boiled dumplings, veggie buns in addition to veggie fried noodles. Despite my enthusiasm (I was bafflingly keen for us to club xxx dumplings summation an entree!), Cindy convinced me to function on things nether command - only a serve of the vegetable boiled dumplings (15 for $8.80) in addition to the vegetarian boundary onion pancake ($6.80). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 sensible determination - nosotros were both stuffed subsequently (for only a tick over $15!).

The dumplings were tremendous - tender footling puff balls, filled alongside a mix of greens in addition to garlic in addition to best eaten alongside a generous mix of vinegar in addition to hot chilli sauce, both of which were on hand. I retrieve I had 10 of the fifteen on the plate and, despite beingness total to the dorsum teeth, wanted to function on eating more.

The pancake likewise benefited from the chilli sauce, but that was where the similarities ended - it was a disc of crispy goodness, stuffed alongside boundary onions in addition to gone inwards minutes.

Shanghai Street Dumplings is non somewhere you'd larn for a leisurely eve repast - it's strictly close getting in, getting out in addition to eating some fantabulous value food. Go early on or select handgrip of takeaway - I'm non certain it's actually worth a one-half hr wait. But if you've got a craving for vego dumplings, yous could produce a lot worse.

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easy every bit (vegan) pie in addition to Nouveau Potato conduct maintain both given Shanghai Street the thumbs upwards from a vegetarian perspective, joining positive (and meaty) reviews from Gagwood Blog, Gastrology, Petit Miamx, A Photo is Worth a Thousand Words, food.loves.my.mouth, Sweet in addition to Sour Fork, eat in addition to endure merry, for tomorrow nosotros die(t), Footscray Food Blog, FoodsCrazy, angryaussiefood, Missy Ness' Food Train of Thought, new international students in addition to Barley Blog in addition to Gastronomical ramblings having mixed experiences.

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Shanghai Street Dumpling
342 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
9600 2250
veg dishes $6.80 - $9.80

Accessibility: There's a apartment entry way, but the interior is pretty crammed alongside tables. Orders are taken at the table, but payment requires yous to negotiate your agency to the register at the front. We didn't banking concern check out the bathrooms.

Dan Dan Mian

October 17, 2012

Cindy spotted this recipe on Steph's blog together with knew direct away it was for me - tempeh, chilli oil, noodles - this is correct upward my alley. We decided to fix it almost immediately, taking amount wages of our breakfast alongside Steph to operate some concluding infinitesimal tips on the best noodles together with chilli stone oil options. We made a few pocket-size changes - Cindy's pretty downward on dried shitake mushrooms, together with thence nosotros only subbed them for a handful of diced push clit mushies, together with nosotros simplified the condiment mix a fleck to suit our stocks. It was vivid - the chilli stone oil together with Sichuan peppers bringing burn downward together with tingle to the meaty, salty dish. It's to a greater extent than or less a noodley soup together with eating it is a combo of fork, spoon together with messiness. This makes almost iii serves - plenty for me to operate dejeuner leftovers anyway.

Dan Dan Mian

(adapted from this recipe on vegan almost town)

sauce

1-2 teaspoons put down Sichuan peppers

2 tablespoons chilli stone oil (something similar this)

2 cups of mushroom stock

2 tablespoons tamari

ane clove minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon tahini (heaped)

ane tablespoon rice vino vinegar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

200g tempeh, chopped into ane cm cubes

6  push clit mushrooms, chopped into ane cm cubes

2 cloves minced garlic

ane tablespoon minced ginger

1-2 tablespoons mirin

3 tablespoons tamari

3 greenish onions, chopped (white together with greenish parts separately)

ane carrot, grated

peanut oil

300g noodles (we used vacuum packed yellowish noodles), boiled for a distich of minutes

Combine all the sauce ingredients thoroughly together with laid aside.

In a frying pan, oestrus upward the stone oil together with stir tyke the garlic together with ginger alongside the white bits of the boundary onions. After a distich of minutes, throw inward the tempeh, carrot together with mushrooms together with proceed stir-frying, for almost v minutes until things offset to brownish up. 

Pour inward the tamari together with stir-fry for some other infinitesimal or two. Add the mirin together with stir-fy until it cooks off. 

Serve inward layers: noodles on the bottom of a bowl, pour over a loving cup or together with thence of sauce together with layer the stir-fry mush on top. Garnish alongside the greenish parts of the boundary onions together with eat, sweating profusely.

