Molly Adventures Part 8 (Melbourne)

While Molly and co were off at the beach, I went back into the city to hide out in some air conditioned buildings. I went to the Immigration Museum, which I had never been to but had been recommended to me. I definitely would also recommend it, it is very interesting, though often confronting. I learned a lot of things that I never knew, some of which were very disturbing, but very important to recognise. When I got about half way through, there was a great influx of school students, which disturbed my peace somewhat. But I think it is good that kids are being taken to places like this. On a lighter note, they had a room with a recreation of a ship so that you could see what different conditions were like traveling to Australia. On the outside, they had some windows that talked about introduced animals. Including this cat, which says 'Reason for immigration: Job opportunities as pet and hunter'. They also had one for rats which said 'Reason for immigration: We go where we please.'



I was getting hungry, but also not wanting anything too heavy. I thought I might try a place called Divine Realm that I had seen talked about on blogs, but although the internet said they were open, they were not when I got there. I decided to go to my old faithful Supercharger, but as I was walking noticed a place called Nosh that had poke bowls and sushi burritos. And while I hated the name of the restaurant, I was definitely keen on trying the Tempeh Teri-san bowl (teriyaki glazed soybean cakes, lotus and tofu, with quinoa and beetroot, kale, walnut and goji berry greens, topped with seaweed, pickled ginger and fried onions).



After lunch, I wandered around the city a bit before heading back to the room. It was HOT, so I spent a few hours lying around in the air conditioning and preparing myself for dinner. We had a few options for where we might go for dinner on our last night in Melbourne, but ultimately decided to try out the Tramway Hotel, a pub where a lot of the food has a vegan version. Molly ordered the vegan chicken burger, which had an Old Bay-spiced tofu cutlet, lettuce, tomatoes, ranch, pickles and slaw.



There were two things on the menu that I really wanted to try, both from the 'share' section. So I got them both, though my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach! I got the vegan mac and cheese (which was very creamy and comforting, though I could have done with a bit more cheesy flavour) and the vegan mushroom poutine (excellent gravy!). This perfect comfort food combination was nevertheless a little too much for me, but thankfully I had Molly to help. We were able to finish off all the poutine, and took a bit of the mac and cheese home to stick in the fridge. The next morning for a pre-brunch snack I mixed the cold leftovers with some of the leftover creamy pesto potato salad and it was such a great combination.



Despite it now being well after sundown, it was still very hot. We got sweaty during the walk there, the Tramway was not airconditioned, and we needed something to help us cool down. So luckily Girls & Boys was on our way back to the hotel. Happily for Molly, their soft serve was working and she got to enjoy a choc top. I went for a scoop of Orange Blossom Pistachio, which was lovely and light.



On our final morning in Melbourne, we were super excited to go and check out Handsome Her and it did not disappoint. Even though it was hot, I couldn't say not to a Taro Latte (think warm and delicious purple cookie drink), while Molly had a more weather appropriate Iced Chocolate.





All the food is named after women. I knew that I had to get the Rosa Parks, a beetroot brioche bun filled with mushroom, pumpkin, bechamel, and mozzarella, with pea puree, salad, five spice crumble and almond feta. It was divine! Though it looks like has been removed from the new summer menu that they just released.



Molly went with the Kelis off the specials menu, a pulled jackfruit burger with smoky BBQ sauce, rainbow slaw, mayo, avocado, onion rings and pineapple on a charcoal bun.



Handsome Her also has a fun range of baked goods, though we didn't get any.



That is because we were on our way back to...Smith & Deli for the fifth and final time, to get lunch and some snacks for the plane.





For treats for later, I picked up an Iced Vovo and an Apricot, Raspberry, & Thyme Shortbread. Both were amazing. They must be using aquafaba for the icing and filling of the Vovo, and for the swirl on the shortbread, because they both had a wonderful marshmallow feel.



Of course I had to try a final flavour of my beloved Sugar & Spice fermented tea.



