May 6, 2009: Bowl of Soul II

Cindy and I had made a few failed trips to Port Melbourne trying to revisit Bowl of Soul - failing to check their opening hours the first time and then finding them on summer holidays the second time. This time everything fell into place and we strolled up Bridge Street to an empty but open Bowl of Soul.

Things haven't changed much since our last visit - it's the same little space, with the same slightly weird palm tree on the wall. The menu has changed a little, with the two things we flagged in our earlier post (ribs and chips) no longer available.

Ah well. We happily made do with a burger apiece: a deluxe stake-out sandwich (chilli-rubbed, grilled soy-stake with tomato, lettuce, onions, Baja bbq sauce, mayo, fakin' bacon and cheese - $12.80) for me, and a Creole chic'n roll (Cajun-spiced soy chic'n, lettuce, tomato and lush lime-infused mayo - $10.80) for Cindy.

These were both pretty similar - loaded up with massive chunks of tomato and plenty of fresh lettuce, with variations on the fake-meat and sauce combo. Mine had a nicely smoked flavour (presumably from the bbq sauce), and was helped along by the salty fake-bacon. The 'steak' wasn't particularly exciting, but it added some meaty texture to the whole deal. Not bad. Cindy's chicken burger boasted a spicy crusted chic'n patty, a little mayo, and a generous smear of some kind of chutney.

We spent the whole meal eyeing off the dessert counter (which last time wowed us with chocolate-coated figs). This time it was brownies: a dark-chocolate, cranberry and raspberry brownie for me and a vegan peanut butter brownie for Cindy ($4 a pop). I loved my chocolate-berry delight but Cindy was a bit disappointed in hers - the texture was a bit off, lacking in any real cakiness. Something to work on.

We both really enjoyed our burgers - the buns and salad were super-fresh, filled with saucy goodness and deliciously filling. Having said that, they'd be pretty easy to replicate at home and might not justify the trip across town (maybe the hot dog does). If you were working in the vicinity it would be the lunch place of your dreams but when you live so close to the EBC, it takes a pretty great mock-meat to lure us outside the inner-north. It's worth noting that this is a very vegan-friendly establishment, with almost everything either vegan or vegan-convertible.

Read about our previous visit to Bowl of Soul here.

Update 10/5/10: Unfortunately, Bowl of Soul has closed down. Very disappointing. We didn't get across the river very much, but it was always a winner when we visited.

November 23, 2007: Bowl of Soul

Michael and I ventured out to Port Melbourne for the first time on Friday night with the purpose of eating at Bowl of Soul. I spotted this cafe on More To Love Vegan quite some time ago, and I was rather psyched about the possibility of a veggie BLT. As a lover of burgers I was overwhelmed with the choice here - they were based on tofu, lentils, beans, and faux meats from beef through to prawns! Other toppings and sauces are well chosen to suit the burger themes, from Mexican to satay. There's also some soup and a couple of other things on the menu, but mostly it's about the burgers.

The vegan and vegan-adaptable items are clearly marked and cover almost everything on the menu. There are a few gluten-free options too, particularly in the mouthwatering cake display. Buttons rued the lack of chips to go with her burger and to our surprise, they are now available after 6pm! Unfortunately I didn't notice until after I'd ordered, and Michael chose a side-sized Soul Salad ($5.50) instead. In addition to the usual mixed greens and carrot, this was packed with fresh beetroot, mung beans, sprouts, capers and semi sun-dried tomatoes.

In spite of the BLT that brought me here, I actually decided to order the Soul on a Roll ($9). This featured a freshly fried fillet of wheat gluten with a ocean-flavoured 'skin' of nori. There were generous servings of lettuce and tomato, and a thick spread of lime-infused tartare sauce. These guys get triple points for the super-fresh ingredients and preparation! It makes all the difference with fast food such as this, with no oily guilty feeling sitting in my stomach afterwards.

As you can see from the top pic, Michael was into the Soul Dog ($7.50). This is no little wiener, it's smothered with grilled onions, cheese, tomato sauce and mustard. With that many condiments it's just as well he ordered the salad! He demolished the lot in record time and I seriously challenge anyone to tell the difference between a soysage and a hot dog in a blind taste test.

As we ate, we were sitting with a full view of the dessert cabinet and it was inevitable that I'd be picking up a little something to take home and enjoy later. These are wild figs coated in dark chocolate and vanilla sugar (50c each). They taste at least as good as they sound, filled with chewy fruity sweetness. The Soul kids don't skimp on the chocolate either! The cook warned us that they were addictive and it's just as well I had a belly full of burger, 'cause those choccies were good. I could easily have run all the way back and bought out their supply.

It's no secret that Bowl of Soul has my number. I love, love, love a freshly prepared vege burger and these guys do an amazing array of them for less than $10 each. It'll be no chore to revisit and report back on the standard of the chips!


Update 10/5/10: Unfortunately, Bowl of Soul has closed down. Very disappointing. We didn't get across the river very much, but it was always a winner when we visited.

Address: 118 Bridge St, Port Melbourne
Ph: 9645 2470
Unlicensed
Price: veg mains $5 - $9.50