January 5, 2007: The Vegie Bar Iii

here together with here.)

December 10, 2007: The Vegie Bar

Cindy as well as I returned from our big weekend inwards the Grampians lacking the set out energy to gear upwards for ourselves. Luckily, the Vegie Bar provides the sort of varied as well as affordable carte du jour that tin fulfill almost whatsoever lazy desire. Not alone that, they render a welcome time out from a weekend of excessive port-drinking amongst a broad array of delicious freshly-made juices. Refreshing!

TVP as well as mushroom spectacular.

Shakahari leads that race), but it's consistently good, has a magnificently varied carte du jour as well as is groovy value for money. Which explains why this is the fifth fourth dimension we've blogged it. Read almost our previous visits here: one, two, three, four.

February 14, 2008: Vege2go

Update 27/1/2019: Vege2Go is at i time trading every bit a seller of pre-made meals together with snacks rather than every bit a eating theater or cafe.

leave bloggers crazy-enthusiastic comments no uncertainty helped. Consequently they've already been reviewed past times Kiki, FoodieFi. We don't bring a lot to add, but here's a few notes.

The Good:

• A bright, happy interior amongst all meals on display together with incredibly friendly, helpful people who'll serve them to you.
• Fast together with inexpensive - a amount tum volition solely terms y'all $10 together with five minutes of waiting.
• It's the almost nutritious-looking fast nutrient I've seen inwards yonks - a rainbow of beautiful salads together with no glistening petroleum inwards the hotbox.
• Pesto mushrooms.
• All vegetarian, amongst a seat out of gluten-free together with vegan options.
• Pesto mushrooms.
• Did I advert the pesto mushrooms?

The Bad:

• Foods that bring been loitering inwards a display instance inevitably don't bring the greatest texture. For example, my calzone was reheated inwards a sandwich press together with every bit a effect had a hard, chewy crust.
• The flourless chocolate cake actually lacked flavour. What was all that brown, if non cocoa?

The Ugly:

• While Vege2go touts its dedication to vegetarianism together with the contribution this makes to sustainability, nosotros had to rely on plastic cutlery fifty-fifty piece eating in. (We got existent plates, though, together with a existent fork for dessert - weird, huh?) This too necessitated a hands-on approach to devouring the calzone.

Vege2go offers the form of nutrient nosotros similar to brand at home, together with I intend we'll live improve off continuing to larn inwards at home. However it's an fantabulous alternative the multitude of fast foods out at that topographic point together with on that dry soil I'm hoping they'll brand a killing (erm, then to speak).

Address: 452 Lygon St, Brunswick East
Ph: 9384 6200
Unlicensed
Price: vege repast $8.95-$13.95
Website: www.vege2go.com.au

February 15, 2008: Shakahari Iii

My mum together with her partner Rob joined us for a weekend all the agency downwards hither inward Melbourne together with nosotros took it upon ourselves to demonstrate them approximately of our favourite places. Our showtime focus was dinner on Fri night. When we've entertained other rellies, we've to a greater extent than oft than non taken them to places that offering a proficient alternative of non-vego nutrient every bit good every bit materials that nosotros like. Our concluding guests complained together with insisted that nosotros should accept people out for vego delights inward the future. Mum together with Rob were the lucky showtime recipients of this novel policy, together with it was difficult to intend of a improve house to accept them than Shakahari - in all likelihood Melbourne's best vegetarian restaurant.

I intend the card was a petty intimidating - tofu, quinoa, seitan, soy grits: these are non things that crop upward on also many non-specialty menus. Cindy together with I recommended the avocado rolls to start things off - they'd impressed us mightily on a previous visit together with didn't disappoint this time.

here together with here.

March 21-22, 2009: Continental House

Continental House is a 'vegan life sanctuary' inwards Hepburn Springs. It offers pocket-size accommodation equally good equally activities similar yoga, massage courses, chanting together with raw nutrient workshops. They likewise get got a vegan banquet on nigh Sabbatum nights. This is what drew a grouping of Vegan Potluckers to the Conti for a weekend route trip.

Most of the rooms tally ii or 3 people, together with they're pleasantly comfortable if non modern. There are shared toilets together with showers unopen to the corner, though Michael together with I works life ourselves inwards the i room alongside an en suite. This proved to endure a bathroom room inwards the nigh literal sense, containing a zip to a greater extent than than a bathroom together with mirror! As good equally numbers the rooms get got nicknames (ours was 'Pixie'), subsequently the murals painted on their walls.

