June 25, 2008: London

Cindy was spending her rootage total 24-hour interval inward London with Emily at Imperial College, so I was on my ain sightseeing again. I’d hatched a vague innovation to pass the 24-hour interval wandering around the Thames, from the Tower Bridge downward to Battersea Park, with numerous stops inward between. For some argue Cindy together with I had failed to see the Tower of London in conclusion fourth dimension nosotros were inward London, so I was wowed past times the mighty span together with the ancient fortress.



A quick stroll along the Thames path together with across London Bridge had me wandering past times Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre together with into the Tate Modern, with its imposing turbine hall. Like Brisbane’s Powerhouse on steroids.


After spending a pair of hours going through the first-class Street together with Studio exhibition together with sitting for a few serenity minutes inward the stunning Rothko room, it was dorsum out into the crowds together with across the Millennium Bridge towards St Paul’s.


The entry fee together with queues discouraged me from genuinely going into the cathedral, instead wandering on towards my planned luncheon venue. The Time Out vegetarian guide to London had intrigued me with its hope of vegetarian Japanese nutrient at Saki. I started to wonder when I realised that the eating seat was located straight across from London’s meat markets, but it wasn’t until I sat downward with the bill of fare that I realised that ‘vegetarian’ genuinely meant ‘at to the lowest degree ane vegetarian dish on the menu’. And that the nutrient wasn’t cheap: fifteen pounds past times the fourth dimension I’d had a beer together with a laid upward lunch. Still, the laid upward luncheon was pretty good: miso soup, udon noodles, assorted vego sushi pieces together with some tempura. It was all fresh together with tasty, but I left slightly disappointed having had high expectations of a bill of fare filled with vegetarian Japanese delights.


A quick stroll along Fleet Street together with through the former inns of courtroom nigh Chancery Lane – all London barristers bring to bring their offices inward these court, which are run on arcane 14th century traditions. Still, they bring lovely gardens.


I continued downward along the banking concern of the Thames past times some of the ministry building edifice together with to the ridiculous splendour of Westminster together with Westminster Abbey.



Then it was fourth dimension for a interruption from the crowds together with a residuum on a common bench inward St James’ Park, filled with to a greater extent than exotic waterfowl. London genuinely does bring a rich array of wonderful parks dotted alongside all the crowds together with former buildings.



A fighting to a greater extent than walking (I was genuinely starting to run out of steam past times the belatedly afternoon) took me around through Chelsea towards Battersea Park together with past times the imposing (and derelict) Battersea Powerstation.

A serenity sit down inward the common together with a brief flurry of enthusiastic bird-watching (which meant I could instruct dorsum dwelling bragging nigh the cracking tits I’d seen) together with I was completely spent. After some confusing world carry wrangling it was dorsum to Em together with Sam’s identify together with so off to the local Eritrean together with Italian eating seat Red Sea for dinner. We opted for the vegetarian special, which the bill of fare suggested served 2 or 3. Perhaps because in that place were no other customers around, nosotros ended upward with plenty nutrient to feed a pocket-size regular army – a huge injera platter, artfully decorated with 4 unlike stews (the lemony-spinach ane together with the lentilly orangish ane were the clear stand upward outs) together with a side salad. Throw inward a seemingly endless render of piffling personal injera rolls for dipping together with the 4 of us were alarmingly total good earlier we’d got through it all. Our waiter briefly chastened us for leaving also much salad, earlier relenting together with serving us upward some traditional Eritrean coffee, which was at to the lowest degree 30% sugar. So good. We settled dorsum with our coffees together with watched the 2nd one-half of the Turkey v Deutschland Euro semi-final with the eating seat owners, all of us cheering on the gutsy Turks. Despite their last-minute defeat, nosotros left the eating seat happy, total together with exhausted – all of us falling straight into our beds when nosotros got dorsum home.

Photo credit to Sam together with his snazzy photographic tv set camera phone.

