I’d been meaning to visit Las Vegan Bakery & Cafe ever since they were awarded 2009 Victorian Vegetarian Restaurant of the Year by Vegetarian Network Victoria. I’m not sure how many other restaurants were in contention, but it’s a pretty impressive title nonetheless.
Las Vegan is a small little colourful cafe filled with the kind of paraphernalia you’d expect to see in a low-key vegan cafe – mismatched furniture, smiling Buddha statues, indoor plants and loads of eco-warrior pamphlets.
As its name suggests, everything in the cafe is free of meat and dairy, so don’t be fooled by the Thai ‘chicken’ burger, their most popular dish. I decided to go for their house specialty, the Nirvana lentil burger ($9). This comprised a giant tower of house-made sesame burger buns smeared with vegan mayonnaise and salsa, fresh lettuce, tomato and cucumber and a filling patty of lentils, barley, biodynamic rice and roasted ground nuts. It was tasty and fresh, although I’m not sure why they bothered accompanying it with a few pitiful shreds of lettuce – if you’re going to give me salad, do it properly please.
You can wash down your meal with the all-you-can-drink soy-chai tea, a bargain at $3.50, although I didn’t try it this time.
Just note that the cafe is open later on Thursday and Friday nights but not on weekends, which is a shame because I’m sure many of Collingwood/Fitzroy’s city-desk-job residents would enjoy chilling out with some healthy food at Las Vegan.
- Las Vegan Bakery & Cafe, 22 Smith St, Collingwood +61 3 9415 9001
All you can drink chai? I’m sold!
Hi Michael
If you end up trying the chai, let me know what it’s like. I like my chai thick and full of spice!
Jetsetting Joyce
The chai is decent, but a fairly DIY affair — the basic black chai is in a big urn, then you help yourself to warm soy milk (they used to have Bonsoy, but – like everyone else – are now stuck with something not as nice since the recall), honey and sugar. It’s good, but probably won’t blow you away.
Have you ever tried the chai from the stall at the Abottsford and Collingwood farmers markets? THAT is some seriously good chai.
Twitter: rbbrown
| April 15, 2010, 10:35 pm
Hi Ruth
No I’ve not tried the chai at the farmers markets but had noticed their sign that they were voted best chai in Melbourne. Guess I better give it a go! By the way, I’ve been drinking Pure Harvest soy milk (bought from Friends of the Earth) which I think is a pretty good alternative to Bonsoy.
Jetsetting Joyce
Well it hasn’t exactly been hot cup ‘o chai weather until now, but I don’t mind some on a cold Saturday morning with my Farmer’s Breakfast sandwich.
I like Vitasoy, though yes, Pure Harvest is good too.
.-= Ruth´s last blog ..Who said all Americans were jerks? =-.
Twitter: rbbrown
| April 16, 2010, 10:58 pm
Hi Ruth
Is the Farmer’s Breakfast sandwich sold at the same place at the chai? Before I head to the Farmers Markets I normally try to eat beforehand so I don’t shop hungry! But on your recommendation next time I think I will head straight for chai and sandwich, then shop.
Jetsetting Joyce
No, it’s the BBQ stand right in the middle of the Children’s Farm market (it’s not at the Convent one, unfortunately). Usually it’s quite close to the chai stall, though.
You can get any combination of egg, bacon, tomato and basil, and onion jam, on a really, really good wholemeal sourdough, plus their homemade tomato relish. They cook it to order on the BBQ right before you. It’s messy and sloppy but so freaking tasty — testament to the delicious flavours you can create when you use really top quality fresh ingredients. And it beats battling an army of prams and pushy parents at The Farm cafe (which is actually really good, but ugh, NOT on market day).
.-= Ruth´s last blog ..Tom Scott is running for London and Westminster. As a pirate. =-.
Twitter: rbbrown
| April 19, 2010, 10:46 pm
Oh yay, I’m so glad you reviewed Las Vegan — it’s one of my favourite cafes/restaurants/whatever.
It sucks that it isn’t open more evening and weekends, but the reason is that it’s operated solely by the eccentric-but-awesome couple who own it (and I’m pretty sure they live upstairs, too). If you go into the tiny kitchen (which you have to to get to the bathroom), you can see the wife cooking up literally everything herself, while the hippy husband offers spacey service out front. I love how personal and friendly this makes the place, but get that it means they need a break/life on weekends and a few nights a week.
They’re usually pretty generous with the salads and sides, so I’m surprised you got stinged.
I recommend trying the hand-cut chips as well next time — they’re big and chunky and sexcellent with the home-made salsa and/or satay sauce. I’d also recommend trying the Sloppy Joe and their vegan brownies.
Twitter: rbbrown
| April 12, 2010, 11:09 pm
Hi Ruth
Oooh, my mouth is watering just with your description of the chips and vegan brownies! Will definitely try it out next time. Maybe they were stingy with my salad because it was late in the afternoon (maybe 2:30?) when I had lunch there and they had run out?
Jetsetting Joyce
actually you have to order a salad on the side with your burger if you want one. what you got was the ‘garnish’ which comprises a handfull of salad mix, some cucumber and an olive with french dressing. just a tasty accompaniment, and pretty generous as far as ‘garnish’ goes!
Hi lia
Ah – thanks for clarifying. Yes as a garnish it came out as expected!
Jetsetting Joyce
Ah wait, I see: you’ve gotta pay a couple of bucks extra for sides (salad or chips), so yeah, I’d say they just chucked some lettuce there for decoration.
Twitter: rbbrown
| April 14, 2010, 10:07 pm
Hey just to let you know that Las Vegan is now open on Saturdays for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serves coffee.