We had a rare reason to be in Abbotsford on Sunday morning, so we finally returned to Admiral Cheng-Ho for a second visit. Not a great deal has changed since we stopped by in the first week they were open - it's stylish, busy and the menu is all veg (and mostly vegan).
Cheng-Ho takes coffee very seriously, with an array of bean and brew choices - I'm a philistine, and just ordered a straight-up soy flat white. Cindy branched out, with a chai latte - it was a bit disappointing, with the main flavour coming from the dusting of cinnamon on top.
The food menu has changed a little since our first visit, but the basic shtick is the same - the umami mushrooms that we first tried at sister-venue Monk Bodhi Dharma are still an option and there's dishes featuring beans, bircher muesli, avo on toast and chia pudding. The zucchini pancakes from our first visit are gone, replaced with the Crazy Jimbo ($16.50), which I ordered.
It features a couple of discs of slightly dry polenta bread, covered in kale, carrots, broccolini, almond feta and basil cashew cream, and accompanied by avocado, tomato and a tangy beetroot relish. It's a lovely combination of fresh and tasty ingredients. I'm not sure the polenta bread is really a step up from a couple of decent slices of toast, but it's really all about the toppings (and I guess using polenta bread keeps the base dish gluten-free).
Cindy couldn't resist the vegan Northside French toast, with raw vanilla cashew cream, blueberries, strawberries and rhubarb and a raw chocolate sauce ($16.50).
Cindy couldn't resist the vegan Northside French toast, with raw vanilla cashew cream, blueberries, strawberries and rhubarb and a raw chocolate sauce ($16.50).
The vegan-ness of the French toast meant that it was a bit light on the batter, which was compensated by the slatherings of chocolate sauce across the three big toast pieces. The fruit and cashew cream were superb, but there wasn't very much of them, meaning the ratio of toast to toppings was a bit high.
Admiral Cheng-Ho is an excellent option for Melbourne's vegan breakfast-enthusiasts, offering up a much wider array of dishes than most places (with the obvious exception). The food is solid, the coffee excellent and the staff friendly - we really should visit more than once a year.
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Since our first visit, there have been lots of very positive reviews of Admiral Cheng-Ho - see Little Vegan Bear (twice), Nourishing Adventures, thehangrybitch, I'm So Hungree, quinces and kale (twice), FEAST MELBOURNE, amy's town, TheGlobalRambler, melbourne brunch scene, locked, loaded and caffeinated, Go to Bread, Not Bed!, Food Freaks Melbourne, Vegan Miam, never too full and The Owl's Nest. In contrast, Filled with Food, Gourmet Chick, MEL: HOT OR NOT, Curiously Celeste and Yellow Eggs were not big fans.
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Admiral Cheng-Ho
325 Johnston St, Abbotsford
9534 7250
http://www.admiralchengho.com.au/
menu, drinks
Accessibility: There's a single large step on entry, and a very crowded interior. We ordered at the table and paid at a low counter. The toilet is around the back of the building, requiring you to negotiate some cobblestones and a small step.
Finally went on Saturday. The menu has changed but the mushrooms on toast pretty much exists. It was lovely but they really love to put sauerkraut on all their dishes.
ReplyDeleteBut my frind's avocado on spelt toast was shit. It was dry and tasteless. The hot chocolate was warm milk with chocolate powder which is a huge sin in my book. My friend got the overpriced $10 cashew milk chai which is exactly what you wrote above-the cinnamon on top had the most flavour. Total rip off.
Sadly the French toast gone for a toasted banana bread.