There are likewise communal kitchen together with lounge areas where you lot tin residue together with instruct to know the other visitors together with residents. While making toast inwards the kitchen, Michael met a resident who'd been on a water-only fast for the past times sixty hours. Why he was torturing himself past times standing inwards the midst of food, I don't know.

____________

The banquet takes identify inwards a lovely room below the invitee bedrooms. There's plenty of room for everyone staying at the House, together with the 10 of us easily fitted unopen to the largest of the tables.

The Conti is alone alcohol free, but nosotros were treated to freshly squeezed orangish juice equally good equally non-alcoholic passionfruit, strawberry together with ginger wines.

The get shape was a sweetness potato, tomato, lentil together with basil soup served alongside corn chips. As nosotros happily slurped together with crunched together with chatted our agency through it, nosotros didn't notice the empty serving tables (pictured above) existence stacked generously alongside to a greater extent than food. It was an overwhelming array of salads, dips together with bakes.

My plate includes:

• a pumpkin kokosnoot curry alongside chickpeas, coriander together with dark mustard seeds,
• tabouleh,
• beetroot dip
• a spicy pickled cabbage salad alongside bitter greenish leaves,
• avocado,
  
• more corn chips,
• a salad of tofu, seaweed, carrot together with shitake mushrooms,
• a spicy mash bake,
  
• lightly dressed kolrabi together with Chinese greens,
• and the tabular array favourite, an orangish dip of eggplant, capsicum, garlic together with olive oil.
  

There was plenty to instruct around, alongside Toby piling upwardly his tertiary plate alongside avocado simply equally I was finishing my first.

And of shape at that topographic point was dessert: fruit salad topped alongside banana icecream together with terra firma cashews.

This variety of banquet is hardly contest for Melbourne's degustation greats. Rather, it's stuffed amount of home-made hippy goodness, what you lot powerfulness expression to abide by at a Hare Krishna eating theatre (though alongside less deep frying). The tranquil setting is plenty to gear upwardly anyone at ease. That is, if your catch doesn't coincide alongside a raucous Vegan Potluck route trip!

Address: ix Lone Pine Ave, Hepburn Springs
Ph: 5348 2005
Alcohol free
Price: $70 per person, accommodation together with vegan banquet
Website: www.continentalhouse.com.au

March 22, 2009: Himalaya Bakery Too Cafe

Our post-banquet post-pub morning time at The Conti was spent inwards diverse ways: I desire for a wander through Hepburn Regional Park, a committed gang got upwardly to suffer a massive yoga session together with everybody else waited to a greater extent than or less getting hungry. By the fourth dimension everyone had saluted the Sun sufficient times it was getting on towards xi together with the less flexible alongside the grouping were dying of hunger. Luckily, having rounded the whole gang upwardly it was but a brusk campaign to Daylesford together with our breakfast appointment at Himalaya Bakery together with Cafe.

They hope a broad attain of vegetarian together with vegan baked products, including pastries, cakes, muffins together with breads, along with amount breakfast together with tiffin menus. Everything is well-labelled, together with in that location are plenty of vegan together with gluten-free options both on the menus together with inwards the bakery case. Everybody with prior Himalaya sense raved close the smoked tofu pies together with the cherry danishes (more on these later), but nosotros needed to foremost things off with something hot together with delicious.

Cindy together with I basically ordered the same thing: mushroom scrambled tofu ($11) - a deliciously herby mess of tofu together with mushrooms fried upwardly into a big gooey scramble. Cindy was smart plenty to append a side social club of herbed potatoes ($2.50), which I happily stole past times the forkful. Outstanding.

I'd been pushing for either a smoked tofu pie or some assort of delightful dessert, but the charge of breakfast was but also heavy. Instead, nosotros packed upwardly a delicious accept habitation bundle for dinner: 2 smoked tofu pies together with a cherry danish to share.

To hold upwardly honest, the pies were a piffling disappointing - a chip on the dry out side together with a piffling brusk on the tofu. It was likely skilful for us that they were liberally packed with piffling vegie pieces, but I was looking for something a chip to a greater extent than rich together with tofu-y.

Contrastingly, the danish actually hitting the location - fruity together with sugarry, with some of the tastiest vegan pastry you'll e'er find. We likely should get got swapped the social club together with dived into 2 of these together with but ane of the pies.

