March 28, 2009: Le Kilimanjaro

Update, 31/12/2014: Le Kilimanjaro has shut down.

Saturday nighttime saw us exploring King Street inward Newtown. We couldn't convince our gaggle of omni friends that Green Gourmet or Basil Pizza were worth visiting, but in i lawsuit mortal muttered something close African nutrient nosotros apace reached consensus. Our Sydney-based hosts pointed us inward the direction of Le Kilimanjaro amongst a few reservations, but their slight ambivalence wasn't plenty to dissuade the residue of us in addition to nosotros settled apace in.

The eating theatre is comfy in addition to atmospheric, amongst diverse African-themed wall decorations in addition to the staff wandering only about inward traditional African ensembles. I'd been expecting something like to our Ethiopian dining experiences, but Le Kilimanjaro serves upwardly nutrient from East Africa including Ghana, Senegal in addition to Kenya. The carte du jour is posted upwardly on a big board amongst helpful descriptions of the many dishes available (including a dish amongst a lift that literally translates every bit 'homosexual tuna'). We weren't overwhelmed past times vego options, but at that topographic point were a decent pose out of side dishes available in addition to at to the lowest degree a distich of mains.

Cindy stuck alone to the side dish menu, opting for Accara (black-eyed beans soaked overnight in addition to and therefore set down amongst mild African spices, fried inward circular balls in addition to served amongst aromatic sauce, $6) in addition to Batansey (fried eggplant inward a mildly spiced sauce amongst onions, $6) dished upwardly amongst a serve of African apartment staff of life ($2).

The flatbread is a chip dissimilar to the Ethiopian injeera - based on cous-cous grain blended amongst onion in addition to spices. It's a chip denser than injeera in addition to didn't quite stair out upwardly for Cindy.

The bean-based balls were also a tad on the diappointing side - the sauce was a lightly-spiced tomatoey sensation, but the balls themselves were a chip heavy in addition to dry. They took a chip to a greater extent than chewing than nosotros expected.

The best of Cindy's bunch was the eggplant dish - a saucy stew filled amongst chunks of deliciously fried eggplant in addition to heavy on the onions. I only snuck a picayune taste, but it hitting the spot quite nicely.

I decided to brave both a primary dish in addition to a side - Ndambe (mid-African spices, lentils, tomato, kidney beans in addition to vegetables, $9.80) in addition to Mboum (cruncy African spinach amongst a romantically spiced sauce, $6), amongst a pocket-size serve of cous-cous ($1.50). Unfortunately things came out inward a fairly shambolic way, amongst the spinach arriving x minutes earlier anything to accompany it in addition to the cous-cous only turning upwardly later on I was good into my stewy main.

Despite the slightly ramshackle service, my nutrient was outstanding - the Ndambe was based on a richly spiced love apple tree sauce in addition to was inundation amongst beans, lentils, chunks of vegies in addition to a sprinkling of fresh herbs. Once I had some cous-cous to soak upwardly the sauce, I was a happy man.

I was fifty-fifty happier in i lawsuit I chomped into my spinach side - it's a real uncomplicated idea, direct maintain some crisp greens in addition to coat them inward a mildly spicy sauce. Simple in addition to real effective - the spinach was everyone's favourite dish, in addition to the fresh greens complemented the heavy stews that made upwardly most of the evening's meals.

Le Kilimanjaro is a BYO place, amongst only a distich of options on the drinks menu. Cindy's 'ginger drink' (freshly squeezed ginger amongst vanilla sugar) was incredibly gingery in addition to strong, but every bit refreshing every bit the carte du jour promised.

My mysterious 'African bloom drink' unfortunately never arrived, therefore it remains an unknown quantity. Maybe they were out of flowers.

Despite some fairly 'relaxed' service, the nutrient (and the prices) meant that nobody walked away also disappointed amongst Le Kilimanjaro, but if we're always seeking African nutrient inward Newtown again, we'll belike walk the other agency along King Street to African Feeling.

Address: 280 King Street, Sydney
Ph: 02 9557 4565
BYO only
Price: Vegie mains: $9.80, sides: $1.50-$6

Basil Pizza

February 1, 2013

During our Sydney eat-a-thon a couplet of years ago, nosotros brunched at (the similar a shot relocated together with rebranded) Naked Espresso. We didn't larn to motility out its nocturnal identity, Basil Pizza, though the Moody Noodles loved their repast at that spot a few nights later. We made certain to grab upward on it this time.

