Hunting roots and berries in the city, part 1

I’ve visited a few new places for vego food lately in Sydney town, and thought I’d share what I’ve found. For a city this size I’m always surprised at how few vego places there are. Vego only places are a dream come true for vegetarians because you can peruse the whole menu and order with confidence knowing that there is no sneaky chicken stock or hidden fish sauce squirreled away in your meal. Vego places also usually ‘get’ some aspects of nutrition and taste that an omnivore café often fails to register (eg. that even non meat eaters want protein in their meals, or that after several years a person can tire of some kind of roast vegetable foccacia / Turkish bread/ sandwhich as the only vego option). For the most part dedicated vego restaurants in Sydney are Asian, thanks I guess to Buddhism, and these are great for vegetarians and vegans – vego Asian restaurants are almost exclusively vegan too because dairy doesn’t play a large part in their cuisine (Vietnamese post colonial stuff aside). These are lovely (Boddhis, Green Gourmet, Mamma Chu’s) but are mostly Chinese style cooking, which is great but only one slice (so to speak) of what I like to eat out. There have been some standout ‘nuvo Aus’ style cuisine vego-only places, such as Katoomba’s Nish Nosh, but this sadly lasted only a few years then disappeared. It seems like Melbourne has more of these than Sydney, is that because Melbourne is a city that gives a shit while Sydney is all about bling? (Hate to buy into the North South Eastcoast stereotypes but just wondering).

I personally think there is a real market for a couple more European or American influenced veg restaurants in Sydney. My top three suggestions would be:
- Mediterranean food – regional Italian, Greek, or Spanish or a combo of these
- North-South American food – think California style Mexican influenced
- Somewhere that is organic and all about high brow health food, very seasonal, clean and perky feeling, and posh enough to go for something special

I am also fine with eating at non-veg restaurants (mostly a pragmatic choice for convenience and variety – see above!), especially those with a decent variety of non-meat options on their menus. Lebanese, African, and good Italian places can often offer that – I suppose because peasant food is traditionally often light on meat and they have lots of interesting ways to do grains and beans and preserved vegetables.

African Feeling
1/501 King Street Newton
Ph 02 9516 3130
www.africanfeeling.com.au

African food in a cosy environment, with funky tablecloths and candles. the menu has meat and veg, but the vegetarian options are clearly marked, and extensive in range. One great thing about vego food at African restaurants generally is the supurb range of beans/pulses and grains. No worries about not getting enough of those coquettish amino acids, or getting stuck in a wheat rut. African feeling has a great thing on the menu for the indecisive, or maybe the solo diner wanting variety, which is the mixed plate of main courses. As in choose any three of the above and get a regular sized serve with a little bit of each, for a few dollars more. We did that for the mains – ordering a mnixed plate plus two regular dishes (so we tasted 5 in total), and also the entrees, trying the dumplings, plaintain chips and the lentil triangles. The triangles got the hands down thumbs up but the dumplings we thought were a little like small savoury doughnuts with not much appeal. This is definitely a place to get several dishes and share, and you can take your time as the food works well not piping hot. Vegan friendly as no dairy or egg in any of the mains, so no need to ask for any changes. We ended up with significant leftovers which they graciously packed away into (groovy moulded cardboard) take away containers and had enough for lunch the next day.


Sydney Dumpling King
183 Burwood Rd Burwood
Ph 02 97010055

Found myself in Burwood, and meandered to find a still-open dumpling place after the lunch rush. This one was clean and bright, with friendly staff, free tea, two different kinds of vego dumplings, freshly made (I watched them being made) and one serve is way more than one person would want so you might want to share 2 dishes between 3. Dumplicious.


Green Palace Thai Vegetarian
182 King Street Newtown
Ph 02 9550 5234

My new all time favourite vego restaurant. Don’t be distracted by the bay marie of curry and stir fries (unless you’re in a super hurry or want take away) but go for ordering off the menu instead and you’re in for a treat. There are mock-meat dishes here that cover the full range of thai faves – fish cakes, money bags, thom yum, thom kar gai, larb, stir fries, curries etc. The mock-meat thing I know is a little contentious for some vegetarians, but for me I really admire the cultural history of mock meat and see it as a sign of generosity towards including carnivores / having meals that keep everyone happy, rather than as a sign of a strange inability to let go of the idea of meat in a conflicted vegetarian. What I especially like about the mock meat style menu is the variety – of sauces, textures, dish construction. The tom yum here is excellent, and is one of the things I really miss about being vego, so it was a real treat to find this place for me. Oh, also really good value I think, price wise, and a nice busy, chatty, Newtown atmosphere, where BYO is fine and you get the requisite number of pierced and tattooed and funky folk – great for those days when you can’t quite do the austere silence of Mamma Chu’s for example. It’s like the punk rock version of Sydney’s otherwise chamber music vego Asian eateries. Oh except Bodhis – Bodhis is totally cool and is more like am expensive festival event with PJ Harvey and Phillip Glass and a Russian String Quartet and some kids on the triangle – stylish, high quality and cool.