January 26, 2010: Savoury Baklava Together With Orange-Olive Salad

Savoury baklava. The persuasion of it was irresistible to me, fifty-fifty to a greater extent than thus when I read an cistron listing that included sun-dried tomatoes, almonds, fetta, dates as well as cinnamon. But I needed to brand a hearty dinner that would extend to a couplet of leftover lunches, thus I decided to sub out the rich, salty fetta for theatre tofu. Then I figured, why non drive veganising the entire thing? I've been wondering how filo fares when it's brushed amongst stone oil instead of butter.

The answer is that it fares rather good indeed. I intend the flavour's a piffling different, but no less delicious. I infused the tofu amongst a piffling extra flavour past times stirring through a piffling tabular array salt as well as unopen to of the sun-dried tomatoes' marinating stone oil as well as didn't lady friend the cheese i bit. The i cistron that was surprisingly conspicuous, though, was the almonds. Perhaps my chopping was a piffling also rough, but they retained much of their squelch as well as didn't truly blend inwards amongst the residue of the filling. I suppose I could chop or fifty-fifty grind those almonds a piffling to a greater extent than finely inwards time to come but truly they got me to thinking close pino nuts equally a potential replacement. Then I started thinking close preserved lemons instead of the dates, or fifty-fifty dried apricots? Other herbs, other bakeable vegetables... this recipe could serve equally a basic outline for dozens of dissimilar pies (one of them, most obviously, existence spanakopita).

this recipe on Gourmet Worrier, which itself is adapted from The Modern Vegetarian past times Maria Elia)

2 ruby onion, finely sliced into circles
3 cloves garlic, minced
100mL olive oil
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar
200g sun-dried tomatoes, unopen to liquid reserved
1/3 loving cup water
1/2 loving cup fresh dill, finely chopped
300g theatre tofu
salt, to taste
250g almonds, roughly chopped
10 dates, pitted as well as finely chopped
150g filo pastry
agave nectar

Over depression heat, gently laid upwardly the onions as well as garlic inwards 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the cinnamon as well as saccharide as well as piece of job on to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions a caramelised (I gave them at to the lowest degree 10 minutes). Add the sun-dried tomatoes, H2O as well as dill, as well as laid upwardly for a farther 5 minutes or so, until most of the liquid has evaporated or been absorbed.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Crumble the tofu into a bowl, sprinkle it amongst a few tablespoons of the sun-dried tomatoes' marinating liquid as well as flavor it amongst salt.

Brush a large rectangular baking dish amongst unopen to of the remaining olive oil, as well as laid out the filo pastry on a damp teatowel to preclude it from drying out. Layer close 5 pastry sheets inwards the bottom of the baking dish, brushing a piffling olive stone oil betwixt each layer.

Spread one-half the tomato-onion mixture over the pastry, as well as thus sprinkle over one-half the almonds, one-half the dates as well as one-half of the tofu. Repeat amongst 5 to a greater extent than filo pastry layers, the remaining tomato-onion mixture, almonds, dates as well as tofu. Top amongst to a greater extent than oil-brushed pastry as well as a calorie-free splash of water.

Bake the baklava for 30-40 minutes, until the elevation is golden brown. Allow it to cool slightly earlier drizzling it lightly amongst agave nectar, slicing as well as serving.

Orange-olive salad

1/2 loving cup olive oil
1 tablespoon white vino or champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon castor sugar
100g rocket
1 bunch watercress
1 pocket-size caput of witlof
3 large oranges, peeled as well as sliced into segments
1 avocado, sliced into chunks
1/4 loving cup kalamata olives
1/4 loving cup almonds, roughly chopped

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegars as well as sugar. Add the remaining ingredients as well as gently toss them through the dressing.

Mamasita

February 11, 2012

Mamasita has directly been running for 2 years in addition to it seems every bit pop every bit ever. Their no-bookings policy (for groups of less than eight) has had most of Melbourne at some phase lining upward along their staircase, spilling out onto Collins St, retreating to a nearby bar for a few drinks or only giving upward in addition to eating elsewhere. We did our best to circumvent the hold off past times arriving correct on their 5pm opening final Sabbatum in addition to were dealt xx minutes of queuing in addition to i of their final tables for 2 - lucky.

