Fluffy Torpedo

March 30, 2024

   

We've been curious about but never made it to Fitzroy's Fluffy Torpedo, an icecream shop with sour strap lollies embedded in the flooring and an array of unusual flavours including Vegemite & white chocolate and Mountain Dew & Oreo. This year we've eagerly awaited the opening of a second Fluffy Torpedo closer to home in Brunswick.... so eager that when they posted their intention to open, I was there within the first hour!

The wild array of flavours did not disappoint (click through the menu at the bottom of the post) and vegan options are listed clearly up top. We had to have two scoops each to really give them a go ($9.10 each; 1 scoop is $7.20). Michael ordered a cone with the vegan coconut cream lime marmalade, and the dairy-based salted licorice, while I stacked a cup with the vegan sour green apple juice iceberg lettuce sorbet and the dairy-based salted lemon curd salted crispy crackers. 

   

Every scoop was as fun as it was creative. I could clearly taste the lettuce in my first mouthful of the sorbet, though my taste buds rapidly desensitised and just enjoyed it as a refreshing, fruity sorbet. The lemon curd-cracker combination had the creaminess, tang and contrasting textures that I love in a cheesecake. It's got me excited to try some of the more daring flavours on a future visit, like the buttered baguette. Others, like the marshmallow grape Aeroplane jelly pink salt and the musk sticks Eclipse mints, are probably never going to be my bag.

On that note, the interior design of Fluffy Torpedo is a little baffling to me. There's plenty of space but I don't think they've best used it yet in terms of queuing guidance or comfortable seating. I found the bright colours and variety of curios arranged around the shop to be haphazard and even a bit overwhelming. Time will tell whether they're a draw for others or if they're adjusted to ease the flow of customers. As it is, the fascinating flavours of Fluffy Torpedo are plenty to enthuse me for a revisit.

   

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The Fitzroy outlet has received a positive reviews on ElsewhereBriefly and mamma knows north.

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Fluffy Torpedo

213 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

7044 7745

menu

https://www.fluffytorpedo.diamonds/

Accessibility: Fluffy Torpedo has a flat entry and wide queuing strip. There are backless bench seats inside and backed metal chairs outside. We ordered, paid and picked up our orders at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Luke's Bakery

March 23, 2024

   

Luke's Bakery has an excellent reputation amongst our vegan friends for its banh mi, so at last this year we timed a Reservoir visit so that we could pick up lunch from Luke's on our way home. It's a large but typical no-frills-or-furniture bakery set-up so we were in and out and back to the car quite quickly. (If you're a Luke's regular, we'd welcome any tips on where you like to eat your banh mi when the weather's good.)

There's real meat as well, but the five vegan banh mi options are very clearly marked and very appetising: crackling pork, BBQ pork, chicken (five spice or lemongrass), Peking duck and tofu (caramelised or lemongrass) at $9-9.50 each. We received clear advice that the Peking duck and five-spice chicken were our friends' faves, so we split them and loved the experience. As you can see from the photos above, the featured protein is portioned generously and garnished with peanuts. Though I'd surely be satisfied with one of these recommended fillings every visit, I'm interested to try the others too just to be sure.

We were also stoked to see Vietnamese iced coffee on offer ($6) with both dairy-based and vegan-friendly coconut-based options!

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Luke's Bakery

14 Edwardes St, Reservoir

9462 4114

Accessibility: Luke's Bakery has a wide, flat entry with little to no furniture inside for customers. We ordered and paid at a low counter, and picked up at a high counter. We didn't visit the toilets. 

Super Norma

March 21, 2024

   

I've been keen to try Super Norma since they first started popping up doing special event catering at Fenton. They crank out fresh pasta dishes right in front of you, with no formalities at all - it's all very friendly and very casual. The menu is scrawled on a couple of scrolls - there are nine pasta dishes and a handful of sides, about half is vego (with one or two vegan options usually) and they'll do GF pasta for a few bucks extra. 

