Washington, DC III

July 7-9, 2016

As my week in Washington went on, I ventured a little further on foot and via the Metro. This allowed me to track down some of the more hip veg-focused eateries hidden around the city.

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The first was the aptly-named HipCityVeg, an all-vegan burger joint near Chinatown. It's light and bright, with an emphasis on nutrition, sustainable practices and keeping it cruelty-free. The burgers are based around mock meats, mushrooms or tofu, fries are made from sweet potatoes, and their kale lemonade is promoted over the modest range of sodas.

I got myself acquainted with a Disco Chick'n burger (US$9.55 ~ AU$12.75). I loved the sturdy multigrain bun, bit o' spice on the mock chicken, smoked tempeh strips, pickles, soy mayo, lettuce and tomatoes (and picked out what little raw onion was included). It was the fun kind of messy, not turning soggy or disintegrating completely.

My soy-based vanilla milkshake (US$5.65 ~ AU$7.55) was sweet and slushy. I could barely believe that its packaging was compostable, but everything served at this eatery is!

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My one wish-list eat for the trip was Fare Well, a vegan bakery, diner & bar that had only been open a couple of weeks (lucky for me a DC mate mentioned it on facebook!). It turned out to be a pleasant 20 minute walk from my hotel so I visited two nights in a row, first with a couple of friends and then again on my own.

First, the bar. Fare Well has an experienced bartender who's put together a nice cocktail menu (US$11 ~AU$14.70 each) including some housemade specialties with local names. The Tiber Creek (above left) was citrussy and brutally boozy, but not quite as complex as the passionfruit/ginger/lemongrass/grapefruit ingredients going into it. The Queen of H Street (above right) was raspberry-wrapped vodka, shaken with an egg white substitute (I asked the bartender if it was aquafaba, but he said they had better results with soy lecithin! Huh).

Onto the diner options, which include breakfasts, small plates, mains and desserts without time restrictions. The Buffalo cauliflower dip (US$8 ~ AU$10.70) had a nice cashew creaminess and tender cauliflower florets that squished nicely on the (too few) toasts. On my own, I treated the mushroom scampi appetiser (US$8 ~ AU$10.70) as a leaving-room-for-dessert dinner. It echoes the same cashew cheese on toast theme, but was made more complex with sauteed mushrooms, capsicum, a smear of garlic and a smattering of fresh greens.

My friend Matt tried the mushroom-chickpea burger (US$14 ~AU$18.70) and was positive but not effusive in his feedback. The seitan platter's (US$14 ~AU$18.70) presentation suffered for how pale and gluey American gravy always looks - it smothered some nice Southern-fried seitan cutlets and a no-longer-crispy potato cake, balancing it all out with sauteed kale.

Finally, the bakery. Fare Well has a gorgeous range of baked goods available to take away or eat in - the layered cakes (US$8 ~ AU$10.70) are especially striking, with a dense crumb and sculpted buttery frosting. My friends were impressed by the Neapolitan version (pictured bottom left), which was clearly based on real strawberries and not dependent on food colouring. Out of curiosity, I tried a cookie dough cake (pictured top right) and enjoyed the light caramel flavour and scattered chocolate chips. The coconut cream pie (pictured bottom right) seemed constituted of a can of coconut cream whipped with sugar (fitting, I guess).

Fare Well has a bright atmosphere and great menu - I enjoyed both sharing it with friends, and sitting alone at the bar with a book. Nothing disappointed but, equally, nothing really wowed me. I reckon Melbourne's best vegan food more than matches it.

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Though Union Market boasts of its long history, it's a very current-day enterprise too. It's not really a spot for accomplishing your weekly shopping or picking up boxes of cheap, seasonal produce. Rather, it's all about fancy cheeses, home-made kimchi and homewares that belong in goop.

The market is even more heavily dominated by stalls designed for eating in, with the astroturf and picnic tables reminding me of Melbourne's food truck scene. I did a long circuit of the building, trying to decide whether I wanted a crepe, tofu taco, dosa, or just fancy icecream for lunch, ...

I started out with parmesan cheese grits from puddin' (US$5 ~ AU$6.65), served with a little tomato-butter sauce. Contrary to the name, I found grits to have the soft bite of rice pudding and fluffiness of mashed potatoes - definitely a starchy comfort food. (They make a handy benchmark for making my own grits from Vegan Soul Kitchen.)