Mamasita's menu, every bit you lot likely already know, has a modern Mexican theme. It's totally gluten gratis alongside plentiful vegetarian in addition to vegan options marked throughout the carte - what you lot come across hither likely constitutes less than one-half of the meat-free dishes on offer. 

Michael tried their potent in addition to sour Mamasita margarita (El Jimador reposado, Cointreau in addition to fresh lime on the rocks; $17). My Pina Ahumada (Reposado mezcal, Damiana in addition to pineapple on the rocks alongside a vanilla tabular array salt rim; $18) was sweeter in addition to slow to fault for a soft drink. The vanilla tabular array salt rim is pleasantly addling.

Our repast commenced alongside the near-mandatory Elotes callejeros ($4.90 each), char-grilled street-style corn topped alongside queso, chipotle mayo in addition to lime. There's cipher similar tasty, inelegant nutrient on sticks to laid an upbeat casual tone. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 piddling jounce of toothpicks on the tabular array save some dignity.

The quesadilla de frijoles ($14) is i of the plainer looking dishes, but non lacking for flavour - toasty tortillas sandwich refried dark beans in addition to cheese, topped alongside fresh salsa in addition to served alongside a spicy condiment for smearing all over.

To operate along things fresh nosotros elected to percentage the ensalada de jicama y betabel ($8), a salad of jicama, beetroot, cherry pepper, pepitas, sesame, orangish in addition to chipotle dressing. The white jicama cubes reminded Michael of apple tree inwards their crisp sweetness in addition to I specially appreciated the crunchy pepitas.

The surprise savoury highlight was the Bunuelos de garbanzos ($19): chickpea fritters alongside land mushrooms, sugariness tater in addition to a jalapeno herb sauce. While I'd pictured whole chickpeas deep-fried inwards batter, this was a seasoned chickpea flour batter, set, sliced in addition to lightly crusted. I loved the lite fluffy texture, Michael loved the mushrooms in addition to sugariness potato, nosotros both loved mopping upward the greenish sauce. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lovely dish all round.

While nosotros could get got happily finished upward at that spot (and I suspect our waitress would get got preferred nosotros did), I persuaded Michael that dessert was inwards order. I was quite desperate for a Helado de maiz ($6), sweetcorn icecream inwards a cone, topped alongside caramel popcorn. This was lite in addition to sugariness in addition to fun, in addition to though I could come across the corn I couldn't actually sense of savor it. I'm non certain whether that's Mamasita's fault; I may get got been inwards that post-cocktail zone where the tastebuds are dulled but everything is awesome.

Michael's choice (Pastel de chocolate, $11) was nearly twice the cost but looking pretty small. Once sampled, the portioning made much feel - the flourless chocolate cake was incredibly dense in addition to rich, sitting inwards a puddle of tequila white chocolate sauce. Michael liked the contrasting fruitiness of the PX jelly dabbled some the plate, in addition to only barely finished the dish.

With that nosotros sorted out the nib in addition to made infinite for the evening's 2nd sitting. I left real impressed! On a previous (unblogged) see I didn't shout out back the character of the vegetarian dishes warranted the cost hike over Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Trippy Taco but I shout out back Mamasita get got upped the ante alongside their multifariousness of ingredients, every bit good every bit some killer cocktails in addition to desserts. Many bloggers get got complained most the noise levels but nosotros enjoyed the atmosphere in addition to conversed comfortably. The kitchen clearly has a slick organisation for dealing alongside their near-constant amount family - nosotros weren't left waiting likewise long for nutrient in addition to received only plenty attending from the flooring staff.

Given the high take away for a spot at Mamasita it'll likely last a piece earlier we're back, but whatsoever hereafter visits volition last eagerly anticipated.