We took a friend on a Thursday night and grabbed a speedy dinner. Cindy had the pesto Siciliano ($24), with fresh ricotta, datterini tomatoes, parmigiano, basil, almonds and cashews. It was really lovely - creamy and rich without being heavy, with the fresh basil really shining through. I tried the puttanesca (cherry tomatoes, black olives, capers, chilli, $18), which was exactly the kind of salty, spicy delight that you want from a puttanesca. 

The whole experience is incredibly low key - food comes out in little cardboard cartons, there's no liquor licence (or toilet!) and it all gets cooked right in front of you and dished up in a matter of minutes. It's probably not a place you'd go to linger over a meal, but it's damn near perfect for something quick and comforting and high quality. I can't wait to go back. 

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Super Norma

140 Rathdowne St, Carlton

0488 568 777

menu

https://www.instagram.com/super.norma/?hl=en

Accessibility: Super Norma has a flat entry and a pretty densely packed interior - just a handful of low tables and a medium counter to order and pay at. There are no toilets.

Charred cauliflower & crispy tofu with sweet peanut sauce

March 10, 2024

   

One of my colleagues brought in a delicious-looking gado gado lunch a few weeks ago and I was reminded how excellent a plate of anything covered with peanut sauce can be. We went digging around in our books for inspiration and hit upon this version in Hetty McKinnon's Tenderheart. It's a lot less work than the Ottolenghi recipe we've made in the past, and the results are just as satisfying - the charred cauliflower is sweet and smokey, the crispy tofu triangles add a bit of texture, and the peanut sauce is so, so easy. 

You can mess around with this however you like - add some nuts or different crispy veggies, trade the eggs for some tempeh, really whatever you've got to hand. Let's face it, everything tastes delicious doused in sweet/spicy peanut butter.

Charred cauliflower & crispy tofu with sweet peanut sauce

(a recipe from Hetty McKinnon's Tenderheart)

olive oil

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

salt and pepper

1 cup chickpea flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

500g tofu, sliced into 5mm thick rectangles

2 Lebanese cucumbers, roughly chopped

4 jammy eggs

bean sprouts

crispy shallots

1 lime

sauce

1/2 cup of peanut butter

3/4 cup water

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes

2 tablespoons kecap manis

salt

Heat the oil in a large pan on high heat and fry the cauliflower florets in batches, for about 8 minutes each. Just turn them occasionally, you want them to char up a bit. Set them aside and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the chickpea flour out on a plate, combined with the garlic powder and a bit of salt and pepper. Dredge the tofu slices through the flour mix to coat and then fry in a hot pan with some more olive oil. A couple of minutes on each side should get the tofu nice and golden. Set the tofu aside and, once it has cooled, slice into triangles.

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until smooth. Add more water if it's too thick - it will get thicker as it cools down. 

Layer up your plates with cauliflower, tofu, cucumber, egg and sprouts and then drizzle with sauce, squeeze a quarter of the lime over everything and top with crispy shallots. 

Ima Asa Yoru

March 10, 2024

   

I've been following Ima's social media accounts since they were located in Carlton, but it's only very recently that Michael had the bright idea to stop in for lunch when we were in their newer Brunswick neighbourhood running errands. Ima Asa Yoru is located within Nightingale Village and with the temperature in the high 30s we were really putting their eco-friendly non-air-conditioned set-up to the test: it was pleasant but still warm.

   

Iced drinks were very much in order: my house-made yuzu lemonade was ringed with salt ($8.50), while Michael perked up with an iced filter coffee ($6.50).

   

The brunch menu had clearly marked, plentiful veg*n and gluten-free options, all of them varied and highly appetising. Michael was thrilled with the agedashi tofu teishoku ($30) with a bonus onsen egg ($3.50). Beyond the delicate tofu and soft egg, there was rice, miso soup and four little side dishes!

