Eating Out: Grown

I have now been to Grown a number of times, and it is always a lovely experience. Often when I have gone, it has just happened to be cold and rainy, and sitting inside sipping a hot drink is delightful. Also, my mum loves this place, specifically their scrambled tofu. So we've been a few times on a Sunday morning (Saturday mornings are very hard to find a park because there are some markets on down the road) to enjoy the menu. You can see some of my other visits to Grown here.

I mentioned hot drinks, and Grown has a nice selection. I don't drink coffee, but they have lots of options. Here is a Dark Hot Chocolate and a Spiced Chai, both on soy milk. The hot chocolate is particularly amazing, and another one of my mum's favourites.



Here is the famed scrambled tofu, which is served with toast and smoked sesame cheese. Also a hash brown added on, because you should always potato.



I was curious as what their homemade Vegemite would be, so I ordered toast and Vegemite. It was nice, but not Vegemite. It was some sort of sesame based product again, but didn't have that strong salty flavour that I want from when I am having Vegemite.



I enjoyed this lovely dish of polenta and braised french lentils. It was warming, and the flavour was lovely. They've recently redone their menu for summer, and sadly this has been taken off. Hopefully they will bring it back at some stage.



My dad tried the Housemade Hash Brown the one time he has come with us. While they do have the option to add a hash brown as a side to anything, they also make a feature meal of it. It had roasted tomato, avocado, greens, cannellini beans, and capsicum sauce. They have changed the accompaniments slightly in the new menu.



While there is a regular toastie on their menu, sometimes they have specials. I got this amazing Tempeh Toastie, which had sesame cheese, spinach, caramelised onions, and aioli in it... and I got a hash brown on the side of course!



Grown is a lovely place, and I definitely recommend it. I've been a couple of times since these visits as well, and I am hoping to make it back sometime soon for their dinner menu.

Grown - 21 Buchanan Street, West End - 07 3036 7213

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Dim Sim has been such a good perfect girl with her stitches, she hasn't been bothering them at all. Unfortunately the results came back to say that they couldn't be sure that the tumours were completely removed. So next week she will go back to the clinic, but will have to have a full general anaesthetic to remove more tissue. She will also have another lump on the back of her neck removed, and her teeth cleaned up, given that if we are going under we are going to do everything that needs doing. She has the best team of vets looking after her, but I am still a very worried mum.

Eating Out: Grown (ATP9 edition)

Grown is a delightful vegan cafe, and my mum's favourite vegan place to visit. A couple of months ago, we had been to the Gallery of Modern Art and QLD Art Gallery to see the 9th Asia-Pacific-Triennial exhibition. It was a grey and rainy day, so when deciding where to go for lunch afterwards Grown was the obvious choice - Mum and I have been there on many a rainy morning! You can read about some of those other visits here.

All three of us had one of their excellent Dark Hot Chocolates, which is perfect in drizzly weather.



I finally tried the Hash Brown Breakfast, which had one of their amazing hash browns topped with roasted tomato, and served with sauerkraut, greens, white bean puree, and avocado. It was meant to have capsicum puree as well, but I got them to sub with smoked sesame cheese.



Mum had her favourite order... in fact I don't think she's ever strayed from it. Scrambled tofu (with sesame cheese and toast), and an added hash brown. This is excellent, I can understand why she keeps going back for it.



Dad went for their Avocado Toast, which comes with housemade vegemite and smoked sesame cheese.



As for the APT9 exhibit, it was a bit lacklustre compared to previous occasions. Normally I find several pieces that I love, but this year I was a bit meh. But there were a couple that were cool. These are photographs of nori art on rice. All the black is painstakingly cut out nori sheets. The annoying thing was that it was women who did the actual cutting out and assembling of the art (they had a videos showing them doing it), and then a man took the photos and it was credited as his exhibit and work. Pfft.



I loved this amazing bee photograph! (Though unfortunately they also had a hive of live bees as part of the exhibit, and I don't think any animals should be used as entertainment. The bees were free to come and go, but they were from a bee farmer and were going to be taken back there after the exhibit and have their honey sold.)



Finally, this was awesome. Like a big apartment building facade, with each window giving a glimpse into a tiny room. Apparently they changed some of the rooms every day as well, so there would always be something new.



A further note on Grown, they have just changed up their menu to reflect the cooler weather! The avocado and scrambled tofu are still there, and the hash brown breakfast is as well but with some changes. It now has baked beans on it, which I am looking forward to trying!

Grown - 21 Buchanan Street, West End - 07 3036 7213

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For those who remember Winnie and Doris, I am happy to report that they finally got their forever home! They were adopted together by a wonderful client. This is Winnie, making herself very comfortable in my handbag.