Next I moved on to Arepa Zone. The Dominó arepa (US$6.50 ~ AU$8.65) was deceptively cute and compact in its checkered wrapper, unravelling into a delicious mess of saucy black beans, queso fresco and toasted corn.

Finally, Sarah introduced me to toli moli, which she said was the new dessert craze. These layered desserts are based on south-east Asian falooda, and I initially mistook them for variations on the Malaysian cendol. All the toli moli creations seem to centre on basil seeds, then bring together fruit pieces and jellies, icecream and milk on a flavour theme. I tried their vegan Mango Mogul (US$7.99 ~ AU$10.60), with fresh mango and sorbet, turmeric almond "melk" and flaked coconut. It was a lot of fun but on a hot, humid day I wished that more than just the sorbet had been stored cold.

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Exploring the veg eats around DC was a great motivation for walking the streets and visiting neighbourhoods I had no other reason to be in. I ate extravagantly, and by the time I was done I looked forward to the simple granola bowls, salads and toasties that I subsisted on one week later in the country.

Pilgrim III and Farm Gate IV

January 15 & 17, 2016

MOFO was primarily based out at MONA this year, so we didn't get too much time for Hobart eating. We were out at the festival by lunch every day, so we really only had time for breakfasts. Our first stop was a return visit to Pilgrim Coffee, a regular haunt on our Hobart trips. The menu has changed around a bit from previous meals, meaning I had to branch out from the bean-heavy 'hipster breakfast' that I usually order, instead trying out the omelette with kim chi, rice, spring onion, wombok, coriander and crispy shallots ($18).

The omelette is a wonderful combination of flavours - little dabs of blended up kim chi give it all a great spicy tang, while the shallots and rice add some crunch. It's a top-notch example of the genre, but at $18, it probably needs a slice or two of toast to go along with it.

Cindy's breakfast was even more minimalist - she ordered the charred stone-fruit with vanilla goats curd, mint and almonds ($15).

And she got this bowl containing one halved peach, a smear of curd and a decent sprinkling of roasted cashews on top. For $15! She was quite happy with the dish itself, but it's the kind of thing you feel like charging even $10 for would be a bit cheeky. 

I enjoyed my coffee as usual, but Cindy's chai was bergamot-heavy and lacking in other spices. All in all, Pilgrim has slipped down our Hobart breakfast ranking a bit - the quality of the food is still high, but the prices are a bit excessive (note also: there aren't any obvious vegan options on the current menu).

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On Sunday morning we headed back to the Farm Gate Market, the less touristy and more food-focussed alternative to the popular Salamanca Market. There's lots of excellent-looking fresh produce for sale, a decent selection of other food stalls (jams, teas, cheese etc) and a thriving little food court for people seeking brekkie - we come here every time we're in town these days (see one, two, three previous visits).

We got things started with a coffee and a blueberry bagel with raspberry cream cheese ($6.50) from Bury Me Standing - a perfect way to get Sunday going.

I was then drawn inexorably to Pachamama, for my annual Hobart breakfast burrito - they've always got a vegan option, but this year I couldn't resist the classic egg-cheese-bean combo, slathered in their smoky chipotle sauce ($13). It's a complete winner.

Cindy somehow resisted the lure of the burritos, ducking next door to Mountain Pepper Pizza who were offering up a range of rosti-based breakfast treats. She ordered the mushroom option ($7.50) and was well satisfied with the mix of starchy potatoes and creamy, saucy mushrooms. (They also do a vegan bubble & squeak with kasundi.)

We're always a bit sad that we can't buy up more of the great market produce each year, but it's hard to go past a $9 kilo bag of the plumpest, juiciest cherries imaginable. We gobbled these up far too quickly.

Farm Gate is well worth a visit on any food-related Hobart itinerary - there are tons of vegan options, foody gifts and souvenirs, and a steady stream of cute puppies awaiting your attention.

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Farm Gate Markets

January 20, 2013

On our Sunday morning in Hobart Michael snuck out early with the camera, binoculars and a thick coat to go bird-watching at sea. I wasn't sure how to amuse myself, as much of the city still observes this day of rest, but Liz knew the Farm Gate Markets would be worth a look. They're much smaller than the more famous Saturday Salamanca Market but I also found them more appealing. (I recognised quite a few stalls from the previous day's MONA market and here they were, much closer to town!) Stalls are focused very much on food: there are baked goods, juices, fruit and hot meals to eat on the spot; fresh produce, cheese and preserves for later; potted herbs and vegetables to grow yourself.