Easy House

March 17, 2013

H5N1 honey as well as distant friend's start solo fine art exhibition drew us from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, as well as nosotros scheduled inwards about veg eating too. Reader Fiona start recommended Easy House to us inwards an e-mail to a greater extent than than a twelvemonth ago; Matt echoed her endorsement inwards a to a greater extent than recent message.

Our timing didn't permit us to examination out Easy House's yum cha but nosotros did halt yesteryear for dinner. The bill of fare runs to to a greater extent than than lxxx dishes - fried entrees, soups, tofu, vegetables, lots of mock meats, hot pots, rice as well as noodle dishes. Many of them were familiar from other Chinese-style vegetarian menus, but nosotros constitute a span of new dishes to order.

The vegetarian roast goose ($14.80) was made primarily of layered edible bean curd skin, amongst a few finely chopped mushrooms as well as other vegetables tucked inwards betwixt to boost the umami element. The curd was melt-in-the-mouth tender as well as perfectly contrasted amongst a crispy-battered shell. The accompanying sauce was to a greater extent than sweetness than sour, but nonetheless welcome.

We doubled downwards on deep-fry amongst the tabular array salt as well as pepper eel fillets ($16.80). These didn't deviate from the glutenous faux-fish I've eaten elsewhere but I wasn't disappointed - there's something almost electrical virtually the seasoning that I can't imagine replicating at home.

The Easy House atmosphere is a niggling stark, as well as to a greater extent than customers seemed interested inwards takeaway than eating in, but nosotros received real helpful as well as timely service. The bill of fare is extensive as well as the character as well as cost of the dishes nosotros tried compares favourably amongst the Chinese-style mock meats we've eaten elsewhere. I promise nosotros tin laid upward up other reasons to catch again, ideally for yum cha adjacent time.

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Easy House has already earned weblog love on definatalie.com as well as Delicous Encounters.

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Easy House
8/90 Markeri St, Mermaid Waters QLD
(07) 5572 8808
veg dishes $4.80-18.80
facebook page

Accessibility: There's a small-scale footstep upward into the eating seat (see photograph above) as well as tables within are quite crowded. We ordered at the tabular array as well as paid at a high counter. We didn't catch the toilets but I noticed about other diner borrowing a key, presumably to access them elsewhere inwards the mall.

Sichuan House

May 16, 2015

On Fri black nosotros were inwards the urban heart as well as soul for a vegawesome! as well as suggested nosotros laissez passer Sichuan House a shot. I had no work snagging a tabular array for ii at 6pm, but they steadily filled upwards every bit nosotros ate. I've since discovered that this eating theater is a favourite of many chilli-loving Melbourne bloggers (see link listing below).

The menu's by as well as large really meaty but nosotros were able to location several veg options that jibe closely alongside the Dainty Sichuan menu: mutual frigidness noodles, white patato shreds, garlicky cucumber as well as the ii dishes nosotros ultimately ordered, stir-fried spicy dry out tofu as well as chives ($19.80) as well as fish fragrant eggplant ($17.80).

The dry out tofu is theater as well as smoky, stacked high alongside lots of wilted greens as well as a few dried chillis. It was the correct counterpart to the slippery battered eggplant, every bit sweetness every bit it is spicy. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 flake of steamed rice on the side ($2 per person) as well as nosotros were good sorted. In fact, it was far also much nutrient for the ii of us, as well as they would cause got boxed upwards the leftovers if we'd been able to accept them.

Sichuan House is BYO, as well as nosotros contented ourselves alongside closed to of their cooling non-alcholic drinks - kokosnoot juice for Michael as well as aloe vera potable for me ($3.50 each).

Sichuan House didn't distinguish itself strongly from our by Dainty experiences, but it didn't endure badly from the comparing either. Service was friendly as well as fast, as well as nosotros enjoyed our meal. Our exclusively regret was that nosotros didn't adapt to swallow alongside friends as well as social club to a greater extent than from the menu. 

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Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 review from boyfriend veg blogger Vegawesome! inspired our see to Sichuan House. It's also won many omnivorous fans, come across Couture Foodie, Eat And Be Merry, For Tomorrow We Die(t)!, A Spotted Blog, Spoonfuls of Wanderlust (twice), DolceBunnie, Let's Get Fat Together, Sweet & Sour Fork as well as The City Lane. There's simply 1 ambivalent review, on Diary of a Pampered Housewife.

