August 9, 2008: Bistro Vue

Update 27/1/2019: Bistro Vue has been unopen downwards as well as replaced past times a fancy seafood restaurant.

US South, Cindy kept her finger on the Melbourne nutrient pulse as well as sent roughly an e-mail reminding me of The Age's Winter Restaurant Express - a week-long advertisement where some of Melbourne's fanciest restaurants offering two-course lunches alongside a drinking glass of vino for simply $30. We'd visited Oyster the terminal fourth dimension this variety of advertisement was on, as well as been simply slightly underwhelmed past times the vego dish on offer. We were wowed past times Cafe Vue's vego operate at their cocktail night, then nosotros had high hopes that Bistro Vue would come upward through for us this fourth dimension around.

We turned upward a piddling late, as well as were worried that nosotros were going to live on hurried through the repast then nosotros weren't inwards the agency of the minute tiffin sitting. The eating theater didn't look also busy, but nosotros yet felt a piddling pressure level from the staff to instruct ourselves inwards as well as out fairly quickly. It took some of the fun out of the whole meal, but it was at to the lowest degree one-half our error then it's difficult to live on also upset.

The carte du jour at these $30 especial events commonly includes an entree, a span of mains as well as a dessert, as well as each diner gets to pick either the dessert or entree to become alongside their alternative of main. Unfortunately, in that location was no vegetarian entree option, important that both Cindy as well as I were forced to become alongside the master copy as well as the dessert (well, me anyway - Cindy wouldn't accept had it whatever other way). The vego master copy was a butternut risoni - non quite some other risotto, but non that far away, as well as non quite equally imaginative equally I'd hoped for.

Still, it was richly flavoured, dotted alongside scrumptious goat's cheese as well as was warm as well as filling - non bad for a typical Melbourne August day.

The dessert for the twenty-four hours was a pistachio crème brûlée, served upward alongside a piddling blob of grapefruit H2O ice cream plopped on a slightly cardboardy wafer. The crème brûlée was perfectly made, alongside a brittle, caramelised acme simply waiting to live on cracked open. The stunning dark-green was presumably meant to highlight the pistachio content, but the flavor was overpoweringly amaretto-based. Again - quite practiced without beingness equally stunning equally I'd imagined. Perhaps my expectations for the whole repast were simply a piddling also high.

Still, nosotros left alongside a practiced feeling - the eating theater serving upward some weird piddling muffin treats to become along alongside our coffees. They weren't outstanding (the muffins - the coffees were great), but whatever variety of bonus process similar this leaves y'all alongside a smiling on your face.

So, again, Cindy as well as I were a chip permit downwards past times the $30 fancy tiffin special. Perhaps nosotros simply accept unreasonably high expectations, or perchance these are the variety of situations where restaurants don't laissez passer on a lot of idea to the vegetarian options - both hither as well as at Oyster they felt a piddling tacked on. Maybe we're amend off booking inwards for the super-expensive degustation-type events, where the vego materials tends to live on a piddling to a greater extent than imaginative.

Address: 430 Little Collins Street (entrance on New Chancery Lane)
Phone: 9691 3838
Licensed
Price: Lunch
Website: http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/bistro-vue.aspx

August 16, 2008: Minimo

Cindy together with I invented only about excuse for a Sabbatum breakfast on the town - I can't fifty-fifty shout back what it was, perhaps nosotros were out of milk. Anyway, I did only about quick internet research together with convinced Cindy that nosotros should become somewhere new. And that somewhere was Minimo.

Minimo isn't quite role of the whole Sydney Road scene inwards Brunswick, it's only a picayune flake due north of the trendy bits. And Minimo's non alone trendy - it's depression cardinal together with relaxed, amongst lots of large windows together with a fairly large opened upward kitchen plonked inwards the corner.

The carte du jour is basically divided inwards two: eggs together with French toast (there are only about beans together with things tacked on to the end, but the eggs together with toast are the existent focus). I spent a piece pondering, earlier settling on the tapenade: 2 poached eggs, mushroom together with capsicum tapenade amongst sour dough. Of class every bit presently every bit I'd made my choice, the waitress came over together with reeled off 2 stunning sounding specials: only about assort of regal roesti amongst poached eggs together with the eventual winner: 2 poached eggs amongst grilled plain mushrooms, blueish cheese together with a chilli jam served upward on sourdough toast ($14). Hard to resist.