Basil's bill of fare is non alone vegetarian or alone pizza - they've got a attain of tapas on the wall, thus meat pizzas, approximately pastas, sides together with salads inwards impress - but the vegetarian together with vegan pizzas are front end together with centre. Most are thoughtfully composed from fresh vegetables together with cheeses, together with a few characteristic mock meats. Cheezly together with gluten-free bases are available at extra cost.

We constitute the bases to travel quite thin, together with crispy circular the edges; 'the regular' size makes a prissy repast for i at our appetite level. Michael's Vegan Mexicana ($14.50) layered the love apple tree base of operations amongst vegan pepperoni, Cheezly, roasted blood-red capsicum, Castilian onion, jalapenos together with chilli flakes.

I constitute myself indefensibly nostalgic for Hawaiian pizza ($14.20) - this i had enough of vegan ham together with Cheezly together with less canned pineapple. H5N1 garnishing sprinkle of parsley barely elevated the nutritional value or gourmet rating of my meal.

Though at that spot are tapas together with gig posters on the walls together with candles on the tables, Basil retains the atmosphere of a suburban pizza shop. The pizzas gibe that vibe too, amongst a knowing nod to Sydney's inner-city veg*ns inwards their topping selection.

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Basil Pizza seems to travel loved primarily past times vegan bloggers, run into cupcake kitteh, The Tropical Vegan, In The Mood For Noodles together with Sydney Vegan. Omnivores at For the dearest of Pizza together with Conquering King Street, Newtown cause got had to a greater extent than mixed (but to a greater extent than oft than non positive) experiences.

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Basil Pizza
126 King St, Newtown
(02) 9519 4880
veg pizzas $10.20-24.70
http://www.basilpizza.com.au/

Accessibility: There is a real small-scale stride upward on entry (see photograph above) together with a fairly crowded but apartment interior. Pizza tin travel ordered takeaway from the counter, or at the tabular array to consume it. Michael paid for our repast at the medium-height counter. We didn't view the toilets.

Apt

Update, 31/12/2014: Rather sadly, both Apt too the Newtown branch of Berkelouw books get got closed.

February 2, 2013

We started our showtime sum twenty-four hr menstruum inwards Sydney amongst brekkie at Apt, the weekend vegan cafe hidden within Berkelouw Books. We had high hopes - the Apt kitchen is run yesteryear this dandy brekkie at Naked Espresso on a previous Sydney trip.

Aside from a piddling flag fluttering yesteryear the door at the bookshop, there's non a lot advertising Apt's presence. Still, in 1 lawsuit you lot wander through a few shelves of books, you lot respect yourself at a fairly spacious cafe, amongst 1 long communal tabular array too a bench running along the side - you lot could in all likelihood topographic point 20-25 at a stretch. The card covers all the vegan breakfast staples: sausages, beans, scrambled tofu, tofu omelettes, French toast, pancakes, fifty-fifty a B.L.A.T - plenty of it tin dismiss endure done gluten-free every bit well. I wavered over the $20 morn after bargain (sausages, rosti, tomato, mushrooms, beans, spinach, pumpkin, toast + coffee), but settled on a to a greater extent than small-scale option of scrambled tofu, amongst rosti, mushrooms, beans too sausages ($14.90).

It's nevertheless a spectacularly large meal, amongst masses of tofu, 3 slices of toast, too all the rest. I can't imagine the size of the $20 brekkie. It's proficient too, the scrambled tofu inwards detail amongst its spicy too salty seasoning genuinely proving how delicious tofu tin dismiss endure every bit a breakfast centrepiece. The sauce for the beans was pretty sweetness too combined nicely amongst the saltier tofu, though it mightiness endure a fleck much on it's own; the rosti, sausages too mushrooms all striking the spot. It's difficult to imagine in that place are many ameliorate $15 vegan breakfasts kicking around.

Cindy, every bit is her wont, ordered from the sweetness department of the menu, amongst the French toast (covered inwards berry compote too fresh berries, served amongst maple too agave syrup, $10.50).

This tasted every bit proficient every bit it looks, amongst the crispy-soft toast drowning inwards all agency of berry too syrup flavours. She was intrigued yesteryear a sure as shooting savouriness to the toast too wondered whether she'd striking on 1 of those nooch-based batters but genuinely Leigh attributed it to besan, which Cindy likes too uses herself.

Apt does an first-class arrive at of vegan nutrient at pretty impressive prices. The java is good, the service efficient too the vibe laidback too pleasant. It's prissy to get got breakfast inwards a bookshop also - Cindy too I lazed some later flicking through the shelves spell working upwards plenty liberate energy to human face upwards the residuum of the day. Apt is a weekend-only bargain at this stage, although in that place are rumours that the infinite is existence taken over yesteryear a vegan dumpling house Mon to Fri - snuff it along an optic out!

