Going Vegan

Last month, MS organised a high school catchup. The wonderful thing about it is that everything was organised purely via sms. I'm still stuck in the old school days where most events get organised via emails. At least gmail puts it all into a thread, remember hotmail when every reply was a separate email? Ye-a, that was a while ago.

Then now there's facebook or google events... which is mainly where things happen now actually, but it's good that things do get organised via sms... though I tend to forget those a lot quicker than email organised stuff, unless it goes straight into google calendar or something.

Anyway, I digress. We ended up at Nourishing Quarter, located at Redfern.

From 06.12

Stanley tried his best, but unfortunately, the whole place was lit up with candles only. It's a very interesting place and one of the better vegetarian restaurants I have tried.

From 06.12

Pretty Dumplings: Savoury Asian Dumplings - with Royal Quinoa grains, diced tofu, chopped vegetables wrapped in wheat dumpling dough, garnished with fragrant fresh coriander and iron-rich watercress (seasonal), served with a savoury NQ dumpling sauce (hand made). 

From 06.12

Latasia Nourishing Rolls ~w Thðm Mint South American Royal Quinoa grains, Omega-3 Chia Seeds, light stir-fried crispy julienned vegetables, Textured Vegetable Protein (Tofu based), rolled in Vietnamese rice paper, served with NQ special Peanut & Bean Dipping Sauce.

* These are all descriptions and names taken directly from their website: http://nourishingquarter.yqme.com.au/menu/

From 06.12

NQ Humble Pies Savoury gourmet Vegetarian Pie with soya protein mince, pumpkin, mushroom, peas and Royal Quinoa Grains input, served with caramelised onions, home made tomato salsa

From 06.12

This was really good, it was one of the things that someone quite choosy with food would eat, which is a promising sign!

From 06.12

Passage to India (via Saigon ~ from the Min Dynasty) An Aromatic Curry ~w textured Tofu, pumpkin, chickpeas, peas and Amaranth. Served with Ancient Ama-Noa grains Mix, with Fruity Greens Summer side salads.

From 06.12

The grain mix that goes with the curry. I have to say, those descriptions don't really mean anything to me because I'm not very familiar with the different sorts of grains out there and the vegetarian/vegan alternatives. 

From 06.12

Quinoa Noodle Salads in two Sauces ~w Crunchy Tofu Pieces. An Asian-style noodle/pasta salad using Quinoa/Amaranth & rice flour base, with purple sweet potato noodles and Vietnamese spearmint, coriander, roasted sesame seasoning, garnished with living sprouts and crunchy marinated bean curd crinkles, served with zesty sesame oil, lime and chili accentuated dressings.

From 06.12

Gotta say, this salad is great. Loved the noodles and the crunchy tofu pieces that was almost like meat in terms of texture and looks. The dressing was wonderful as well, lime and chilli is a no-fail combination!

From 06.12

Can't really see, but up big, it says "any person leaving this gate open is liable to a penalty of forty shillings." I think we were one of the culprits... but it's good that they leave the door closed. Some restaurants keep their doors open and the cold air that comes in just completely chills everything and everyone. 

From 06.12

Their desserts were amazing. We ordered a serve of blueberry "cheese"cake and a chocolate one too. I don't remember what exactly was used to make these, but because it was vegan and sugar-free as well, they used some sort of nut (cashew nuts)? and blended it to make a smooth paste, with blueberry swirl. For a sugar alternative, they used a syrup (could have been maple, but it was going by another name). Loved the smooth texture! 

For the chocolate cheesecake, they used avocado with cocoa, which worked amazingly well. I searched for chocolate avocado "cheesecake" recipes online when I got home and found a few that seemed quite plausible to make, though I don't usually buy avocado... always forget about them in the fridge and then when I discover them again, they will be all brown and not quite edible anymore =(

From 06.12

From 06.12

The place was very cosy with very limited seating. Book before heading there for dinner because it's almost always booked out apparently. The interior decorating was very  nice, with heaps of pictures of the queen and quirky items lying around and on the shelves. Some things weren't available on their menu (because the chefs ate them all).  Did cost a little more than average, but it is definitely a good find for those who want a healthier option for dinner. I learnt quite a bit as well, in terms of food that you can use instead of animal products.