And it comfortably lived upward to my expectations - 2 neat picayune eggs, plopped on a twain of mushrooms all piled upward on the toast amongst the chilli together with cheese drizzled across the summit together with a smattering of greens together with cherry tomatoes for colouring every bit much every bit anything else. It all dissolved pretty speedily into a liquidy, eggy mess together with became much less photogenic. Still, the cheese together with chilli combined brilliantly amongst the perfectly poached eggs together with fifty-fifty the tomatoes were picayune bursts of flavour. Great, smashing stuff.

Cindy couldn't resist the lure of French toast, unfortunately rejecting my 2 preferred options: mixed wild berries or stewed apple tree together with pear, instead intentionally picking out something she knew I wouldn't steal: caramalised banana, served upward amongst maple syrup together with ricotta ($12). The toast was smothered inwards eggs (maybe to a greater extent than than Cindy would convey liked), but the banana was caramelly together with delicious (at to the lowest degree every bit much every bit bananas tin be).

Throw inwards only about smashing java for me, together with a ginger together with lemongrass tea for Cindy together with you've got a real satisfying breakfast. The portions Minimo serves upward aren't gigantic, but they're perfectly formed - neat picayune plates filled amongst flavor together with imagination. The staff are all ridiculously pleasant together with friendly together with the whole vibe of the house (at to the lowest degree past times midday or whenever nosotros turned up) is pose back. So ride the tram a few extra stops side past times side fourth dimension you're heading to Savers or the Meditteranean Wholesalers together with halt inwards at Minimo for a bite.

Address: 822 Sydney Road, Brunswick
Ph: 9383 2083
Price: veg breakfasts $4.50 - $14

August 16, 2008: Robbies Stein

31/12/2012: Robbies Stein has unopen down.

breakfast at Minimo, Michael in addition to I spent a brace of hours running errands along Sydney Rd. Before hopping on the tram dorsum home, it was also tempting to halt at Robbies Stein for a small, slowly lunch. This turned out to move a keen sentiment - unbeknownst to us, Robbies (I wishing they'd purpose an apostrophe) offers a hit of 'grazing plates'. Even better, at that spot are enough of vegetarian ones. How to pick out betwixt polenta, gyoza, dukkah-spiced eggplant chips, haloumi, crumbed olives, dips?

twistedbrick peculiarly recommended the mitt cutting chips ($6.50). (Because otherwise, me ordering chips? Never happens. *cough*) They were fine specimens indeed. You could serve these without a dipping sauce in addition to they'd even in addition to so impress. As it was, I was happy to hit them their dose of aioli.

But would you, could you, believe that those fabulous chips were upstaged past times the mushrooms?! No ordinary white buttons, an assortment of mushrooms were crumbed, deep-fried in addition to served alongside aioli ($8.50). They were exquisite. Juicy but never soggy, in addition to and so flavoursome. I couldn't behave to sully them alongside the (really rather good) aioli.

The lemon, lime in addition to bitters also deserves a shout-out; made alongside mouth-puckering fresh lemon juice, it's the perfect antidote to all that fried food. Robbies Stein also offers a few meal-sized dishes in addition to I withdraw heed they create a hateful lemon tart, but I tin personally in addition to really enthusiastically recommend them for your mid-afternoon grazing needs.

Address: 99 Sydney Rd, Brunswick
Ph: 9388 9817
Licensed
Price: veg grazing plates $6-10.50

August 16, 2008: Disaster Dinner

virtuous breakfasts, golden vegetables together with effortless treats inwards our kitchen, permit me say you lot nearly our latest cooking failure. For or together with then fourth dimension I've been wanting to essay making my ain gnocchi. Keen to taste it piece the weather's notwithstanding cool, Michael together with I used a spare Sat to choice out we concluding had a repast amongst her.

This was a squad task, together with Michael together with I worked together good enough. We got started long earlier Carol was due to brand it but the hour-long baking that the potatoes required laid us back. We'd chatted together with prepped together with drank for a expert lx minutes amongst Carol earlier nosotros had the petty pillows pictured above, ready for cooking. Sadly, cooking transformed them into this:

We called for pizza.