It's particularly worth noting that there are many vegan-friendly goods for sale, and even a couple of dedicated stalls.

Damn Vegan sells vegan convenience meals like bean chilli, potato curry and polenta squares, and they're very generous with their taste testing. I took home their gluten-free Lavender Cookie mix ($8) and gave it a go. They just needed some olive oil and water and baked into cute little shortbread cookies with a strong floral hit.

Liz wisely led me over to try Healthy Treats by Mrs Rees (note: they aren't all vegan). There were lots more generous samples - muesli squares, cookies, polenta-based crackers and two irresistible chocolate items - a chilli-warmed black bean cookie and chai-spiced chickpea brownie (~$4 each).

I also picked up a breakfast cookie, watermelon juice, bottle of elderflower cordial and half a kilo of the largest, sweetest cherries I've ever eaten. I couldn't fault the Farm Gate - I'd certainly choose it over the Salamanca and MONA markets for a repeat visit next year. It's doubtful that MOFO will rustle up a headliner as dear to me as David Byrne, but I think there'll be a next year regardless.

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You won't read a bad word about these markets on a blog! Check out thoughts and photos on Tasmemia, Shape of Things to Come, Little Miss OZ Chinita, Mumma Needs Coffee, The Adventures of Miss Piggy, Voted With Our Forks, Huon View, Sowing Seeds With Christine Milne and bri eats.

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Farm Gate Market
49 Melville St, Hobart
6234 5625
http://farmgatemarket.com.au/

Accessibility: The market is located in a carpark with a sloped entry, although the bitumen may be a little uneven in places. The paths between stalls are wide (though they may be crowded) and the vast majority of goods are placed on standard-height tables. I'm not aware of toilet access.

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This is where Michael & the camera were while I visited the markets...

David Byrne...

... & St Vincent. And a glorious brass band.
And choreography. And magic. 

Faux Mo.

Xiao Xia

Like a Rick Rolling stone

Market Lane mushroom burgers

June 2, 2012

   

We've been getting hot tips from all over the place about the wonders of the mushroom burgers on offer at Prahran Market each Saturday. Claire and Tresna both tweeted us about them, and Toby spotted them on one of his regular Market Lane jaunts and told us to try them out. So we finally did.

Getting across town before eating properly always makes me a bit grumpy, but these burgers had enough going for them to overcome my hangriness and make me happy - the massive portabello mushroom patties are barbecued to perfection, dabbed with herb butter, covered with onion and parmesan cheese and stuck on a Dench bun with a healthy dollop of chipotle mayo. They're made to order while you watch and only cost $8 - cheaper than Beatbox and even more delicious. Be warned though - there's no way to eat them without making a mess!

They're an excellent reason to visit the Prahran Markets - while you're there grab an excellent coffee from Market Lane, some vegan cupcakes at Mister Nice Guy and lots of fancy and expensive produce (although our highlight from our only blogged visit, Monsieur Truffe, has gone onto bigger and better things and is no longer there).

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Everyone loves these burgers! Check out: melbourne gastronome, Coffee Adventures and Petit Miamx.

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Market Lane
Prahran Market, 163 Commercial Road, Prahran
(burgers are Saturdays only)
9804 7434
mushroom burgers $8
(we didn't even look at the rest of the food options!)
http://marketlane.com.au/

Accessibility: The mushroom stall is set up outside the cafe and is readily accessible - ordering and payment happen at a lowish counter and there are tables and benches around to eat at.

March 31, 2010: Kyoto III

An early wakeup on our second morning in Kyoto gave me my first opportunity to do any real birdwatching in Japan. A pre-breakfast wander along the river and through the grounds of the nearby Shimagamo Shrine resulted in around fifteen new species, including Japanese grosbeak, Japanese wagtail and Hawfinch. The shrine itself was quite impressive - another of Kyoto's many UNESCO world heritage sites.

The main outing for the day was to the Arashiyama area, a short train ride north-west of the city. Getting off the train we aimlessly followed the crowd down to the Oi River and the famous Togetsu-kyo bridge.

The mountain backdrop distracted us from the touristy vibe of the bridge area, with bursts of cherry blossom flaring out of the forest.