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Sichuan House

22-26 Corrs Lane, Melbourne 

9650 8589

card samples 1, 2, 3

http://www.sichuanhouse.com.au/

Accessibility: Entry includes most 6 steps, as well as nosotros didn't come across a to a greater extent than accessible alternative. Tables are densely packed. We ordered at the tabular array as well as paid at a high counter. Toilets were gendered, flat-floored as well as narrow.

Nha Hang V Sao

August 3, 2014

We've been hoping to see Nha Hang v Sao inwards Springvale e'er since Brianna discovered it a yr ago, as well as thus an invite from some friends to tiffin alongside them in that place was eagerly accepted. The eating theatre is actually unopen to the prepare station, as well as thus it's non a especially arduous journey. It's also the form of house yous could easily walk past times equally a vegetarian looking for nutrient - in that place are ducks hanging inwards the windows as well as a full general vibe of meatiness. We investigated further. The regular carte du jour looks similar it's got real few veggie dishes on offering but the second, vegetarian carte du jour to a greater extent than than makes upwards for it, alongside almost 100 dishes to direct from.

We had the practise goodness of Bec as well as Clamps' previous visits hither as well as permit them recommend some primal dishes, starting alongside 2 serves of the deep fried chicken wings ($4 a serve). This was a big error - nosotros should induce got ordered at to the lowest degree 4 serves. The 'wings' are a mix of tofu as well as crispy fried tofu peel as well as are ludicrously good.

The other mandated dish was the fried kuey teow ($10.80), a smoky wok-fried medley of rice noodles, slivers of mixed mock meat as well as some veggies. This was my favourite dish of the day, alongside the mock adding texture as well as flavor without completely dominating the plate.

We took Vegan Bullsh*t's advice as well as tried the Kung bo soy chicken ($12.80), assuming we'd induce got the spice tolerance to practise it justice. It had a pretty decent kick, but equally long equally yous steered your agency roughly the dried chillies it was fine. The mix of mock chicken as well as veggies was bully as well as the slight sweetness of the chicken pieces was a squeamish jibe for the hot sauce.

We branched out into some unexplored portions of the carte du jour subsequently that - unable to resist a gustation of sizzling venison inwards XO sauce ($16.50). The 'venison' turned out to hold upwards some sort of mushroom-based meat, which I didn't completely love, but the spicy sauce as well as fresh veggies complimented it well.

We completely embraced the mock meat sense as well as tried to guild the greenish beans alongside soy beancurd sausage ($13.80) equally our 'veggie' dish, but sadly they were all out of sausage as well as nosotros settled for some stir-fried Chinese broccoli ($13), which did render some recess from all the mock.

Nha Hang v Sao offering a skillful describe of piece of job inwards non-alcoholic drinks - I enjoyed a cooling kokosnoot juice ($3), spell Cindy loved her grass jelly as well as kokosnoot milk concoction ($3)

Nha Hang v Sao isn't a fine dining sense - the fit out is basic, the service a lilliputian haphazard as well as the atmosphere real suburban Chinese restaurant, but the nutrient is excellent, inexpensive as well as plentiful. It puts the likes of Enlightened Cuisine as well as White Lotus to shame price-wise, as well as I don't intend either induce got served upwards dishes to compete alongside the chicken wings or the kuey teow (OK, peradventure the tamarind fish at White Lotus). It's a definite winner, as well as good worth making the trip out to Springvale for. It's likely best to see alongside a grouping of people as well as thus yous tin sample widely - we're keen to render as well as hunt downwards some to a greater extent than carte du jour highlights.

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Vegan Bullsh*t induce got enjoyed the mock meat sense at Nha Hang v Sao, spell Gourmanda liked its meatier options.

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Nha Hang v Sao
4 Balmoral Ave, Springvale
8555 0106
menus: one, two, drinks

Accessibility: There's a pocket-size footstep on entry as well as a fairly spacious interior, including a ramp betwixt rooms. The john is unisex, although in that place was something incorrect alongside the latch when nosotros visited - it was likely likewise accessible.

Ren Dao Ii

August 22, 2014

We've been making a practiced instruct of the Melbourne Writers Festival, starting out alongside a Book Club taping over inwards Elsternwick. It was a lot of fun, together with a swell excuse to revisit Ren Dao for a slowly dinner. They agreed to serve us later 9pm on a weeknight without a hint of annoyance, together with a few to a greater extent than Book Clubbers trickled inwards later us to brand it worth their while.