Pathetic every bit out not-cchi were, Michael together with I weren't likewise embarrassed. Carol takes non bad pleasance inwards nutrient but doesn't bother herself much amongst cooking at all. Our efforts were impressive enough, together with the pizza nosotros eventually ate was happily washed downwardly amongst a drinking glass of red.

Dessert was my lead a opportunity to brand amends - I'd chosen or together with then other hearty dish that I wanted to essay earlier wintertime ended. The Amish apple tree dumpling (as interpreted yesteryear Kurma Dasa): a whole apple tree wrapped inwards homemade pastry together with baked amongst a caramel sauce. With the pastry prepared inwards the early on afternoon, they didn't require likewise much extra endeavour together with looked rather cute. Here they are, nearly to larn into the oven:

As they baked, I wondered aloud whether I was supposed to lead maintain peeled the apples. Yes, actually, confirmed the cookbook. This is in all likelihood why:

Scandalously disrobed every bit they were, these apple tree dumplings proved to hold upwardly only edible. The fruit (including the skin!) was warm together with tender, the pastry golden amongst scrumptious caramel edges. Phew! Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 black for humility but non despair.

Though our gnocchi were terrible, the thyme vinaigrette together with lemon cashew cream we'd prepared to consume amongst them were sensational spooned over tagliatelle the next night. We'll hold upwardly dorsum for more!

August 19, 2008: Bulghur Burgers

barbeque sauce to plonk on pinnacle - gold! The recipe requires exclusively a quarter of an onion, too then I slow cooked the remaining 3 quarters inwards rings every 2nd an additional topping. It was a thoroughly enjoyable meal, though non a serious threat to the menage reigning burger champion, the chickpea cutlet.

August 21, 2008: Irish Gaelic Patato In Addition To Leek Soup

Radio (which, past times the way, has added to a greater extent than options to its dejeuner bill of fare as well as is instantly the clear dejeuner winner on my terminate of Gertrude), I cancelled whatsoever other notions nosotros had as well as decided that it was fourth dimension for some other soup. After a chip of poking to a greater extent than or less the internet, nosotros came upwards amongst this recipe, from Reynard's Feast, which Danika sadly appears to accept stopped updating.

We weren't organised plenty to accept faux-milk inwards the house, as well as then our version ended upwards beingness non-vegan. Similarly, nosotros were forced to resort to dried sage through full general lack of planning. Regardless, this worked out excellently - the mashing of the spuds (rather than blending) makes for a to a greater extent than interesting consistency. So much as well as then that I decided merely to crush the cooked leek equally well, which meant it retained a slight chunkiness. The mustard gave the milder flavours a chip of an edge, as well as Cindy topped it all off amongst some impromptu croutons - non a bad dinner for almost one-half an hour's work.

August 22, 2008: Tofu Shop

tofu soft serve H2O ice cream inwards exotic flavours similar rosewater, in addition to coconut-pandan, I became increasingly great to visit. Then at that spot was Kristy's post most i item staff fellow member hassling vegans. At an all-vegetarian store featuring tofu. What the...?

Soulmama, the principal approach is to pick out a bowl size (small $8, medium $15, large $17) in addition to hence choice which dishes you'd similar to eat; there's to a greater extent than or less obviously rice in addition to a few sauces on offering too.

I was determined to retain room for H2O ice cream, hence express myself to the small-scale bowl - this yet proved to endure a solid repast for my small-scale appetite. Michael, meanwhile, was getting a medium bowl piled amongst a gustatory modality of every dish on offer: beetroot in addition to adzuki beans, pumpkin in addition to fresh herbs, fennel, miso ginger tofu, shitake tofu, pickled Chinese cabbage, cauliflower in addition to broccoli. There wasn't a dud amid them! Most notable of all is their characteristic ingredient, exceedingly fresh in addition to frail tofu. It was when I returned to the counter afterward that I noticed a few other foods available every bit laid plates (not business office of the pick'n'mix laid up) - 'soyvlaki', soy falafel, vege balls, pastry triangles, salads in addition to dips. It'll endure this business office of the bill of fare I sample on my side past times side visit.

