December 11, 2025

I'll be honest: I was actually hoping to have my birthday lunch at Beit Siti. But they were taking a well-deserved break and it was no disappointment to head a little down the street to True North instead. Their menu is full of fun foods, with endless adaptations explicitly laid out. Do you want yours with Nuttelex or butter? An added egg? Bacon or facon? Some feta, or even salt and pepper tofu? They can do that. Also, they have a list of seven house-made non-alcoholic drinks! I had a blackberry and ginger fizz ($7).

I went back and forth on the Fermental As Anything ($24): uninspired by the name yet into the idea of smashed avo with pickley bits; not thrilled by the toast stacking or the possible domination of colourless tomato and raw onion over avocado... ultimately actually very, very pleased and finishing the lot! This was pebre, not salsa - lighter on the tomato with more chopped pickles than onions, a dash of rocket, and a train of fermented chilli tahini. This meal was bright, summery and satisfying.

Michael gets a bit excited every time he sees congee on a menu, so it was immediately the vegan-friendly Oatis Redding ($24) for him. As the name suggests, it's oat and not rice based, built up with mushrooms, kimchi, spring onion, chilli oil, fried shallots and, for a fee, salt and pepper tofu (+$6). He loved the lot, and I was impressed by the tofu chunk he let me taste - they're available direct from the sides list and I wanna get my own serve with whatever I order next at True North.

True North need never just be a Plan B - they've brought their A game every time we've visited.
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True North
2A Munro St, Coburg
9917 2262
Accessibility: There's a small step on entry and a pretty crowded interior (especially on the weekends when the stools at the bar are in use). We ordered at the table and paid at a high counter. The toilet is a narrow non-gendered cubicle.
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