Saturday, November 06, 2010

November 1, 2010: Three Bags Full

On Monday, Michael and I met up for lunch in the Richmond/Abbotsford neighbourhood.  We had a tip on a new vegetarian restaurant but it wasn't yet open, so we shifted our sights to Three Bags Full.  We were lucky to snag a table for two before the much-hyped (see the 32 links below) cafe filled up entirely.

Michael had a good shot at the drinks menu, getting both a coffee and a #2 juice ($6; pineapple, strawberry, apple & mint) and loving 'em both.

From there, he had a shot at the specials board, ordering the crushed spring peas and poached eggs on toast with basil and tomato vinaigrette ($14.50).  The eggs were a perfectly poached centrepiece to a very good plate of food.


He did sneak a couple jealous looks at (and bites of!) my pumpkin fritters ($15.50).  Fluffy yet substantial, sweet and salty - they were bloody good stuff, especially when smeared with the creamed Persian feta.  The huge handful of rocket had the right texture and bitterness to offset the rich fritters and I dug the oven roasted cherry tomatoes too.  The grilled haloumi was the odd element out for me, adding more fatty saltiness where I didn't really think it was needed.  My mind boggles at the thought of the prosciutto that usually also accompanies this dish - it just seems like overkill.

Our meals weren't cheap but the quality stepped up to the price.  Service was pleasant and prompt in the face of a full house; I get the impression that there's rarely a quiet moment at Three Bags Full and they seem to have a handle on it.  The all-day breakfast menu is extensive and attractive even though it features a lot of eggs.  It's not vegan-friendly as is but given my skip-the-prosciutto success, it's probably possible to try the beans, avocado or mushrooms without cheese.  There's every chance they don't need it!

Update 07/11/2010: Unfortunately Three Bags Full is even less vegan-friendly than we imagined - K and Toby stopped by and found that the beans and mushrooms are cooked with butter.  That leaves toast with jam, vegemite or avocado as the only vegan options across a long breakfast menu.
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Address: corner of Nicholson and Mollison Sts, Abbotsford
Ph: 9421 2732
Price: veg lunches $10-15.50
Website: www.threebagsfullcafe.com

6 comments:

  1. Oooh, I love the looks of Michael's peas and eggs dish! All those vibrant colours :)

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  2. I walk past here often but it always looks so packed I haven't tried it yet. Looks delicious though.

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  3. Gosh, that food looks delicious and the cafe looks so dang cute! No wonder it's busy all the time!

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  4. 32 links!? Your dedication is admirable :)

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  5. Three Bags Full is always a winner. If only less people knew about it and we could actually get a table without such a long wait... I agree with you - I don't think the place is always quiet. The pumpkin fritters look great!

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  6. Haha 32 blog reviews (including mine), no wonder they're so busy! I agree, the quality is really very good foodwise and I hear the coffee is excellent too. Shame about the lack of vegan options.

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