Though the Tofu Shop was without whatever customers when nosotros arrived, it chop-chop filled amongst takeaway in addition to eat-in customers every bit nosotros enjoyed our ain meals. It seems that on a Fri nighttime (and presumably whatever other night), the staff are equipped amongst the finite amount of nutrient on display in addition to in i lawsuit that's gone, dinner's over. Though the official closing fourth dimension is 9pm, supplies were running depression past times 8:15.

Thankfully the H2O ice cream machine was yet running! Flavour of the twenty-four hours was cafe latte, in addition to Michael surprised me past times wanting a serve of his ain ($4). We should possess got shared, 'cause $4 gets yous a lot of icecream! It didn't gustatory modality at all beany, in addition to had a distinctive but difficult-to-describe texture - creamy but firm, mayhap similar a frozen custard. The starting fourth dimension mouthful was perfect sweetened coffee, though my gustatory modality buds dulled every bit I progressed through dessert.

This small-scale cafe is non a house for lingering long over meals in addition to soaking upwardly the ambiance - spell it's low-cal in addition to clean, the fit-out is exclusively a half-step upwardly from your local takeaway. But it boasts a huge diverseness of vegetarian dishes in addition to reasonable prices; it's an ideal destination for a nourishing snack, reliable repast or fifty-fifty a soy-based sugariness treat.

Address: 78 Bridge Rd, Richmond
Ph: 9429 6204
Unlicenced
Price: veg mains $8-17

August 23, 2008: Dark Pearl

on the agenda. We were fairly certain that Brunswick Street had to a greater extent than than only Polly to offering us boozy mixed drinks, together with this review of Black Pearl, offering non exclusively fancy cocktails but also the world's best chips, gave us a finish for the evening.

It's a cozy together with comfortable house - at to the lowest degree inwards the afternoon. I'm non certain how pleasant it would endure if it was jam packed, but when you lot tin nab a duet of couches inwards the corner for yourself together with chat quietly, it's a fine, relaxed venue. First things first: chips - the nutrient bill of fare wasn't substantial, but included a arrive at of promising items (the feta together with haloumi cigars were high on my list), but nosotros had to brand certain that The Age wasn't lying to us. Exaggerating slightly perchance - although it's difficult to mean value of meliorate chips that we've sampled only about the house (cue Cindy inwards comments listing all the chips that she's preferred to these). The fries ($7) had some variety out of herb seasoning, generous amounts of tabular array salt together with a scrumptious spicy aioli, together with came inwards swell numbers. Enough to pose Cindy off dinner!

The cocktail bill of fare is to a greater extent than substantial: only about 10 'signature drinks', 3 seasonal choices together with a few blackboard specials (the bill of fare also promises that the bar staff volition whip upward any you lot fancy, together with thence don't boundary yourself). It's e'er a difficult choice, together with nosotros spent some fourth dimension tossing upward our options. In the end, Cindy went for i of the seasonal specials: a Pimm's wintertime loving cup ($13), Pimm's No. 1, apple tree juice, fresh ginger juice together with cinnamon, warmed upward on the java steamer together with served upward equally if it was tea. It was warming, fruity together with nicely boozed. H5N1 expert start. I went for a sun Best ($17): Martin Miller's gin, rosemary, mandarin, chilli together with vanilla syrup, lemon juice together with Angostura bitters. This was to a greater extent than citrus together with tang than overpowering booziness, which suited me fine - the chilli didn't get got quite the boot I expected, together with I ended upward drinking this to a greater extent than similar fruit juice than something that cost the toll of a expert meal. Whoops.

Next up, Cindy went for something a chip to a greater extent than desserty - a Caribbean Area Monk ($17): Mount Gay Eclipse, caramel syrup, hazelnut liquer, fresh banana together with lime dusted alongside cinnamon sugar. Something nearly the potable reminded Cindy of unripe banana, which pose her off a little, but in i lawsuit she got a sense of savor for it she quite happily knocked it back.

I decided non to repeat my before error together with went for the most booze-tasting cocktail I could find: the Sazerac ($19): Gentleman Jack, Peychaud's bitters, saccharide together with absinth. This had nearly a 3rd of the liquid of my get-go drink, but took me a lot longer to potable - it mainly tasted of strong. Strong alongside a chip of sugar. Thankfully Cindy had hitting her boundary together with kept me inwards cheque - the primary outcome of a Sazerac seems to endure increased wishing for cocktails. Instead nosotros made our agency piece of cake dwelling for leftovers together with an early on night.

