Edit 07/03/2020: Munsterhaus is now closed.
With the recent closures of Bowl of Soul, Ganesh and Tart 'n' Round, vego dining in Melbourne seems to be going through a bit of a downturn. So it was with some relief that we read about Munsterhaus on Essjay eats. Slotting in to a slightly neglected bit of St Georges Road, Munsterhaus promised (mostly) vegetarian food with good vegan and gluten-free options, so we were keen to give it a try.
Our visit has already been documented by Kristy and Toby, but after all the travel stories and the 1,000 posts hoo-ha, we're finally ready to get our own post up. The first thing you notice about Munsterhaus is its art-deco stylings - it's beautifully fitted out, with gorgeous wooden furniture and a light, airy feel. The food set-up is very similar to the Tofu Shop (with which Munsterhaus shares some connection I think) - basically you choose your bowl size and then get it filled up with whatever you fancy from the spread of options.
When we went there were four hot options and a seemingly endless array of salads, vegies and other cold dishes. You can choose to get a few scoops of rice as well, but that risks taking up valuable food-space so think carefully.
I went with a medium bowl ($11), while Cindy went small ($8), but we ended up covering mostly the same ground. Everything was brilliantly fresh and bursting with flavour, with the tofu-based dishes (a broth and a marinated chilli tofu dish) and the broccoli and tempeh salad particularly impressing me. None of it was especially fancy but it was all well prepared and managed to pair deliciousness with a pretty healthy vibe.
The options change regularly, and they're clearly keen to provide gluten-free and vegan options (although there was a sign warning that they might occasionally use non-veg products like bonito, so it's worth checking before you fill your bowl up). The staff were friendly and helpful, the prices are reasonable and our first shot at the food was entirely satisfying - Munsterhaus is a welcome addition to our inner-north dining options and will no doubt become a semi-regular haunt (although it's not doing dinners just yet).
Read other reviews of Munsterhaus at In The Mood For Noodles, Confessions of a Food Nazi and Fitzroyalty and a poem in its honour at The Big V.
Address: 371 St Georges Road, North Fitzroy
Price: $8 - $14
Unlicensed
The spicy tofu and the tempeh/broccoli salads were the winners for me as well. Now you've mentioned the Tofu Shop connection I can see it. How nice to has a sister (cousin?) shop on this side of the Yarra.
ReplyDeleteAOF, To stand up for the eastsidas, Richmond actually IS on the same side of the river as Fitzroy. Check yo Melways and repre-SENT, yo. ;)
ReplyDeleteLOL Louise - you're right. It's just I've lived in spitting distance of Brunswick St for so long, I tend to think of the rest of Melbourne as another country :)
ReplyDeleteHa! Yeah, we don't get to Richmond as often as we should either. Very pleased that Munsterhaus is closer to home - I think it'll be a nice non-bloating candidate for weekend lunches.
ReplyDeleteWe ate there a few weeks ago, great deserts... I think the Tofu shop does it better, but still a nice lunch place for the top end of town.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't tried the desserts yet, Nudbot! Something to return for. :-)
ReplyDelete