We're irregular visitors to the B-East, usually stopping in when Jess McGuire is hosting trivia and grabbing a Morrissey burger for dinner. This week they've upped their veg credentials by introducing an all-vegan menu on Monday nights under the banner Mock The Casbah. I managed to nibble my way across most of the menu with the help of some friends.
The vegan fried chicken ($11.50) used the same crispy-skinned greasy wheat-meat as their excellent Morrissey burger, ditching the bun and harissa for a drizzle of smoky chipotle aioli and some dill pickles. This would tickle fanciers of the Cornish Arms' basket of wings.
The pulled pork burger ($13) was tangy, spicy and messy, served on a chewy rye bun. The snap & crackle cauliflower taco ($6.50) was a milder prospect with its avocado cream, and probably the pick of the table.
I dug into a chargrilled corn and quinoa burger ($14), jettisoning half the thick bun on sight. It centred around a thick cake of fluffy quinoa with only a few corn kernels, and was substantially boosted by a cheese slice, chilli aioli and a layer of sweet potato crisps.
We didn't have the appetite (and the little ones didn't have the patience) to stick around for dessert, on this night a double chocolate fudge tofu brownie with vegan salted coconut caramel ($7).
The B-East are promising to rotate the menu from week to week, so bear in mind that these particular dishes might not be available if you swing 'round on a future Monday. Nevertheless they're putting in a great effort to include gluten-free options (taco plus both burgers adaptable on this night) and assure the vegan status of their ingredients. I'm excited to see what they come up with next.
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You can read about one of our previous visits to the B-East here.
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The B-East
80 Lygon St, Brunswick East
9036 1456
first Mock The Casbah menu, dietary info
http://theb-east.com/
Accessibility: There's a wide entry with a ramp. Tables are a mix of standard and high, chairs a mix of stools and backed with a baby's high chair or two on hand. Furniture is pretty densely packed but there are wide corridors through the middle. It's dimly lit and noisy, with food and drinks to be ordered and paid for at a high bar. The toilets are on the same level through a narrowish corridor by the kitchen and are gendered and quite large (although I can't remember seeing a specifically accessible cubicle).
how strange - I was just reading about this place a day or two ago - so it is good to hear your thoughts on it - the meals look really good - or at least those without all the mock meat sound very appealing and I cry for you that you couldn't try that dessert - sounds amazing
ReplyDeleteHI Johanna - this sets a good precedent for some non-mock options! The B-East posted the menu on their facebook event page a couple of days in advance so you might be able to pick a week that appeals. We ate comfortably with two small children at 6pm.
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