Lazing only about inwards Black Pearl was an expensive but winning agency to pass a Sabbatum afternoon. The staff were incredibly friendly together with helpful, the snacks were great, the venue was comfortable together with booze was plentiful. Still, it prompted a question: Melbourne's got blogs devoted to coffee, to breakfast, to pies, to wine together with to vanilla slice, but none devoted to chips or to cocktails. If it wasn't together with thence expensive I'd endure agitating for weekly cocktail together with chips outings only to fill upward the niche.

Address: 304 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
Ph: 9417 0455
Price: Cocktails $13-$19, snacks $5-$16
Most definitely licensed

August 23, 2008: Leftover Makeover - Apple Tree Pastry Amongst Cashew Cream

disaster dinner left a few apples in addition to glugs of cashew cream inwards its wake. What struck me most nearly the cream was that it wasn't distinctly sweetness or savoury in addition to I wondered how I mightiness use it for dessert.

Here's the solution. Puff pastry squares, topped alongside apple tree slices in addition to sprinklings of agave syrup in addition to Chinese 5 spice. Baked until golden in addition to hence drizzled alongside cashew cream. At least every bit skilful every bit it sounds.

August 30, 2008: Brunetti Xi

Update 27/1/2019: Brunetti is all the same trading, but has moved from Faraday Street into a huge custom-built infinite within Lygon Court.

Julia recommended, in addition to was a piddling stumped when asked what form of java I wanted amongst it. I went amongst a cafe latte, in addition to received a subtly nutty in addition to sugariness imbibe amongst a calorie-free java kick. Having forthwith reread the wikipedia page on orzo, I'm confused equally to whether at that topographic point was genuinely java inwards the imbibe or whether it's but prepared inwards the same arrive at of styles (latte, long black, etc). Could that twitchy leg I developed after "from the caffeine" hold upwards psychosomatic?

To accompany my orzo latte, a mini bomboloni amongst lemon custard. The perfect piddling packet for an early on treat!

____________

Want to a greater extent than Brunetti? We convey this in addition to 10 other visits archived here.

August 30, 2008: Tokyo Treats - Light-Green Tea Chocolate

I've been a flake unsure of the greenish tea chocolate in addition to consequently it has lurked inward the cupboard, half-forgotten, for several months. The outset seize amongst teeth was intensely herbal in addition to a niggling bitter. This was non at all what I wanted from chocolate! Once that subsided I was able to appreciate the subtle sweetness in addition to the perfect buttery texture equally I chewed. I surprised myself yesteryear reaching for a instant slice in addition to tripped from revulsion to compulsion 1 time again.

I nonetheless can't run out whether I enjoyed the ride. What I'm surely of is that Matt did brilliantly to include this uniquely Japanese snack inward his collection of Tokyo treats.

August 31, 2008: Noodles Alongside Basil

Typical. Last calendar month I passed judgment on the World inwards Your Kitchen Calendar, proverb that the recipes tended to endure adequate as well as nada more. And this month: bam! Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 existent winner. These noodles are incredibly simple, insanely tasty as well as mostly a damn skilful time. The alone downside to this recipe is its lack of multifariousness - yous actually quest to brand something to accompany it, otherwise it'd larn a chip tiresome as well as veg-free. We threw together a quick tofu as well as bok choy stir-fry, alongside a few splashes of sesame oil, ginger crude oil as well as hoisin sauce to liven it up.

The telephone substitution to this whole repast was the edible bean glue I intend - it added an odd flavour: salty as well as slightly spicy, alongside the fermented beans adding something indescribable. It was wonderful. And hence slow that nosotros made it over again the side yesteryear side black to accompany the leftover tofu mush.

So I've been reconverted to the World Kitchen Calendar - hopefully the side yesteryear side 4 months volition alive upwards to September's standard.


Noodles alongside basil

225g of apartment rice noodles (we bought them dry out as well as soaked them inwards hot H2O for a few minutes to soften them up)
4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (keep a few whole leaves aside to garnish things)
3 birdseye chillis, halved as well as deseeded
1 teaspoon seseame oil
1-2 teaspoons concentrated yellowish edible bean glue (we were forced to substitute to a greater extent than or less spicy edible bean paste)
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
a splash of water
Some peanut or canola crude oil for frying

Mix together the soy sauce, sugar, H2O as well as edible bean glue inwards a little bowl.