A quick poke around the stalls near the river (no mochi, lots of street-meat), and we decided to turn back and get our temple on at Tenruy-ji, the other side of the train station. This zen temple is particularly famous for its rock garden, which dates from the 14th century. It's very peaceful and calming (if you can tune out all the camera sounds and noisy kids).

Despite being founded in the 1300s, the temple itself is only a century or so old. Like so many of the temples we visited, the buildings have been periodically destroyed by fires or floods over the centuries.

We paused in the temple grounds for a quick snack, picked up from one of the touristy stalls near the train station.

These yatsuhashi are on sale everywhere in Kyoto. The little triangles have a vaguely mochi-like texture and the fillings included red bean paste and sweet berry flavoured mush. Not bad.

Re-energised, we headed for the most famous sight in the area: the Sagano bamboo grove. Tucked behind Tenryu-ji, the bamboo forest covers 16 square kilometres and is quite hypnotic.

Just outside the bamboo grove is a little train station with a couple of stalls, including this guy:

happily frying up fresh mochi and serving it up to all comers (120 円 each, $1.40). Who could resist? Especially when our lunch plan (another tofu restaurant) turned out to be closed all day.

Filled with mochi-power we kept on walking, heading for a stroll through Kamayama-koen, a park beside the river, with a nice lookout.

Having given up on our tofu lunch plan, we did a quick scan of the town for other vego options, and found nowhere particularly promising. So instead of just eating tons of mochi each for the rest of the day, we jumped back on the train and headed for downtown Kyoto and the Nishiki market.

The market is covered and 400 metres long, filled with small stallholders selling everything from pickles and vegies, to knives and and tofu. It's a wonderful place to just wander around explore, with every stall selling something intriguing or delicious looking.

Our main purpose here was eating - we needed something to tide us over until dinner time. I started with a freshly made seven-spice rice cracker from Mochiyaki Sembei, which was a taste and texture sensation.

Cindy and I were both intrigued by the big sign promising 'tofu doughnuts'. These turn out to be basically doughnuts cooked using soy milk rather than dairy milk (and thus quite possibly vegan - we didn't ask about the egg situation. For 250 円 (~$3), you get ten of these little suckers:

They could probably have used a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar, but freshly cooked they were still an amazing treat.

The food market eventually runs into Teramaki shopping mall, an old street that was once chock full of temples and is now a covered mall with loads of sneaker shops, restaurants and video game arcades.

Like all of Kyoto though, there are always temples lurking - something like 12 are tucked in behind narrow gaps in the shop-fronts.

With night falling, we set out to find dinner, heading up to the river and some of Kyoto's best cherry blossoms.

name="siesta" The venue for dinner was the trendy-sounding Cafe la Siesta, a veg-friendly bar and cafe fitted out with tremendously cool retro video games.

Even the little menu holder is Nintendo-themed.

While the drinks menu lists a wide range of game-themed cocktails. I couldn't resist a 'highscore' (white rum with apple juice and mint, 680 円/$8), while Cindy opted for an 'invader' (rum, lychee and sherbert, 750 円/$9).

You can't quite make it out in the picture, but the yellow ice-cubes in Cindy's drink were in the shape of little space invaders. Very cool.

The food options are a little less zany - the vego menu made up of four pizzas, four pastas and a couple of rice dishes (vegan options are plentiful and clearly marked). Cindy decided she was up for some pasta and ordered the mushroom and pepperoncino spaghetti (750 円/$9).

As you can see, this wasn't a particularly exciting meal - it was tasty enough, but given the high standards we'd become used to in Japan, it didn't really measure up.

My Thai-style curry with rice (700 円/$8.50) was a bit better , with a pretty impressive curry sauce and some nice, fresh vegetables.

I think though that Cafe La Siesta is really a better place to go drinking than eating - it was empty when we were there between seven and eight and I get the impression that it's much more popular as a nightspot than as a restaurant. It's certainly easy to imagine having a great time drinking cocktails and playing Streetfighter or Afterburner until the wee hours. Unfortunately we were both pretty shickered from our long day (and besides I think Cindy's patience for video games was wearing pretty thin - we sat right by an old console with a case full of games to choose from and I quickly turned into a terrible dining companion).

So we headed back out into the night and had one last look at the cherry blossoms before jumping on the train home to bed.