December 26, 2023
We had a quiet Christmas holiday in 2023 and did some online scouting for fun places to eat - Easy Vegan came out on top for being open on Christmas and Boxing days and having a menu that we were keen to try more from. We ended up grazing on home-baked cheesymite scrolls on the 25th, but took a break from the televised cricket on the 26th for an Easy Vegan lunch. They were doing a bustling trade, but had us all set up with a cleared table and complimentary tea in good time.
It's been an unusually humid summer in Melbourne so we were keen for more drinks beyond the tea: an apple, watermelon and ginger juice ($8, above right) for Michael, and a custard-apple smoothie ($10, above left, and an old Fina's favourite) for me.
Michael lunched on the Spicy Satay V-Chic ($17) with rice. This isn't as thickly peanutty as the Thai and Indonesian satays that we're most familiar with but is consistent with the other Vietnamese one we know from Fina's: it's very savoury and well-spiced, a little oily, and not fiery-hot. Zucchini and capsicum add a fresh contrast to the mock chicken, and it's just perfect with a side of steamed rice ($3).
I also trialled a dish I've known and loved elsewhere, the Hainan V-chic Rice ($16). They use a layered mock-chicken with a crisp 'skin', and you can see the accompanying vegetables are on the fence between 'garnish' and 'side'. The real stars here are the rice and the pouring sauce - so fragrant, so complex! Sweet, salty, somewhat spicy, and herbal with a little funk.
There are a couple of vegan groceries at the counter, and we picked up a portion of vegan pâté on our way out. This made our next batch of home-made banh mi extra-special.
Easy Vegan excels again! Perhaps on our next visit it's time splurge on the pricier DIY V-ish rolls.
____________
You can read about our first visit to Easy Vegan here.
____________
Easy Vegan
140 Victoria St, Richmond
0432 955 735
Accessibility: There is a small lip on the entry and a clear corridor through the centre of the restaurant. Furniture is solid, with low height tables and backed chairs. We ordered and paid at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets.
No comments:
Post a Comment