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Apt has been enthusiastically received yesteryear Cupcake Kitteh, Mama Shaz, div forever too what create you lot consume then!?.

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Apt
half-dozen O'Connell St, Newtown (in Berkelouw Books)
breakfast $6.90-$20
facebook page

Accessibility: There's a apartment entryway and, in 1 lawsuit you lot navigate through the bookshop, a fairly spacious layout. Ordering too payment happens at the counter (see instant film above). The toilets are accessible too unisex.

Luxe Bakery

February 3, 2013

I spent a flake of fourth dimension pre-Sydney trip trawling through Her post talking upwardly the excellence of the hash browns at Luxe Bakery pushed it straightaway to the overstep of my list, together with nosotros headed inwards to banking concern tally it out on Dominicus morning.

Luxe is pop - non quite together with hence pop that y'all produce got to queue for a table, but pop plenty that there's almost never a gratis space. It's a pretty large room too, alongside a pair of large shared tables together with a scattering of smaller options. Bizarrely, they had basically 1 individual trying to grapple the whole organisation - seating people, taking orders, rearranging chairs, clearing tables etc. Luckily she was mayhap the friendliest, most energetic together with most ridiculously efficient waitress we've e'er come upwardly across, together with hence things simply nigh stayed on rails despite almost constantly threatening to tip into chaos.

The breakfast card is brief - eggs alongside a arrive at of sides, a pair of kinds of muesli together with toast summation a special of the twenty-four hours (meaty, at to the lowest degree on the twenty-four hours nosotros were there). There's a curt tiffin card equally well, along alongside a massive cabinet amount of sandwiches together with sweets. Given the lack of pancakes/hotcakes/French toast-style options on the card (and the reputation of the hash browns), Cindy went savoury, ordering scrambled eggs alongside a hash chocolate-brown together with some avocado ($10.50 + $4 + $4).

I ordered a variation on my touchstone brekkie fare: poached eggs, beans together with a hash chocolate-brown ($10.50 + $4.50 + $4). 

Both of these were company meals - good cooked eggs, overnice sourdough toast (although exclusively the 1 slice) together with decent sides. The avocado was perfectly ripe together with the beans were surprisingly richly flavoured - almost similar a bolognese sauce. The hash browns came alongside such a lot of hype that nosotros were both a smidgen disappointed - they were basically the same equally the ones nosotros brand at home but a flake underseasoned. Sure, the texture was nifty (super crispy on the outside, lovely together with soft inside) but they needed a skilful pinch of common salt to actually striking the mark.

We spent one-half our repast eyeing off the distant sweets cabinet, somewhat guiltily ordering an almond tart ($4.50) fifty-fifty though the demand for tables was growing.

This was overstep notch - sweet, lite together with studded alongside rhubarb pieces. It left me wanting to endeavor to a greater extent than of the goodies inwards their front end cabinet.

We were pretty happy alongside our brekkie at Luxe - the nutrient was good, the service friendly together with efficient (even if things would produce got been smoother if they employed ii skilful waitstaff rather than simply 1 splendid one) together with the java solid. Prices are a flake high - nosotros ended upwardly busting through $50 for ii meals, drinks together with a shared sweet, which seems a flake much for the outset repast of the day. It's non a relaxing identify on the weekend either - you'd hold out a bold client to lounge simply about reading the papers inwards the confront of the steady flow of novel customers. Still, it seems similar a reliable origin of decent brekkie nutrient together with skilful java - good worth the occasional visit.

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There's lots of honey for Luxe out there, specially for the baked goodies - banking concern tally out The Adventures of Miss Piggy, Grab Your Fork, twee-eats, The Empty Fridge, Sir together with M'lady Dine Out, Beyond Bourke Street, wok y'all talking out?, green tea fields, Sydney Shop Girl, spoonfuls of goodness, spoon, fork together with chopsticks, Food, booze together with shoes, Mellie hearts Sydney, Beansprout's Cafe, Manmen's Journey, This Your Life... Are You Who You Want To Be?, One Spoonful at a Time together with Sydney Coffee Nerd. Only Jugernauts: FOOD ODYSSEY has actually been disappointed.

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Luxe Bakery
195 Missenden Road, Newtown
(02) 8084 1775
veg breakfasts $5-20+

Accessibility: There a few steps upwardly to instruct to Luxe, together with things are pretty crowded within (particularly simply about the doorway close the cash register/takeaway java queue). There's amount tabular array service, together with the staff are incredibly helpful. We didn't view the toilets.