Eating Out: Grown

At the end of last year (yes, I am behind), I went to dinner at Grown with a bunch of Brisbane vegan Instagrammers, at the invitation of my friend Tracee. Grown is a charming vegan cafe, that at the time had only recently started offering a dinner service. Six months on and their dinner service is still going strong, as well as their morning opening hours.

Tracee and I decided to share a few things, so that we could maximise out eating options. We started with a couple of small plates - The Olive, Sauerkraut, and Sesame Cheese, as well as the Baba Ganoush. Both came with slices of delicious house-made bread.





For larger plates, we shared the Roasted Cauliflower with Lentil & Cerveza Soup and Cripsy Buckwheat, and the Smokey Mash with Tempeh and Herb Sauce. I had no idea what cerveza was until I googled it, it means beer. They were both delicious, but the cauliflower was the stand out.





For dessert, I had the Baked Pink Lady Apple with Granola and Vanilla Ice Cream. Their housemade ice cream is coconut, but they have some good old So Good Vanilla as well, so they subbed that in for me to make sure I didn't have any coconut fat issues. This dessert may look and sound simple, but it was delicious. Like a perfect apple crumble.



It was a really lovely dinner, and I am looking forward to visiting again for both brunch and dinner. The menu in the cafe has changed since I was there, though they have not update their website or Facebook page with the current menu. But I'd love to see what they do in winter! They are also very good with gluten free people. One of our party was a coeliac, and they new exactly what was GF, what might have cross-contamination, and any subs that could be made. Overall, highly recommend!

Grown - Shop G3, 21 Buchanan Street, West End, Brisbane - 30367213

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Our adoption kitty Penny sleepsies and shows her feetsies!

Eating Out: Grown's First Birthday

I am super behind in posting some of the food I have been eating. What's new. I've been mixing it up a bit by swapping between recent and past eating adventures in my posts, most of the time it doesn't make much of a difference unless there has been a menu change. This one is super dated though, to September last year. Yikes! Mum and I went to Grown on their first birthday. They had a very special menu for the day, so it doesn't really matter too much that I posted it so late because unless you were there on the day, these special items were not available before and have not been available since. As seems to be the tradition, it was a rainy day when we were there. Every time the two of us has been it has been raining! Now when it is raining, we always want to go to Grown. Anyway, you can see other Grown adventures here.

I had the 'I Can't Live Without Cheese' Cheeseburger, that had confit jerusalem artichoke, cheddar, pickles, and mustard. I also took the option of adding on a hashbrown, because why not. I didn't realise that this didn't actually have a patty, just the confit jerusalem artichokes. That plus the hashbrown made for a very starchy burger. But it was tasty. I couldn't really taste the cheese though, which was sad for a cheeseburger.



My mum is obsessed with their tofu scramble, she has it every time we go. She was sad that the tofu scramble was not available on the special menu, but perked up when she realised they had a scrambled tofu wrap. The same delicious scrambled tofu with spinach and sesame cheese in a wrap.



We also shared some Triple Cooked Hand Cut Fries with Aioli, because you should always maximise your potato intake. They were salty and good. Pictured in the background is the hashbrown that Mum had on the side of her wrap. Because see above re potato intake.



Other special items on the birthday menu included Brioche Fairy Bread, a Where Do You Get Your Protein Burger (with a walnut, black bean, and zucchini patty), the But Plants Have Feelings Too Burger (with a fried polenta patty), a three scoop sundae, and a banana split. It was pretty fun! Grown continues to thrive, and is obviously well on the way to their second birthday. I love having this place in Brisbane, it is something special and I love it!

Grown - 21 Buchanan Street, West End - 07 3036 7213

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One little cat sitting at the table. Dim Sim rarely is interested in the table of what goes on top of it. Sahara used to love sitting on a chair or on a lap. I popped Dim Sim on this chair when I was putting her down from a hug walk, and she stayed and watched me for a little bit.

Eating Out: Grown

Australia is in the middle of a big COVID concern at the moment. Sydney and Victoria are locked down as I type. We have a mask madate up here. So this is back in prior times, in May, when my friend Amy and I went out to dinner with our friend Theresa who had come down to Brisbane for a few days. She got to pick the restaurant, and she chose Grown. I have posted about Grown a number of times before, and it is a place I love and will always recommend to visitors.

I was super excited to order some of their sesame cheese and greens dumplings... but that was the only thing they had sold out of! Heartbroken! Instead I ordered the Charred Broccoli with Warm Pickled Potato Salad. It may look simple, but it was really lovely. They got so much flavour into that broccoli!



Theresa ordered the Gobi Manchurian with Saffron Amasake and Crispy Fried Rice.



And Amy ordered the Housemade Gnocchi with Fresh Corn, Jalapeno, Coconut, and Herbs.



