Code Black II

August 31, 2013

On the weekend we found ourselves on the prowl for a vegan brunch to keep the MoFo material coming. Wide Open Road is a pretty reliable source of vegan brekkies, but we'd eaten there a couple of times already since our move to Brunswick. We aimed a little further afield, heading back to Code Black Coffee for a second visit.

Business at Code Black is booming, but thankfully they've got such a gigantic space that there was still a spare table for us to grab. The menu has changed a bit since they opened, but it's still very clearly labelled and pretty vegan friendly. They've ditched their baked tofu dish, but there's still a couple of savoury brunches, a sweeter option and then a quinoa and pumpkin salad and a pickled eggplant sandwich. There are heaps of vegetarian options as well - the majority of the menu is meat-free.

I thought about the artichoke, currant and mint caponata on toast ($17.90), but in the end I couldn't go past fritters - broccoli, almond and chia fritters with grilled corn salsa, coriander and avocado ($16.90).

The trimmings of this dish were great - a smooth avocado mush on top with a lightly charred corn salsa, and the fritters tasted fresh and healthy, but they were texturally a bit soggy. I had imagined something a bit more fried, but I guess people ordering dishes made of broccoli, zucchini and chia aren't looking for something shallow-fried. Satisfying, but not as indulgent as I was hoping for.

Cindy took the sweetest vegan dish on offer, a breakfast couscous steamed with fruit juice, roasted nuts, dried peaches and cranberries served with house made creamy coconut yoghurt ($13.90).

This was a revelation, especially once you poured the berries over. The coconut yoghurt was rich and creamy and had reinvigorated Cindy's enthusiasm for having a crack at her own version, and the couscous mix was sweet and light. It was a little drier than I was expecting, but with the yoghurt and berry mix it was texturally pretty perfect. Highly recommended.

The coffees were good and the swarms of staff were friendly and efficient - Code Black Coffee is booming and it's easy to see why. They've got a decent range of vegan dishes and are definitely worth adding to your brunching rotation.

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Read about our previous visit to Code Black here. Since then, The Good Hearted have enjoyed their vegan options, while PETIT MIAMx, thehangrybitch, Brunch Addict, The Glutton and the Lush, grazing panda, Let's Get Fat Together and Lucy Likes Food have all given them the thumbs up. Deconstructing Comestibles liked the coffee, but wasn't so impressed by the food.

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Code Black Coffee

15-17 Weston Street, Brunswick

0402 532 578

veg breakfast $6-$19, lunch $12.90-$15.90

http://www.codeblackcoffee.com.au/
 

Accessibility: Excellent. Flat entryway, spacious interior and a fully accessible, unisex toilet in addition to standard gendered toilets. There's full table service.