True North

May 10, 2014

Cindy together with I lastly got our human activity together together with visited The Heide Museum on the weekend, something I'd failed to exercise inward over 7 years of living inward Melbourne. One of the reasons nosotros hadn't made the trip earlier was transport, then when nosotros realised that the best motorcoach at that spot passed past times Sydney Rd inward Coburg nosotros decided to construct a twenty-four hr menses of it. Stop one: breakfast at Coburg's newest (and likely hippest) cafe - True North.

It was bustling when nosotros arrived to a greater extent than or less midday, together with nosotros waited a infinitesimal or ii for a tabular array to clear earlier nabbing a spot inward the dorsum corner. The signs were promising when the origin inquiry nosotros were asked was whether either of us were vego or vegan. It turns out that True North accept made a existent endeavor to cater for vegos - they've got vegan bacon, chorizo together with chicken to sub into many of their dishes together with accept only started stocking vegan cheese equally well. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of the savoury carte is egg based, then vegans volition accept to exercise a chip of substituting, but the staff were helpful together with knowledgeable, then I'm certain there'd live plenty of options. We noticed muffins from Crumbs at the counter equally well, which is a promising sign.

The cafe inward full general has a chip of a Mexican vibe - there's huevos rancheros on the principal carte together with the 3 specials were all heavy on the chorizo/chipotle flavor combinations. There's the common array of drinkable options with i unique selection - menage made kaffir lime lemonade ($4.50). Cindy couldn't resist.

It was a vivid selection - tangy together with abrupt with only plenty sweetness to repose out the citrus. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 high shape lemonade.

Cindy's pump had been broken past times the unavailability of the waffles (with candied banana, maple butter, toasted pecans together with bacon, $15.50), but she recovered plenty to society the True North breakfast curl (a fried egg, mock bacon, bubble 'n' squeak served with menage made savor on a toasted white roll, $13).

It was a real mushy curl - runny egg yolk, complimentary shape bubble together with squeak together with loads of relish. Not pretty, but pretty damn delicious - the mock bacon (this brand nosotros think) was expert materials too.

I opted for the baked eggs with chorizo ($15) together with had my pick of almost 15 dissimilar types of hot sauce to accompany things.

This was a real satisfying dish - the eggs baked through but with a hint of runniness inward the yolk together with the Cheatin' construct chorizo chunks adding surprisingly expert bursts of smoky mock-meat.

I was super impressed past times True North - our nutrient was great, the provision of mock meat alternatives ever makes me happy, but to a greater extent than than only that nosotros constitute the staff lovely together with friendly (even piece nether some pretty serious weekend-rush pressure) together with the vibe of the house cool without beingness painful. Coffees are good, prices are reasonable together with the whole sense is i I'd happily repeat in i lawsuit again shortly - grade i for Coburg!

 ____________

So far only Green Gourmet Giraffe has blogged almost True North - she seems to live quite a fan.

____________

True North
2A Munro Street, Coburg
9917 2262
menu: 1, 2
Facebook page

Accessibility: There's a pocket-size pace on entry together with a pretty crowded interior (especially on the weekends when the stools at the bar are inward use). You society at the tabular array together with pay at a medium elevation counter. The toilets are out the dorsum via what looked similar a carpark - nosotros didn't visit, but they'd require negotiating a pace or ii at least.

True N Ii

October 12, 2014

Because Cindy as well as I are home-owners these days, nosotros occasionally detect ourselves heading upward to Coburg to watch Bunnings (real talk: nosotros convey been planning simply about sort of truthful cat shelf organisation for Zimbra for to a greater extent than than a twelvemonth as well as are lastly making progress). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 watch to Coburg is an excuse to branch out from our common Brunswick haunts - to hitting upward Half Moon instead of Mankoushe, or Little Deer Tracks instead of A Minor Place. On this occasion, nosotros opted for a provide to True North, the vegan-friendly, diner-y Coburg cafe that wowed us before inwards the year.

Not much seems to convey changed - the staff are withal super friendly, the bill of fare loaded upward amongst vego as well as vegan dishes as well as the atmosphere buzzing without beingness as well as therefore busy you lot experience rushed or crowded. Oh, the other matter that hasn't changed? They withal sell out of the waffles pretty early, as well as therefore Cindy's pump was i time once to a greater extent than broken (and non healed past times the fact that they were also fresh out of pies, leaving her forced to forgo breakfast sweets). When she recovered, she ordered the vegan bagel - a 5 as well as dime bagel, filled amongst avocado, herb-infused oil, lemon as well as chilli ($9.50) summation an orangish juice ($4).

The traditionally boiled bagel proved a lawsuit for Cindy to cutting amongst the cutlery she had, but i time she figured out how to truly consume it, this was an impressive mix of perfectly ripe avo, a decent chilli hitting as well as a practiced mix of herby flavours, all slathered inwards oil. The sort that's practiced for you lot though, I'm sure.

I nearly went dorsum for a minute circular of baked eggs, but instead tackled the Hot Poppy (chorizo, haloumi, spinach as well as avocado on toasted ciabatta, served amongst corn chips, $13). 

I veganised the chorizo, but non the haloumi (they convey an pick apparently!) as well as constitute this a delightful sandwichy breakfast - their mock chorizo is dainty as well as spicy, as well as combining it amongst haloumi as well as to a greater extent than perfect avocado is ever going to live a winning move. Plus: corn chips for brekkie!