We all ordered the same thing for dessert, the Housemade Chocolate Cheesecake with House Burnt Marshmallow. Of course it came out and they were describing it an mentioned coconut oil and I mentally kicked myself for not checking. But I decided to just commit to it, and eat it before I could regret it. Because it looked amazing! And it was amazing! I could maybe taste a little bit of coconut in it initially, but it faded fast. The beautiful cheesecake was topped with some plum jam and then this toasted marshmallow that was divine. I drank a lot of water to help flush out any coconut oils, and I felt a little icky for a bit, but nothing bad or lasting, and it was kind of worth it for this delight!



Please enjoy Amy's professional hand modelling in the above photo!

Grown - 21 Buchanan Street, West End - 07 3036 7213

Eating Out: Grown

A few days after Abby passed away, my lovely friend Alana motivated me to get up out of bed and meet her for brunch. Getting out of bed and eating were two things that were not high on my agenda, but she gave me the push I needed. I met Alana through Abby, she is involved with the rescue Abby was adopted from, and we had become friends on Instagram. We met at Grown, where I have been several times before. When I made the booking, I asked for an outside table that was well undercover, and they provided with a lovely table for two, tucked under cover and completely separate from other people.

Grown makes the best hot chocolate, and we both got one. Even if you aren't in shock and grief, I recommend getting a big mug to soothe your soul.



I got the Congee, which came with slow roasted tomatoes, asian greens, woodland mushrooms, ginger, soy and mustard. This was just a perfect savoury bowl of comfort food.



I also got a side of one of their amazing Hash Browns, and also some of their fabulous smoked sesame cheese.



My friend got their avocado toast on gluten free bread. It came with housemade vegemite, sesame cheese, chickpea crumb, and pickled onion. She also got a hashbrown on the side.



On my way back to my car, I had to walk down by the river for a little bit. Which was beautiful. Even though the Brisbane river is brown, it is still nice to be near trees and water.



Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



I still cannot believe that my beautiful girl is gone. Sometimes it seems like she was a dream. How could that have happened? I love you so much Abby.

Eating Out*: Grown

*Not at the moment. STAY HOME!

Last year a friend visited Brisbane from interstate, and we went out for brunch at Grown, one of my favourite vegan cafes. You can see some previous visits here.

I had their amazing Dark Hot Chocolate on soy milk, and my friend had an Almond Latte.



My friend tried the avocado on toast, which came with homemade vegetmite and smoked sesame cheese.



I had my favourite, their silken tofu and mushroom scramble with a side of hash brown.The scramble also comes with a perfect piece of sourdough toast topped with smoked sesame cheese. This is so good, probably the best scramble I've ever had.



During COVID, Grown is currently still open for takeaway only, and is offering both brunch and dinner hours.

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Say hello to one of our neighbourhood kitties! This kitty enjoys hanging out in our yard, but normally takes off as soon as they see me. But the other day I was outside near the pool with Dim Sim on her harness, and they were very intrigued in my precious girl!

Eating Out: Grown (Birthday edition)

Hello friends, today is my birthday! I am turning 40, which apparently is a big deal but I am not so much a birthday person. I am not doing anything big for it, rather I am having a few small outings with only one or two people at each. And it started this morning, when my parents and I went to Grown for breakfast! You can see the other times I have been to Grown here. We all ordered the same thing! A mug of soy hot chocolate (their hot chocolate is the best!), and the tofu scramble (roasted mushrooms and silken tofu, with a slice of sourdough spread with sesame cheese) with a side of hashbrown (they make the best and crispiest ones) and seasonal sauteed greens. Everything was delicious, as it always is! But it was HUGE! We were all so full.





Afterwards I went home and made a cake! And while I was waiting for it to cool, we watched Bring It On. Bring It On is my favourite movie, and I will never get tired of watching it. It is iconic, and a classic. But about that cake...

Raspberry & Coconut Polenta Cake from Like A Vegan: I've had this on my too make list for ages, and this seemed like a great time. It is super fast to make! I mixed all the dry ingredients together the day before, so when we got home from breakfast I just pre-heated the over, mixed up the wet, and mixed it all together. So easy. It also fit my other birthday cake brief, because I am not a huge fan of icing. I love that this cake is delicious and gorgeous without needing ice cream! You could sift a bit of icing sugar over the top if you wanted to make it look a bit fancier (I did not do this because I am not an icing sugar fan), or serve it with a scoop of ice cream (definitely going to do this with leftovers). I highly recommend people try this cake out!



A couple of other birthday related photos...

My mum ordered me these beautiful bunch of flowers! She had ordered an arrangement with peonies, which are my favourite flowers, but the florist somehow managed to not actually include any. Good work florist! It is still a lovely bunch of flowers.



I also got some lovely vegan treats. My mum has ordered from this brand before, and she managed to get all of my favourites!



In other birthday-related news, two days ago I got my hair dyed pink again. This was my second time going pink, but this was a lot more pink over all of my hair! Here is a rare photo of me.