For my final sandwich choice, I got The Better Bundy, which is a BLT with Avocado (because why would you not put avocado on a BLT?). It was simple, as BLTs tend to be, but I love them and I enjoyed it a lot.



I also got another one of their savoury scrolls, this time a cheese, bacon and gherkin one. This ended up in my freezer in Brisbane when we got home, but thawed and heated up beautifully for a very tasty lunch.



Then it was time to fly home. We were flying with QANTAS, and if you mark that you are vegan when you book your ticket they will provide food on some flights. Our flight down was a 'snack' flight, so vegans get nothing. But our flight home was a 'meal' flight, so we each got a box of rice with curry. One of the curries was a bit too coconutty, and the other was a bit too spicy, but a decent enough meal. Much better than some of the other plane food I have been given in the past!



Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



On our walk down Brunswick St to get to the Tramway Hotel, we walked by a closed shop that had this cute kitty making smooches through the window.

Molly Adventures Part 7 (Melbourne)

After breakfast with Leigh, I met up with Molly at the World Vegan Day festival in Melbourne. It was huge! They even had special trains running from the city, as well as people waiting at tram stops to make sure everyone knew that this was the stop. There was lots of food, of course, and a lot of stalls selling cool things and offering samples. I sampled some cheeses and drinks and krauts, which was fun. I also picked up some Loving Earth chocolate covered Incan berries, and some plant-based wax re-usable wraps. As for food... it was just too busy at that time (which was peak lunch time), and neither of us felt like waiting in massive lines. I did get a lovely mango iced green tea from Those Girls, which was refreshing on a hot day in a crowded venue.



We reached our quota for being around large groups of people, and hopped on a train to the city to get something to eat. We both love sushi, and Sushi Sushi is my favourite Australian chain. So we stopped by and loaded up some plates.



The afternoon was spent lounging around the hotel. And I had a cherry danish that I had bought from Smith & Deli for afternoon tea.



For dinner, we had very special plans at the late dinner seating for Transformer in Fitzroy. This is a fancy vegetarian place, with lots of vegan options. I had been there once before and loved it, and was excited to go back. This place is pricey, but worth it. Last time I had the 'Feed Me' menu, a set price for five courses the kitchen chooses. This time we went on our own adventure. We both refreshed ourselves with the Watermelon, Mint, Chia and Lavender Salt Elixir, and amused ourselves with a shot of the Ayurvedic Elixer (ginger, turmeric, tamarind, coconut water). The latter looks like mud water, but was quite tasty!





The menu is divided into starters and larger plates, and is designed for sharing. We kicked off with a couple of small plates. First up, the spelt & seed steamed buns with crispy smoked tofu, pickled cucumber & gochujang mayo. We got the mayo on the side so I could control the heat level, I tried a little but it was pretty spicy, so just ate my bun without it.



Probably our favourite of the night was the roast carrot, white bean & saffron dip with toasted cumin and flatbread. I could happily eat a tub of the dip with a spoon, and the flat bread was delicious and hot.



We had a refreshing start to the larger plates, with the chilled freekeh sealad with almond, mint, fresh apple, snow pea & fennel. I loved this one, probably my second favourite of the night.



Unfortunately the steamed broccolini with chickpea & miso butter, daikon & chive powder was a miss for me. This is one of the ones that is vegetarian with a vegan option, and it turned out that their vegan modification was to use coconut oil instead of butter. Even a tiny taste was enough to make me feel a little queasy. Thankfully Molly was happy to finish this off for us.



The King oyster mushrooms with confit garlic & pine nut purée, smoked shallot & porcini salt was another favourite. You can't really go wrong with big slabs of well cooked, salty mushrooms!



I enjoyed the native spiced beetroots with ginger pearls, macadamia cream, finger limes, salt bush & samphire. They were cooked to be very soft, and the ginger pearls were a fun texture.



Finally, we had the festive cider glazed roast red cabbage with celeriac & horseradish purée & toasted rye. This was a lovely end to the meal, and I could have easily had more of the puree!