   

Meanwhile, I tried the onigiri teishoku ($28). These rice balls were served on crisp open nori and concealed the most delightful tangy, creamy umeboshi filling. I also received a complex miso soup and two side dishes of pickles.

This was such a luxurious meal, with both variety and attention to detail. Though Ima was reasonably busy, we weren't rushed through in any way. We will absolutely be back for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner.

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Ima Asa Yoru

1 Duckett St, Brunswick

9989 2309

food, drinks

https://www.imaproject.co/

Accessibility: Entry to Ima Asa Yoru includes shallow, wide ramps. Furniture is densely packed, made up of low tables with backed chairs and high benches with backed and backless stools (I found it difficult to comfortably use the footrest). We ordered at our table and paid at a low open counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

The Yarra Hotel III

March 5, 2024

   

The Yarra Hotel had such a long hiatus after the pandemic commenced that in January 2022 I declared it closed in our archives. Happily they re-opened mid-2023, we eventually caught up on the news, and in March we arranged a visit with our book club. 

The Yarra has a pub menu with at least one vegan and one gluten-free option in each section (dessert excepted, unfortunately for the vegans): cauliflower bites and corn ribs are listed ahead of the chicken ribs, and with a smoky tofu sando, quinoa salad, eggplant parma and green Thai curry for mains most predilections are covered.

We both wanted to test out that smoky tofu sando ($24). It's served on Turkish bread (which I heartily approve of) with slaw, chipotle aioli, and caramelised onion. It was the sweet-savoury onion that dominated the flavour, and I liked that! Chips were plentiful and a worthy support.

While the Yarra Hotel is very roomy, with indoor seating, a huge covered area with a fireplace, and a smaller third area for smokers, it's also very loud... with music, even when it's not packed with patrons. We're not sure that it's the right spot for ongoing book club meet-ups but their decent veg burger is something we can all rely on.

   

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You can read about one, two of our previous visits to the Yarra Hotel.

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The Yarra Hotel

295 Johnston St, Abbotsford

9417 0005

menu 

https://www.theyarrahotel.com.au/

Accessibility: There's a small step on entry and another down to the beer garden. Tables are quite generously spaced. We ordered and paid at a high bar.

Small Axe Kitchen V

March 2, 2024

   

We've been going to Small Axe semi-regularly since way back in 2016, when they burst onto the scene with their now-famous breakfast pasta. Until this visit though, we've been forced to settle for non-pasta brekkies, with their signature dish usually riddled with pork products. At some point in the last few years they've added a vego option, and I finally tried it on a lazy Saturday morning. 

The vegetarian version seems to be basically the regular version with the cured meat omitted: maccaruni, peas, mint, parsley, salted ricotta and slow-cooked egg ($27). It's a pretty lovely way to start the day, but it did kind of miss the richness and saltiness that the meat would have provided - I'm not sure what the best substitute would be, but there's definitely room to improve the meat-free version of this. 

Still: now the non-meat eaters can start their day with an eggy, cheesy pasta and it's hard to be anything but happy about that.    

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You can also read about one, two, three, four of our previous visits to Small Axe Kitchen. 

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Small Axe Kitchen

281 Brunswick St, Brunswick

9939 6061

brunch; classics, sides & specials 

https://www.smallaxekitchen.com/

Accessibility: There's a small step on entry. Tables are densely packed with a clear corridor through the middle. Tables outside have small backless stools, high benches in the front room have tall backless stools, and tables in the back room have ordinary backed chairs. We ordered at our table and paid at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Sani

February 25, 2024

   

Sani is located close to us and I've tended to ignore it. I always thought it looked like a big, fancy wine bar that wasn't really my style. But Michael came upon it while googling around for a local brunch option and we were up for giving it a go (... I hadn't even noticed that it was open in the mornings).