The Himalaya is a fine vego house - perfect for a belatedly breakfast. The staff teach a piffling overrun at busy times (to hold upwardly fair, it's likely non frequently that a grouping of x wanders inwards looking equally ravenous equally nosotros did), but they're friendly together with helpful together with the nutrient to a greater extent than than makes upwardly for it.

Address: 73 Vincent Street, Daylesford
Ph: 5348 1267
Price: $5 - $13
Website: www.himalayabakery.com

March 27, 2009: Harvest

Conti House, Michael as well as I were at it ane time again - this fourth dimension jetting to Sydney to hang out with numerous friends nosotros originally made inward Brisbane. Phase One involved a ferry to Balmain to cheque out Jack as well as Emma's novel lodgings. They've been calling Sydney domicile for simply iii months as well as when they spied a highly recommended local vegetarian eating seat inward their Sydney Eats guide, they were variety plenty to concord off visiting until nosotros were introduce to bring together them.

Apparently Harvest has been closed to a long fourth dimension - yourRestaurants gives it 36 years, though I idea I read alone sixteen elsewhere. Regardless, it's a well-established nook intended for a slightly special dark out - it's white tablecloths, soft lighting as well as $20 mains, though the chalky vegetable drawings on the walls are to a greater extent than homely. The carte du jour is expansive - inward add-on to 6 entrees as well as 7 mains, there's a Chef's Special page with a farther iv entrees as well as iv mains. Vegans are good catered for - the vegan as well as vegan-adaptable items are well-marked as well as constitute 40% of the entrees as well as 45% of the mains - but the remaining items exhibit a penchant for cream-based sauces as well as cheese. We were all overwhelmed past times the array of tantalising options as well as came upwards with a conception that pleased me no terminate - we'd part iv entrees as as well as part tastes of our mains.

Entree #1 is Three Mushroom Ravioli ($12.50). The carte du jour assures us that these pasta shells are stuffed with porcini, Roman as well as plain mushrooms but I simply tasted warm, comforting savoury mush. We chose the intriguing orangish as well as basil sauce over the grain mustard as well as cream alternative. They actually pulled it off; though it looked close similar a sugary Chinese takeaway condiment the season was subtler, less sweet. The basil ready it off perfectly.

The Indian pakoras ($10.90) were sizable but a lilliputian bland. However they were saved past times the accompanying yoghurt as well as mint dressing - perchance the best ane I've always tasted.

Feta parcels ($11.95) may non audio specially imaginative but when they're this good executed, it doesn't matter. Fresh out of the oven, they had the balance of flaky outer as well as creamy inner simply right.

The twice baked goats cheese souffle ($13.95) came from the Chef's Special listing as well as it certain was special. The texture was perfectly cloud-like, the season non besides eggy, as well as the lemon myrtle sauce was stunning. The overall final result was really rich as well as I was content to bask my quarter part as well as transcend on the remainder.

For their principal courses, Emma as well as Michael chose the English linguistic communication spinach as well as kumara gnocchi ($20.50) inward its 2 guises. Emma's were baked inward a tomato plant as well as sage sauce (above), a decidedly less rich dish than Michael's lemon as well as garlic cream (below). Thankfully nosotros were handed a large bowl of salad to part closed to the tabular array as well as cutting through the fat.

Jack had the coveted Harvest Meditteranean Augbergine Tower ($21). In add-on to the obvious eggplant, this was layered with goats cheese, roasted cerise capsicum, sweetness potato, English linguistic communication spinach, tomato, basil as well as a plum as well as tomato plant glaze. Michael enviously declared this his favourite principal of the night.

I had a become at the savoury mushroom pancake stack with an English linguistic communication spinach sauce ($21.50). In stark contrast to the other mains, the sauce was sparing - some would in all likelihood notice this dish besides dry out but I was quite content. The sauteed mushrooms as well as potatoes had the most incredible deep flavour, as well as the pancakes were theatre as well as crusty similar fritters.

That wily waiter of ours slipped dessert menus nether our noses earlier we'd fifty-fifty decided if nosotros could check it in. Once we'd seen the 8 options (only ane vegan!), of course, nosotros couldn't assistance but negotiate 2 or iii to part alongside us. There was a flake of a misunderstanding that meant they didn't arrive at an apple, berry as well as nut crumble for Emma, but she as well as Jackson had plenty on their plate with these 2 seemingly trifling truffles ($10.90). You tin in all likelihood say how creamy as well as rich they are but that's non the whole story. That dark chocolate ane upwards the back? It was some variety of dark hole of cocoa, sucking whatever other season into its trial horizon. Even the fairly violent cerise vino nosotros were drinking was completely defeated past times it! I don't retrieve those 2 fifty-fifty managed to destination the plate.