We finished by sharing a dessert of their small dessert menu, the warm chocolate brownie with salted coconut ice cream, hazelnut ganache, and cherry gel. With the ice cream of the side, as far too coconutty for me. The brownie is so rich, that it is not a bad idea to share! I wish I could get a lot more of the cherry gel, which is my favourite part. I also had a turmeric latter on soy, no sweetener.





The next morning, we met up with Molly's friend Fran and her friend Marta to go out to Matcha Mylkbar for breakfast. For a Monday morning, this place got packed! I'd been there once before, and was excited to try out some more of their ridiculous lattes. Thankfully the Purple Peanut Butter Latte (astronuts natural peanut butter, purple okinawan sweet potato, soy mylk, coconut aminos) did not disappoint.



Unfortunately, the menu did kind of disappoint. It was different from what was online, and it was very very very small. Looking at their website, it looks like they have yet another new menu with loads more options, so perhaps we were there during a change over menu? Anyway, we had all hoped to get something that was not available. Please keep your menus up to date online!

Marta got the Hollondaise eggs with kale and avocado on sourdough, which she enjoyed. I have had their eggs before, and while they look like eggs they taste nothing like them, they are kind of sweet. Marta was glad that I had warned her about the taste, because it meant she could enjoy them for what they were, not for what she thought they were meant to be like.



Fran got the Match Pancakes with dark chocolate sauce, fruit, and macadamia ice cream. I tried a little bit and these were very rich and dense, a small stack is all you need.



Molly and I both got the Avocado Toast with Zaatar and a side of Nut Feta, which was excellent. I know, I know. Avocado toast is the standard 'vegan' option as many places, but I love it.



They also have some bakery stuff there you can get. Molly and I were going to try some doughnuts, but they forgot that we ordered them and they never came, so we decided to skip them as we were all pretty satisfied already.



Molly, Fran, and Marta wanted to head off for some beach adventures after breakfast, as we were at St Kilda. This is all too sunny for me, so we parted ways for the day and I went on my own way. More on that next post!

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



We passed this handsome friend as we were walking to Transformer, and they were very happy to act cute and pose for the camera.

Molly Adventures Part 6 (Melbourne)

Even after our fabulous late lunch, we were still looking forward to dinner. Mostly, I needed some vegetables after a day of eating extremely delicous carbs. Yong Green Food is an old Melbourne favourite of mine, so we headed there for dinner. I got a Green Energy juice (kale, spinach, carrot, apple, orange) to start getting those vegetables in early.



I went for a simple Teriyaki Tofu & Vegetables, which also came with some pickles on the side.



Molly got some Mock Tuna Nori Rolls and the Macro Dragon Bowl (rice, veggies, seaweed, tofu, tahini sauce and some miso soup).





When we got back to our room, it was time for dessert! Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop is across the road from Crumb's Organic Bakehouse, a largely vegan bakery. Two vegan bakeries in the same street? I know! Anyway, Crumb's used to have a much more convenient North Melbourne location, that had tragically closed. But they make the best doughnuts ever. Cinnamon sugar sourdough donuts, in fact. So I had to stop by and pick one up, and it was just as delicious as I remembered.



I had also bought a Chocolate Polish Babka from Mister Nice Guys, which was phenomenal.



The next day was Smith & Deli day!! Well, another one. But this time we had plans to go twice - breakfast and lunch. Saturday is croissant day at Smith & Deli, so we headed out to start our day with those. I had the Croissantwiches of Eastwick, which have ham, tomato, cheese and mustard baked into the middle. I also got a bacon and egg frittata, and one of their best ever in the world chai lattes. Totally worth the heart palpitations that the caffeine in black tea gives me. Molly also started her day with some sugar, getting in a Salted Caramel Slice.