The menu is very vegetarian-friendly, with a few good well-marked vegan options (fancy avo toast, sago pudding, mushrooms on corn bread) and 'low gluten' options (they're not willing to promise a coeliac-clear experience).

Michael ordered Turkish eggs (again; $25); here they're poached, served on a bed of labneh and chilli butter, covered in za'atar and soft herbs, with a spinach and ricotta borek on the side instead of toast. It was novel and rich, and just the refuelling Michael needed after his run.

   

I went for the grilled haloumi ($24), which turned out to be another paired-plate situation. The three seared haloumi slices were judiciously topped with roasted pepper gremolata, carrot velouté, extra carrot slices and chive oil. On my second plate were two large and perfectly flaky empanadas stuffed with well-seasoned potatoes and cauliflower. Though I was thrilled with all of it, I sent a third of my meal in Michael's direction.

These were unexpected and fun brunch dishes - I wondered if these were actually designed as share plates for later in the day, but they worked regardless. I'm sure we'll be back when our appetites are up to the task!

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Sani

63 Lygon St, Brunswick East

9020 7952

food, drinks

https://www.sanimelbourne.com.au/

Accessibility: Sani has a shallow-ramped entry and clear walkway through the main areas. Furniture is medium-spaced regular-height tables with backed chairs and cushioned benches. We ordered at our table and paid at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Fenton II

February 18, 2024

   

We've been back to Fenton for brunch, and unsurprisingly for a produce-focussed cafe, the menu has changed. It remains short but appetising, with plenty of well-marked vegan and gluten-free options.

   

Michael ate the Turkish (soft-boiled) egg ($24), with charred greens, tomatoes, labneh, berbere garlic butter, toasted almonds, raisins, pickled chilli and sourdough toast. For all those ingredients, it was a bit smaller than Michael expected, although the toast, cheese and egg were enough to keep him full. Michael is a big fan of Fenton's pickled chilli and everything they put it on.

   

I had to try the French toast ($23), which was served as a single thick and not-too-eggy piece (very much my preference!). It was generously piled with a jammy fruit compote, a rapidly melting mountain of latte whip, almonds and coconut shards, and a brûléed banana half.  

This meal affirmed the positive impression Fenton has already made with us - we'll look forward the next iteration of their menu.

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You can read about my first visit to Fenton here.

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Fenton

158 Rathdowne St, Carlton

9328 3401

food, drinks

https://fenton-farmhouse.com/

Accessibility: Fenton has a flat entry and medium-to-densely packed tables and backed chairs, with a clear wide path to the counter. We ordered at our table and paid at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Veggie Chef

February 17, 2024 

   

We had a house party to attend in the south-eastern suburbs and took it as a chance to try a new restaurant for dinner on the way over. Veggie Chef popped up as a nearby option, and also came recommended by Will L on twitter. It's a small, casual, mostly vegan Malaysian Chinese restaurant with several dozen dishes to choose from, the majority of them featuring mock meat.

It was tough to choose across all the noodle soups, dons, fried noodles and bentos, plus two temptig nasi lemak specials. Michael settled on the sambal chicken don ($18), which had precisely the spice level he was after and a few good veges for balance.

   

I slowly worked my way through a lemon chicken bento ($22), which included a lovely miso soup, edamame, spring rolls, sushi rice balls, seaweed salad, a pickle-topped mound of steamed rice, some steamed broccoli florets and, of course, the feature dish! This was a wonderfully textured crisply battered mock chicken with a lemon wedge and sauce bowl considerately served on the side. My ideal feast!

The staff were lovely and our food arrived incredibly fast. We'll take any excuse to head back and try more of the Veggie Chef menu.

   

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Veggie Chef

53 Portman St, Oakleigh

0433 525 326

menu

https://lifeintouch.net/veggiechef

Accessibility: Veggie Chef has a flat entry. Furniture is densely packed and regular height, with sturdy backed chairs. We ordered at our table and paid at a high counter (visible in the last photo). We didn't visit the toilets.