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Mamasita gets the thumbs upward from swain veg*ns on Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are In The Mood For Noodles, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Confessions of an Eco-Food Dude in addition to Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Nouveau Potato.

The restaurant's been reviewed almost continuously since it opened. Most are positive (see Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are melbourne gastronome, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are I'm thus hungree [Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are twice], Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Melbourne Dining Experiences, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Food Fable, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are EAT AND BE MERRY, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE(T), Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Gluttony Gluttony, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Niche, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are two fatty buns, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are What's For Tea?, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are a melburnian holiday, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are My Food Odyssey, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Gastronomy Gal, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are spicy icecream, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Melbourne Culinary Journal, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are porktheory, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are juganaut's foodie thoughts, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Charles Whyte, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Dollymic, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Finely Chopped, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are doublecooked, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Out of my kitchen, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Fill My Belly inwards Melbourne, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are The Burnt Fig, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Life is 2 Mu(n)ch, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Sweet in addition to Sour Fork, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Ray is ever Hungry, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are the hungry duck, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Foodprints,Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are We Dare Food, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Empty Fridge, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Poppet's Window, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Alphie inwards the Kitchen, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Barley Blog, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Dying4desserts, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Friday Night, Date Night, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are extra-ordinary ordinaries, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Let Me Feed You, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Bear Head Soup, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Sarah Cooks, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Chyn Eats, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Dave Plus Food, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Petit-Miamx, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are The Food Complex, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Absolutely Famished, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are uh-oh, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Totally Addicted To Taste, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Cooking With Goths, Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Dangerous Duplicity).

Mamasita's street-style corn has inspired some abode cooking! There's a recipe at Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Blithely Unaware, in addition to some other at Veg Food Diaries Melbourne; less impressed are Palace Foods that includes making your ain queso. Meanwhile The misadventures of MissC include a recipe for spice rubbed pork, walnut sauce alongside corn in addition to quinoa salad.

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Mamasita
1/11 Collins St, Melbourne
9650 3821
veg items $3-21
http://www.mamasita.com.au/

Accessibility: Mamasita is located upward a flying of stairs alongside no visible alternatives; the no-bookings policy agency you're probable to last waiting inwards that staircase for some time. Tables are moderately spaced but the eating spot is oft real crowded; there's a mixture of tall bar-style seating in addition to lower tables. If you lot tin comfortably negotiate the entry in addition to eating spot infinite thus nosotros imagine the toilets volition last fine. There is amount tabular array service.

Ethos Swallow Drink

January 17, 2013

From Hobart's Elizabeth St yous tin glimpse Ethos Eat Drink's cute courtyard through a passageway. Sometimes there's a carte du jour on display, sometimes not. Last twelvemonth nosotros noticed the eating topographic point but didn't view - the dinner carte du jour looked expensive in addition to non especially veg-friendly, in addition to nosotros couldn't attract whatever service at breakfast time. This twelvemonth our local friend-in-the-know Liz offered to mass us inward for a banquet then nosotros figured we'd give it a shot.

The Ethos ethos is all most minimising touching - they've fitted out a historic edifice alongside salvaged in addition to recycled accoutrements in addition to an energy-efficient kitchen; they concentrate on local consumables.

I peculiarly appreciated the noun carte du jour of non-alcoholic drinks, which included house-made lemonade, cola, ginger beer in addition to other cordials ($4-5.50 per glass). The elderflower in addition to lilly pilly drinks were both light, sweetness in addition to refreshing.

We got started alongside crusty bread, butter (for the non-vegans) in addition to salt.

The olives in addition to cornichons were cute in addition to non also briny, though perchance upstaged yesteryear the crunchy-fried chilli-salted chickpeas.

Tempura saltation onions looked a petty bedraggled in addition to were difficult to share, but the crunchy gluten-free batter won me over.

Of their 3 ways alongside zucchini, I most liked the caramelised (roasted?) one.

The greenish salad included more purslane, in addition to a surprising dose of salt.