Michael was generous plenty to allow me pick out for the both of us - the iii chocolate terrine with a citrus sauce ($10.90). The texture is amazingly smoothen as well as buttery; similar a mousse but denser, similar a ganache but firmer, similar ice-cream but less cold. I forced it downwardly as best I could.

Our dark at Harvest was a existent process all round. The atmosphere was serenity but comfortable, the service warm as well as capable, as well as the nutrient strayed alone occasionally from existence excellent. I may last biased past times the detail dishes nosotros chose, but the Harvest chef(s) seemed specially skilful at whipping upwards delectable as well as sometimes surprising sauces. Their cream content powerfulness last the alone thing belongings me dorsum from regular visits, if I lived inward the neighbourhood. (Because inward the bizarre parallel universe where I alive inward that neighbourhood, I retrieve naught of eating $20 mains regularly.)

Address: 71 Evans St, Rozelle, Sydney NSW
Ph: (02) 9818 4201
Licensed, BYO vino only
Price: entrees $9.50-$13.95, mains $19-$22.50, desserts $10.90

April 5, 2007: Shakahari Ii

Cindy together with I marked the starting fourth dimension of the Easter long weekend amongst a jaunt to Cinema Nova to come across here.

April 9, 2007: The Vegie Bar Iv

first, second too third visits to the Vegie Bar.)

March 24, 2010: Tokyo Ii

As nosotros were getting laid to locomote out for Japan, our truthful cat Zimbra realised something was afoot as well as decided to brand Cindy experience fifty-fifty to a greater extent than guilty close leaving him behind past times staging a still protestation on her bag. Once nosotros got here, Cindy's kitten-guilt grew fifty-fifty stronger, as well as the only agency to instruct her through it was to accept her to Nekobukuro - Cat House - a weird truthful cat play expanse at the hap of a subdivision shop inwards Ikebukoru.

For 600 円 (around $7) y'all tin give notice pass equally much fourth dimension equally y'all desire patting, playing alongside as well as hassling the 10-15 cats roaming approximately a three-room truthful cat jungle-gym. Sounds amazing doesn't it? Alas, the reality is a piffling less exciting. The cats brutal into ii categories - sleeping:

or hiding:

The original clientele of Nekobukuro are parents as well as their excited piffling kids, who run madly approximately grabbing handfuls of kitty's tail or 'patting' them alongside a piffling also much enthusiasm. Thus the cats that guide maintain the liberate energy shroud - either upward high or downwards low.

They're nevertheless cute, as well as y'all tin give notice at to the lowest degree pat some of the lazy sleeping ones, but the whole experience was a piffling strange - I guess they guide maintain amend lives than the strays we've been seeing everywhere, but it didn't look similar life inwards the Nekobukuro was a barrel of laughs. The skillful affair close the morning's cat-based amusement was that it was within - overnight Tokyo had turned rainy, as well as a steady stream came downwards on us for the balance of the day.

Our side past times side lodge of concern was lunch, as well as Pure Cafe came highly recommended past times the Vegan Pocketguide. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quick develop ride to Shibuya as well as nosotros were laid upward to walk through the pelting to Omote Sando as well as rail it down.

Alas it wasn't to be. Despite managing the hardest role - getting us to the Omote Sando tube halt which was the reference betoken for our Pure Cafe map - I as well as so spent a skillful 45 minutes thinking nosotros were facing at ninety degrees from the direction nosotros were truly facing. In this situation, a fairly undetailed piffling map is very, rattling frustrating. By the cease I was convinced that the Pocketguide had completely misled us. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quick scan of i of the rattling helpful neighbourhood maps past times the side of the route set me direct - I'm merely an idiot. Once nosotros had ourselves all turned around, nosotros located Pure Cafe inwards close ninety seconds. Unfortunately it was also slow to grab dejeuner - nosotros had a coming together scheduled alongside Matt at some other tube station inwards less than 20 minutes.

We arrived at Roppongi as well as shamefacedly explained our failure. Matt speedily located a Mos Burger, which Lisa had recommended to us earlier nosotros left - they've got i vegan burger, a weird vegie patty squished betwixt ii rice cakes (250 円, $3).