Vina

February 3, 2013

Vina Vegetarian Restaurant seems lesser known inwards Newtown than Green Gourmet but I was to a greater extent than interested inwards tasting its Vietnamese cooking, craving around fresh vegetables too herbs. We arrived early on too had no problem securing a table; the need for eat-in too takeaway nutrient solely grew over the adjacent sixty minutes or two.

Vina's bill of fare runs to several pages - though it's non clearly marked, I get together that most dishes are vegan, too the introductory page says they'll endeavour their best to adapt whatsoever declared dietary requirements. Our waiter was friendly too knowledgeable, seeming rattling much upwards to that task. There's a arrive at of fried too fresh foods, mock meats too whole vegetables: salads, soups, noodles, rice newspaper wraps, stir fries, hot pots too rice.

Safe inside the walls of a vegetarian restaurant, nosotros tried an entree whose cite nosotros didn't recognise - Xui Cao ($6) - too were treated to around crunchy-fried dumplings filled amongst finely minced vegatables, tofu too noodles.

We uncovering it impossible to resist sweet, pillowy steamed mock BBQ pork buns wherever nosotros uncovering them ($4.50).

Michael focused mainly on a bowl of vermicelli amongst jump rolls, around delightfully flavoured too shredded mock chicken, lettuce, mint, cucumber too dipping sauce ($12).

I was at to the lowest degree every bit impressed over again yesteryear the DIY rice newspaper rolls ($16) - they featured a mix of tofu, mock beef too crispy-skinned mock pork rubbed amongst lemongrass too spices, served amongst the requisite vermicelli, lettuce, mint, vegetables too dipping sauce. We couldn't behavior to larn out a shred of this behind.

While Vina is non peculiarly atmospheric, it had a appealing golden low-cal on this greyness eventide too the staff were welcoming. The nutrient - peculiarly our brain dishes - was terrific! The noodle soups, noodle bowls too fried rice plates are especially practiced value at simply $12 each. If solely I lived a niggling closer, I'd dear to slink inwards for regular low-fuss feeds.

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Every blogger who's posted well-nigh Vina would recommend y'all visit, run across exploding wonder tempest castle, Sydney Food Guide, Diary of a Ladybird, Conquering King Street, Newtown, Compassionate Vegetarians too I Ate Sydney.

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Vina
395 King St, Newtown NSW
(02) 9557 0456
veg entrees $4-6, mains $6-18

Accessibility: Vina has a ramp on entry too moderate-to-tightly spaced tables. We ordered at the tabular array too paid at a high counter. We didn't take in the toilets, but Toilography did.

Bloodwood

February 3, 2013

Bloodwood is some other hip venue brought to Michael's attending via The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry. Though I intend he would've liked a amount nighttime of tapas, cocktails, dim lighting too pounding music, nosotros made produce amongst a sly dessert (and an always slier vino for Michael) on a Dominicus night.

The Bloodwood dessert pick ($25) was a suitable sampler. For now, it's composed of:

• a sugariness too sour hot mess of pavlova amongst berries too passionfruit chiboust,
• a trifle of sturdy pound cake amongst champagne anglaise, port vino jelly, yoghurt mascarpone too non quite plenty cherries, and
• a rich wedge of crunchy-smooth chocolate, caramel too peanut torte amongst a fluffy banana mousse too to a greater extent than peanuts.

They were all eminently pleasing if non surprising.

Bloodwood was clearly inward hot demand, amongst many people willingly waiting for a tabular array inward the eating theatre section, or folding themselves unopen to tiny bar slice of furniture that could only barely comprise their shared plates. On the pull of Bloodwood's desserts I'd accept my house the queue, at to the lowest degree once.

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Bloodwood's vegetarian options induce got been explored to a greater extent than thoroughly on The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry too Veg amongst Edge. 

The balance of the bill of fare has been enjoyed on Restaurant Reviews, The Empty Fridge, From Our Home, Eat Chat Laugh, Nooschi, Jasmyne-Tea, Conquering King Street, Newtown, A Foodie's nighttime out :), Connoisseur inward Training, Beyond Bourke Street, Nutmeg's Cafe, The Adventures of Miss Piggy, Simon Food Favourites, raD fooD, Saya's Soulful, Food, booze too shoes, Richard Elliot.

The Hand that Rocks the Ladle likes the venue but non the food, too at that topographic point are other mixed experiences on to gustatory modality is divine, apparently they're unisex.