True North hitting the grade for us i time to a greater extent than - great, affordable food, fantabulous java as well as friendly staff - it's a pretty rubber formula for success. I simply truly promise that they tin dismiss hitting Cindy upward amongst something sugary side past times side fourth dimension nosotros become dorsum - I'm non certain she tin dismiss handgrip to a greater extent than disappointment.

____________

Read nearly our starting fourth dimension watch to True North here. Since nosotros stopped by, A Place a Day convey given the eggy vegetarian dishes the thumbs up.

____________

True North

2A Munro Street, Coburg

9917 2262

menu: 1, 2 (they've simply advertised a new menu on their facebook page, but the original modify seems to simply live a shift from the specials board to the original bill of fare for the Hot Poppy).

facebook page

Accessibility: There's a modest pace on entry as well as a pretty crowded interior (especially on the weekends when the stools at the bar are inwards use). You gild at the tabular array as well as pay at a medium meridian counter. The toilets are out the dorsum via what looked similar a carpark - nosotros didn't visit, but they'd postulate negotiating a pace or 2 at least.

Smith & Deli Ii

June 23, 25 & 26, 2015

After the excitement of Smith & Deli's launch, Cindy in addition to I decamped to the Sunshine Coast for a week, missing the madness of the Deli's showtime calendar week of proper trading. On our return, I got busy making upwards for lost time.

My showtime take in on Tuesday morn was intended every bit a quick halt to catch a sandwich for lunch. On discovering that the sandwiches aren't an alternative showtime thing inward the morn I decided I'd convey to come upwards dorsum afterwards inward the day. Still, no indicate walking out empty-handed. I grabbed a soy apartment white in addition to an Egg McMartinez ($7) to tide me over.

The java (by Wide Open Road) was excellent, but the Egg McMartinez was the existent star - a deliciously eggy muffin sandwich alongside a while of melty cheese in addition to some crispyish bacon. It's a snack rather than a meal, but an incredibly delicious one.

I was dorsum at lunchtime, inward the rather long sandwich queue. I'd been hanging for a Godfather (hot chilli salami, pepperonci, mozzarella, roasted peppers in addition to fresh basil, $13).

Is this the best vegan sandwich inward Melbourne? The Reuben at True North is a contender, in addition to in that place are some other dozen or in addition to so to sample at Smith & Deli, but it's difficult to encounter anything topping this - it doesn't concur dorsum on the spice levels, has a pretty convincingly melty cheese undertone in addition to has bursts of basil to accompany the thick salami chunks. Incredible.

I couldn't walk out without some lunch-dessert, adding a maple-bacon doughnut for afters (I've forgotten the cost - maybe $5).

The crispy, salty kokosnoot flakes took a skillful doughnut in addition to made it great. Vegans at i time convey a competition inward the fancy doughnut tendency sweeping Melbourne.

Amazingly, I somehow institute myself without a packed luncheon simply a brace of days afterwards in addition to inward ask of some other take in to the deli. This fourth dimension I started alongside the Temple of Doom (turkey, jalapenos, roasted corn, pickled cabbage, cheese in addition to chipotle aioli, $13).

This was a chip of a messier consume than the Godfather, but was similarly nifty - the combinations on the due south & D sangas convey clearly had enough of idea pose into them - inward this representative the pickled cabbage, jalapenos in addition to aioli worked some pretty nifty flavor magic roughly the turkey in addition to cheese slices.

I almost ordered some other doughnut for dessert, but branched out to sample a challah mucilaginous bun ($7), a rich bun, gooey alongside some kind of caramel glaze.

After such a successful run of daytime dining, nosotros finished the calendar week sampling some of the pre-prepared meals for sale inward the fridges at Smith & Deli, splitting a pepperoni pizza ($17) in addition to a pocket-size serve of mapo tofu ($10).

The pepperoni pizza was a unproblematic thing - an first-class sparse base, topped alongside love apple tree sauce, a few big chunks of salami (possibly the same production that featured on the Godfather sandwich), some mozzarella rectangles in addition to fresh basil leaves. It's a classy stride upwards from the vegan pizzas nosotros late had delivered from Eat Pizza. In general, pizzas endure from a vegan premium price-wise, in addition to $17 is a chip of a stretch for this, but mock meats in addition to cheeses don't come upwards cheap.

The mapo tofu was gratifyingly like to the version that I dearest making, correct downward to the over-enthusiasm alongside the chilli, which left Cindy gasping. I tin good imagine grabbing a serve of this side past times side time's Cindy's out of town in addition to I'm besides lazy to laid upwards - it's actually excellent.

The Melbourne veg*n community is losing their collective heed well-nigh Smith & Deli in addition to alongside skillful reason. It's serving upwards a stunning array of vegan food, from pastries, sweets in addition to sandwiches, to spices, staples in addition to mock meat, addition a make of pre-made meals for home. Having an purpose inside 500m is going to endure an expensive, delicious privilege.

____________

Eat And Be Merry, For Tomorrow We Die(t), same freebie launch that nosotros were.

____________

Smith & Deli
111 Moor St, Fitzroy
9042 4117
sandwich bill of fare 1, 2
facebook page

Accessibility: There's a lip on the door in addition to the interior is flat. All foods are easily visible, but some of the groceries are easier to achieve than others. Ordering in addition to payment is at a depression counter.