After breakfast, we had a stroll around Fitzroy so that Molly could look at the shops, and picked up a few pretties and goodies here and there. Then I headed back to Smith & Deli for lunch (Molly had several leftovers from our trips to the bakeries the day before). All thoughts of what sandwich I should get were banished from my head when I saw that they had pizza! I have long wanted to get pizza from there, but they have never had it when I visited. This was a Hawaiian Chicken BBQ Pizza as well... like they knew I was coming! The pieces were HUGE, and it was so tasty! I also got a small serve of a delicious Creamy Pesto Potato Salad, and the Guava & Desert Lime flavour of the Sugar & Spice Fermented Tea. This was an amazing lunch, which I enjoyed back in the cool of the hotel room.



After the last couple of days of travel, walking, sun and heat, my body needed a cool rest. So I spent the afternoon in the hotel watching Netflix (who else love/hates Riverdale?), reading my Kindle, and listening to podcasts, while Molly took herself adventuring with plans to meet up for dinner later. I was glad for the downtime, I definitely needed it.

Dinner was... more pizza! We headed to Red Sparrow Pizza, Melbourne's vegan pizza place. Last time I went, we didn't have a reservation and ended up just squeezing into some seats at the bar. This time we were better prepared - definitely make a reservation here if you want to eat it, it is very popular! I got a Greener Bruce juice to squeeze in some more vegetables, albeit in liquid form.



We ordered a basket of Rosemary Fries, with both aioli and ranch to dip. These were really nice, and the sauces were good too.



We shared the Supergreen Pizza and the Mushroom Pizza. The Supergreen had a spinach and kale pesto base, zucchini, broccolini and pepitas. It was good, loads of green bits, but could have done with a bit more seasoning and a little something to help lift the flavours. Maybe some balsamic drizzle? Or some aioli? The mushroom pizza was our favourite, with a white base, porcini, swiss brown, caramelized onion and thyme, with parmesan, fresh oregano and rocket. It also comes drizzled with truffle oil, but I have complicated feelings about truffle, so we got that on the side.



While they have dessert pizzas and pies, we were already taking home a couple of leftover slices of our pizzas, and were in the mood for something a bit lighter for dessert. Girls & Boys is a vegan ice cream parlour in Fitzroy. I had been caution about going there, they use coconut in the base of their ice cream, but I tried some samples and it was fine. Better than fine. It was lovely. Molly had her heart set on their soft serve, but the machine wasn't working. But I love scoops, so I got a scoop of Balsamic Strawberry and a scoop of Salted Peanut Butter. It was so great! I loved the obvious saltiness in the peanut butter.



On Sunday morning we had planned to had out to World Vegan Day early. But it was Molly's turn to need a rest. So I went out for brunch with my friend Leigh at Ray's Cafe in Brunswick. I've been to Ray's once before, and I was a big fan, so I was excited to get back. I started with a green smoothie, A Tribe Called Cress, which had kale, cress, celery, ginger, apple, mint and flaxseed. I enjoyed the peppery kick that the cress gave it. Leigh got a vegan Bloody Shazzer, which is a bloody mary complete with celery, a huge pickle, and some tofu bacon. Be sure to specify that you want everything vegan if you go here, because they also have things with the same name on the omni menu.





I was excited to try the Cauli & Cheesy-E Beans, which is a bowl of savoury comfort food. Spiced cauliflower, miso white beans, nooch, endive, sumac and lemon with sourdough bread.



I also tried some of Leigh's Hash Savage, which was smoked eggplant, scrambled tofu, smashed peas, pickled daikon, pomegranate and almonds on a hashbrown. The hash brown was a large rectangular slab of potato, which was tasty. The eggplant was OK, but we were both pretty underwhelmed by the tofu scramble. It was kind of bitter.



We also shared a serve of the Grizzly Beer Fries, which were topped with BBQ jackfruit, miso cheese, pickles and kim chi. They don't make any changes at Ray's, so I couldn't get it without the kim chi. Leigh swore it was very mild, and it really was almost more like a sweet chili sauce, but I was easily able to avoid it as I was eating.



Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



This cutie is Momo, and she is Leigh's new cat. I was super excited that I got a chance to meet Momo on this trip, even though it was just a five minute flying visit. She is so cute!