Heat the frying crude oil inwards a wok as well as little the chillis for most a minute.

Add the noodles as well as little for a twain of minutes, stirring the whole time.

Add the sesame crude oil as well as the chopped basil, even hence stirring.

Pour inwards the pre-mixed sauciness, stir little for to a greater extent than or less other twain of minutes as well as and then you're done.

If you're corking for a dainty garnish, withdraw the noodles from the wok, add together a petty to a greater extent than crude oil and, when it's hot, throw the remnants of the basil inwards for a few seconds - they'll come upwards out crispy take away as well as brand a perfect garnish.

September 1, 2008: Eastward Brunswick Guild Ii

Edit 22/05/2012: The EBC has straightaway closed, but most of the carte du jour has migrated to The Cornish Arms.

second trip was to a greater extent than pleasant, but stopped brusk of truly impressing. Yet a set out of other bloggers couldn't stop talking about their Monday night meals. Were nosotros truly missing out on something particular here?

Well, kinda. The sometime hot domestic dog black has diversified - straightaway the EBC offers inexpensive jugs too 4 meals going at $10 apiece. We chose between:

• a cheese too bacon burger alongside chips,
• a chicken burger alongside lime mayo, avocado too a side of chips,
• fettucine bolognese, and
• chicken parma alongside chips too salad.

While this is quite cheap, y'all mightiness nonetheless endure wondering what the big bargain is. Here it comes: y'all tin social club whatever of these meals vegan. Any of them. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 cheese too bacon burger without the, uh, cheese too bacon. Lime mayo that's got no job concern beingness free-range or otherwise. Spaghetti sauce that's never seen a feedlot!

But why? Why would the East Brunswick Club bother? Stop past times on a Mon black too you'll see. The house is packed. We were barely able to snag a tabular array for two, too nosotros were at that spot earlier 7:00. As nosotros waited for our meals Michael, e'er the statistician, kept tabs on the plates emerging from the kitchen, estimating that 80% of them were 100% animal-product-free. The EBC has constitute a gap inward the market, too is hopefully making a tidy turn a profit past times filling it. It doesn't affair a jot what a non-vegan similar me thinks of the food.

You know I'm going to say you, regardless. The kitchen is clearly overworked at a fourth dimension similar this too what comes out of it is expert - non great, but good. The 'chicken' is tender too moist but sort of fatty; the chips could endure better. And at that spot was a twenty infinitesimal gap betwixt Michael's parma arriving too my chicken burger's entrance - boo. But the crumbing is too thus darn crunchy, too simply how do y'all larn vegan cheese similar that? It's cool.

The gluttony require non fifty-fifty terminate there, because dessert's $8 too estimate what? It's all vegan, all the time. There's:

• peanut butter chocolate swirl cheesecake,
• apple double-decker cake alongside caramel sauce,
• choc-mint cheesecake, and
• blueberry too lemon cheesecake.

I truly dug the choc-mint cheesecake - simply remain away from the 'cream'. (I'd suggest exactly the same thing at whatever set out of non-vegan venues.)

Cheers to the East Brunswick Club - they've proven that the greasy pub dinner is non the exclusive territory of Australia's carnivores.

_______________

You tin read virtually i of our previous visits to the East Brunswick Club here.

September 2-3, 2008: To A Greater Extent Than Fruit, Nut Together With Tahini Slice

here). The fruit, nut in addition to seed featured were dried cranberries, brazil nuts in addition to pepitas, respectively; I besides ran out of tahini along the agency in addition to substituted crunchy peanut butter for one-half of it. This spell actually is something special, alongside the mushy dates, tahini in addition to nut butter creating a fudgy texture. No-one at run acted at all deprived inwards the facial expression upward of this lack of chocolate!

I did larn something along the agency - the most readily available build of dried cranberries hither are solely 70% dried cranberries. I'm non complaining hither close over-packaging or air inwards the packet: the dried cranberries were 30% sugar in addition to oil. I suspect the existent bargain is much to a greater extent than tart. Have you lot noticed this before, or tin you lot recommend a rootage of pure dried cranberries?