The burger was okay - a fighting of a let-down later the high hopes nosotros had for Pure Cafe, but quick as well as filling inwards an emergency dejeuner situation.

Our argue for visiting Roppongi was some other rainy hateful solar daytime activity: the Mori Art Museum. The major exhibition was called 'Can at that spot hold upward art?', as well as featured immature Japanese artists - generally working alongside installations or multimedia. I enjoyed a lot of it, especially these tiny trees cutting out of retail packaging:

and the crazy audio installations alongside moving parts as well as flashing lights, all controlled past times a few turntables as well as some fancy circuitry:

The Mori Art Museum is on the 53rd flooring of the Roppongi Hills complex as well as included inwards the ticket toll to the exhibitions is access to Tokyo City View, an observatory. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 rainy nighttime is non the best fourth dimension to visit, but at that spot were nevertheless some pretty striking views across the lit upward city.

Our finally halt for the hateful solar daytime was Hiro, for dinner at J's Kitchen, some other Pocketguide recommendation. Matt as well as I spent a lot of fourth dimension carefully considering our dinner options.

I striking upon the teriyaki tempeh sandwich laid (1575 円, $18), a tempeh sandwich, served alongside salad as well as a bowl of soup. If y'all ignore the slightly ludicrous price, this was a peachy alternative - the tempeh was saucy as well as moist, the staff of life lightly toasted as well as the salad as well as soup provided skillful support. If cypher else, this reinvigorated our enthusiasm to brand to a greater extent than tempeh sandwiches when nosotros instruct dorsum to Australia. Delicious.

Cindy opted for the fifty-fifty to a greater extent than expensive seitan balls inwards sugariness as well as sour sauce (1680 円, $20), which were comparatively less exciting. The seitan balls as well as vegies were beautifully cooked but a lot hinged on the sauce as well as Cindy wasn't overly enthused past times it. She nevertheless sampled dessert, a vegan custard tart, that was quite dry out as well as wholesome tasting, alongside a hint of citrus - it was hardly going to hold upward rich or eggy at a vegan macrobiotic restaurant.

With the pelting showing no sign of letting up, at that spot wasn't much to produce but pick out grip of the tube dorsum to Matt's house. On the walk domicile nosotros stopped inwards at the local supermarket - for sure i of the highlights of a see to whatever novel country.

Matt helpfully pointed out a laid of mochi-based sweets as well as some plum liqueur for us to cease the nighttime with. The mochi were a fighting weird - i had a red-bean based sauce, which is something neither Cindy or I guide maintain exclusively come upward approximately to yet. The other had a sugariness as well as slightly soy-sauce tasting sauce, which was a fighting much for me, but has converted Cindy to a slightly crazed mochi-hunter for the balance of the trip.

The plum liqueur came inwards cute piffling single-serve jars, each alongside a plum stewing at the bottom.

Nothing says 'classy' similar a homo drinking from a jar.

March 25, 2010: Tokyo Iii

this blog.)  For dejeuner in that location are half dozen dissimilar dejeuner plates, such every bit Alicia's special, the fried dejeuner together with the sandwich dejeuner (ranging from 1100-1500円 $12.90-17.60).

J's Kitchen the nighttime before, I went for the sandwich laid upwards (1250円 $14.60).  Though it looks a footling less complicated, in that location are soundless choices to hold upwards made - in that location are several beverages together with sandwich fillings on offer.  My cheese sandwich came amongst pickles together with breadstuff studded amongst dried fruit, which was a surprisingly agreeable combination.  It had nothing, however, on the tempeh sandwich - the crispy seasoned tempeh was sliced thinly, squirted amongst a footling mayo together with squeezed into the soft breadstuff amongst lots of lettuce.  This bettered a KFC chicken fillet burger (a nutrient I convey enormous nostalgia for) inwards every way.

two nights earlier.  Here the slices were deep-fried to a frail crispness together with they had a mild seasoning that Michael together with I merely couldn't larn plenty of.  (I tin solely gauge that garlic together with tabular array salt were involved.)

With a brace of drinks nether their belts, Michael together with Matt got neat on visiting 1 of the local amusement complexes together with bashed out their sibling rivalry inwards the batting cages...

... together with on the freak-guitars...

... until I decided to smasher the drums.

But it turns out 1 of the nearly amusing activities inwards these places isn't competitive at all...