We did our best to hold upwardly decisive, inwards spite of the 70 (!) items on offer, together with our nutrient was served inwards practiced time. The Assam Pedas ($23.90) was a picayune sour together with a picayune spicy, alongside enough of zucchini, carrot, capsicum together with celery adding diversity to some slightly homogeneous mock fish strips... together with a canned pineapple telephone on top. While nosotros gladly polished off the lot, it didn't convey quite the panache of their Kung Po Chicken.

Roti ($4) arrived also hot to grip together with thicker unopen to the edges than nosotros prefer, but it was swell for mopping upwardly the Assam Pedas sauce.

The night's victor was the Hainanese Roasted Chicken Rice ($12.80). Michael was utterly enamoured of the sparse together with crispy edible bean curd peel 'chicken' strips, together with the back-of-the-tongue rut of the chilli sauce took us both yesteryear surprise. The rice mound had a overnice whiff of galangal virtually it, too.

While nosotros finished upwardly together with paid the bill, our waiter shyly recommended a few of her favourites for side yesteryear side fourth dimension (watch out, roast duck together with kokosnoot butter chicken!). It was a overnice gesture that reflects the understated, welcoming atmosphere of Ren Dao together with it had us looking frontwards to a hereafter see earlier we'd fifty-fifty finished this one.

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Our showtime see to Ren Dao is blogged here. It turned upwardly on Veganise This! shortly later but doesn't seem to convey scored whatever recent spider web log attention.

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Ren Dao
275 Glenhuntly Rd, Elsternwick
9523 0150
menu: one, two

Accessibility: The restaurant's entry is quite apartment together with wide, tables within are moderately spaced. We received sum tabular array service. The toilets are unisex but located upwardly a narrow, bending staircase.

Din Tai Fung

July 5, 2018

Cindy together with I spent Th nighttime at the movies together with decided to banking concern jibe out Din Tai Fung for a quick pre-Incredibles meal. Din Tai Fung comes amongst a lot of hype - the Hong Kong eating seat has had a Michelin Star together with they've gradually conquered the world, amongst branches inwards the US, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia together with beyond. The Melbourne outpost opened at Emporium a few years agone to massive queues together with lots of enthusiasm (see the spider web log review listing at the bottom of this post). Either the hype has died downwards a chip or nosotros picked a skilful fourth dimension - either means in that place was no queue when nosotros turned upwardly early a Th evening.

The bill of fare is huge, amongst a decent release of vego options spread across it. We made our selections, ticked the boxes on the bill of fare shape together with got stuck in. There's beer, but the non-alcoholic drinks are to a greater extent than interesting - I went for a lemon iced tea ($4.50), piece Cindy went for the Thai bubble milk tea ($6.90).

Food-wise nosotros started amongst 2 vegetarian buns ($3 each) together with a serve of the spicy vegetarian wontons ($11.90). The buns were puffy together with soft together with filled amongst a combination of tofu, mushroom together with spinach. They were decent, but were outshone past times the wontons, petty parcels of goodness served inwards a zingy Sichuan sauce. My dish of the night.

Next upwardly was a serve of the spinach amongst garlic ($14.90) together with the vegetarian dumplings ($10.90). The dumplings were delicately made together with filled amongst the same mix every bit the buns. The spinach was fine - heavy on the garlic, which is crucial. 

We had a pretty decent repast at Din Tai Fung - the service was super efficient together with the nutrient was solid. It falls curt of our go-to dumpling house Shandong Mama - their vego dumplings are both to a greater extent than interesting together with ameliorate value ($15 for 12). Still, Din Tai Fung is a skilful alternative if you're looking for a speedy metropolis dinner some Emporium - but survive prepared to pay a chip of a surcharge because of the restaurant's reputation.

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There are heaps of spider web log reviews of Din Tai Fun - see Gastrology (freebie), Melbourne Culinary Business District, Espresso together with Matcha, Life's Little Temptations, Let's Omnom, Mango Macarons, Melbourne Glutton, Delightfully Tasty, New International Students, Howie's Melbourne Food Blog, The New Fave, The Escort together with the Thief, Gastronomic Gems and Tian Ming.

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Din Tai Fung
Level 4, Emporium, 287 Lonsdale St
9654 1876
menus: one, two
https://www.dintaifung.com.au/stores/emporium-melbourne

Accessibility: There's a apartment entry together with a spacious interior. We ordered at the tabular array together with paid at a high counter. Toilets are gendered together with accessible.