Us vegetarians were served haloumi, in addition to nosotros were compelled to percentage some of it alongside the envious omnivores across the table.

Beans came scattered alongside to a greater extent than salty difficult cheese.

The sriracha-dressed gai lan mightiness convey been our favourite dish, then fragrant in addition to spicy.

The vegetarian savoury dishes culminated inward a perplexing mix of tender carrots inward a tea-infused butter, scattered alongside nori in addition to walnuts.

For dessert nosotros shared huckleberry sorbet, stewed rhubarb in addition to fresh berries, covered inward a silky, warmly spiced pepper leafage custard.

We had petty sense of the meal's construction inward advance but happily grazed for several hours. Staff were cheerful in addition to really accommodating, planning a feast to accommodate a mixed grouping of omnivores, vegetarians in addition to vegans addition an overstimulated baby. (There was enough of room for the petty one's pram, high-chair in addition to other gear too.) I liked the atmosphere - it's a petty fancy but non at all stuffy.

Though the degree of expense in addition to locovore sensibility are comparable to Garagistes, our Ethos sense was really different. It seemed a house to express joy in addition to tumble a petty vino alongside friends, rather than guffaw over the modern fine art plated earlier you. Nevertheless, veg*ns in addition to others alongside special dietary requirements are likely best off shelving the spontaneity, making a reservation in addition to giving the kitchen their best lead a opportunity to feed everyone well.

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Ethos has been good received yesteryear bloggers, come across the twigs, Rita's Bite, A Foodie's nighttime out :), Life As H5N1 Bird Florist, eat potable dream, Too Many Pies, Esme in addition to the Laneway in addition to Elspeth Callender.

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Ethos Eat Drink
100 Elizabeth St, Hobart
6231 1165
veg banquet $65pp
http://ethoseatdrink.com/

Accessibility: Looks groovy to my eyes - apartment all the agency through alongside relatively spacious tables in addition to total tabular array service. There's a disability-access can (although it's towards the dorsum in addition to they've crammed a tabular array also some it) in addition to all toilets are unisex.

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Sculpture at MONA FOMA wharf

The joyous Mahmoud Ahmed & co.

We were also former for Death Grips.

October 22, 2009: Indya Bistro Ii

Edit 22/12/11: Indya Bistro is straight off closed. It's been replaced yesteryear approximately other Indian eating theater called Ganesha.

Our start experience was sure enough pleasant enough, as well as we'd received comments indicating that the carte du jour has expanded since then. It has indeed - there've been a few alterations to the entrees (no to a greater extent than Bombay fries!), spell the divulge of primary courses to pick out from has almost doubled. If anything, it looks a picayune to a greater extent than similar the typical Indian takeaway carte du jour as well as a picayune less similar a modern reinterpretation of Indian cuisine. Nevertheless, the odd as well as irresistable gobi florets ($7) are all the same at that topographic point - hooray!

The Diwani Handi Delight has been renamed the mixed vegetable sabzi as well as goes for $3 less ($15). It all the same tastes great, with Mike deeming it his favourite of the night. This is high praise, since all of us agreed that the paneer as well as spinach please ($15, a long-term Indian favourite with the group) was in all probability the best we'd e'er tasted - it was terrifically creamy as well as in all probability dreadfully unhealthy! The novel malai kofta ($15, approximately other of our Indian repast yardsticks) was also lovely. We mopped those thick, delicately spiced sauces with basmati rice ($4), garlic naan ($4) as well as kashmiri naan ($4).

On paper, I wouldn't get got expected to larn an Indya Bistro regular - the vegetarian options aren't likewise dissimilar from the norm as well as damage a few dollars to a greater extent than than usual. But they're easily the tastiest inwards the neighbourhood! Next fourth dimension we're inwards the mood for Indian takeaway, we'll almost sure enough survive ordering it from Indya Bistro.

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You tin hand the sack read well-nigh our previous watch to Indya Bistro here.

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Indya Bistro straight off get got a website: www.indyabistro.com.au.