Stay tuned for more food-related fun times! I'm getting ready to go for dinner with some friends in a couple of hours.

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



This time last year, I knew Dim Sim was sick. What I didn't realise was how little time we had left together. Just 20 days. I am forever grateful that I decided to spend my birthday last year home with her rather than going out.

Molly Adventures Part 1 (Brisbane)

I hope you guys are all ready for a lot of long posts about an adventure that I had recently. At the beginning of this month my friend Molly came to visit, all the way from Seattle! She stayed for two weeks, and we had many adventures in Brisbane and Melbourne. Most of them food!

Molly arrived in the morning after an all night flight, so we had to plan some gentle activities to keep her going before an early night. After taking her home to drop off her bags and meet Dim Sim, we went out in search of food. We went to a little cafe called Frankee & Co, which is not too far away from my place. It has been on my to visit list for ages, so I was excited to try it out finally. Their juice of the day was Watermelon, Mint, & Lime, which sounded amazing so we both got it.



For food, I got The Vegan Bowl (Shiitake mushrooms, toasted mixed nuts, broccolini, eggplant, baby corn, roasted pumpkin, tofu, baby spinach & beetroot & ginger glaze), which was light and lovely. Though I could have done with a grain component to it. Molly got the Vegan Lasagne (layered vegetables, cashew nut cheese, salad greens & house made pesto), which she said was nice. Though the layers were all vegetables - no pasta! Carb it up Frankee!





Afterwards we went out to Daisy Hill to look for some local wildlife. They do have a Koala centre there with koalas in captivity, but that is not our jam. Unfortunately we didn't see any wild koalas (one day!), but we did meet a nice wallaby. Plus we also saw another wallaby on the way there.



We spent the afternoon getting properly settled at home, and Molly gifted me with an incredible array of goodies. I had sent a wish list of things that I love from the US, thinking she would get a couple of things, but she got almost all of it... in multiples!! So generous of her. This isn't even all of it! Plus all of the chocolate is from the Food Empowerment Project approved list! (A note, ClifBars do not use FEP approved chocolate, so you can see I only have the PB flavour of it.)





We went out for an early dinner in West End. Molly loves Japanese food as much as I do, so we went to MisoHapi (previous visits can be seen here) to eat all of the food! Sushi and ramen, hurrah! We got quite a few things, including the mandatory inari. But also we tried the Green Roll, which had avocado and cucumber inside and seaweed salad on top. I love seaweed salad! We also had some classic avocado rolls, of course, and the Tofu Nigiri that I really liked last time. To complete our snack course, we got some spring rolls and a Garden Roll, which had cucumber and carrot inside and avocado on top.







Of course we also had to get some bowls of ramen! Molly wanted the Shoyu version, so I got the Miso one again so that she could try a bit of it. The miso one was great, as previous, but I think I might like the shoyu one even more... I am shocked! Next time I go I will get a whole bowl of the shoyu one to myself to try so I can make a final decision.



And what better welcome to Brisbane than with an I Should Coco Ice Cream ? Being a Saturday, they were at the Boundary St markets. Molly got the Berry Merry, my favourite off the regular menu. I got the Chocolate Mango special, chunks of fresh mango with chocolate syrup, in my usual cone. I made a huge mess, a chunk of mango promptly fell off (but I caught it!), but I am committed to my cones no matter the cost. It was delicious and had great summery flavours.



The next morning, after Molly got a good sleep, we went out for brunch at Grown, a relatively new vegan cafe in West End that I was yet to get to. We started with drinks. I had a very pretty beetroot latte (though, like so many beetroot lattes, it was all about the colour and only a very faint flavour), and Molly had the spicy chai.



Molly was tempted by the sweeter side of the menu, and went with the Brioche French Toast (with seasonal berries, pepper ice cream, and caramel sauce). I tried a bite and it was good but so sweet! Molly enjoyed it, but thought it was a bit sweet to get through the whole thing that early in the morning.



We both ordered a side of hashbrowns, so Molly had some savoury as well to balance it out! The hashbrowns are large, hot and delicious! I ended up also choosing the Scrambled Tofu (with sautéed asian mushrooms and sesame cheese on multigrain sourdough) and a side of avocado. The scramble was made with silken tofu, which is not my texture preference, but it had lovely flavours and was great with the sesame cheese toast and avocado, so all around I would recommend this.



Afterwards we went to South Bank, which is a pretty iconic Brisbane experience. We went to GOMA, the QLD Museum, and the State Library, all of which always have free exhibits available to see. At GOMA, we were pleasantly surprised to find a Yayoi Kusama exhibit was open, and had a lovely time exploring some of her art.







Stay tuned for many more posts to come!

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It is lovely to see how brave and confident Dim Sim is around visitors these days! Doesn't even need any adjustment time, she is ready to accept your love!