After
already experiencing amazing food and meeting wonderful people, I didn’t think
it could get much better… but it did.
Pressed Juices
On my second day in Melbourne I made my way to pressed juices, something I had been looking forward to for months, as in Brisbane they are unheard of. Though very expensive the juices, mylks and smoothies were unreal. With a more then accurate description “Pressed Juices extracted by cold pressing is the most nutritionally complete juice available, and contains up to 5 times more vitamins, minerals and enzymes than juice made by any other method. Each morning our fresh produce is slowly cold pressed - no additives, no pasteurisation or preservatives, just live juice - and immediately bottled to ensure a shelf life of up to 3 days when refrigerated. Whether you're interested in a detox or cleanse program, or a daily juice to get in more servings of fruit and vegetables, Pressed Juices can help you feel your best both physically and mentally.” And yet a better slogan, “positively life changing” I was hooked and don’t know if that’s was a good thing or bad thing $$$ unfortunately for my wallet, there was a store right on the street of my hotel, and most mornings after running 5 km in the park, I stopped on the way back too my hotel to buy a juice. The menu is huge, and every morning I had lots of trouble deciding which one I wanted. Luckily though, the taste testing option was available and after annoying the employees every morning by asking for a dozen taste tests, I was always able to make a decision. I tried multiple but purchased, earth 3 (apple, beetroot, ginger, lemon) earth 4 (apple, carrot, ginger) antiox 3 (acai, blood orange, passionfruit, lucuma) And the delish choc almond mylk (almonds, cacao, dates, filtered water, sea salt) I did taste test a few of the green ones and really didn’t like them, I’m more of a carrot juice gal and I think that is why My favourite was earth 4, with the runner up being the chocolate almond mylk, as it really tasted like actual chocolate milk. If you’re in Melbourne I recommend checking pressed juices out, they are expensive but you have to try at least one! And the flavour explosion is totally worth it. There are a few located in Melbourne but the one I frequently visited was on Collins St in the city.
Pressed Juices
On my second day in Melbourne I made my way to pressed juices, something I had been looking forward to for months, as in Brisbane they are unheard of. Though very expensive the juices, mylks and smoothies were unreal. With a more then accurate description “Pressed Juices extracted by cold pressing is the most nutritionally complete juice available, and contains up to 5 times more vitamins, minerals and enzymes than juice made by any other method. Each morning our fresh produce is slowly cold pressed - no additives, no pasteurisation or preservatives, just live juice - and immediately bottled to ensure a shelf life of up to 3 days when refrigerated. Whether you're interested in a detox or cleanse program, or a daily juice to get in more servings of fruit and vegetables, Pressed Juices can help you feel your best both physically and mentally.” And yet a better slogan, “positively life changing” I was hooked and don’t know if that’s was a good thing or bad thing $$$ unfortunately for my wallet, there was a store right on the street of my hotel, and most mornings after running 5 km in the park, I stopped on the way back too my hotel to buy a juice. The menu is huge, and every morning I had lots of trouble deciding which one I wanted. Luckily though, the taste testing option was available and after annoying the employees every morning by asking for a dozen taste tests, I was always able to make a decision. I tried multiple but purchased, earth 3 (apple, beetroot, ginger, lemon) earth 4 (apple, carrot, ginger) antiox 3 (acai, blood orange, passionfruit, lucuma) And the delish choc almond mylk (almonds, cacao, dates, filtered water, sea salt) I did taste test a few of the green ones and really didn’t like them, I’m more of a carrot juice gal and I think that is why My favourite was earth 4, with the runner up being the chocolate almond mylk, as it really tasted like actual chocolate milk. If you’re in Melbourne I recommend checking pressed juices out, they are expensive but you have to try at least one! And the flavour explosion is totally worth it. There are a few located in Melbourne but the one I frequently visited was on Collins St in the city.
15 Collins St Melbourne CBD
Hours:
Monday
|
7:00 am –
6:00 pm
|
Tuesday
|
7:00 am –
6:00 pm
|
Wednesday
|
7:00 am –
6:00 pm
|
Thursday
|
7:00 am –
6:00 pm
|
Friday
|
7:00 am –
6:00 pm
|
Saturday
|
7:00 am –
6:00 pm
|
Sunday
|
8:00 am –
5:00 pm
|
Camberwell Sunday market
I also headed to the Queen Victoria market with my mum, it was crazy, but I LOVED IT! As there is nothing like it in Brisbane, they had everything and anything from a deli to an organic section with a loving earth stall selling loving earth products at wholesale prices. It reminded me of the Paddington markets in Sydney. We bought some organic fruit and vegetables and headed to the Camberwell Sunday market, which is like a suitcase rummage for you Brisbane folk. We got there a little bit late as they are open from 8am – 12pm every Sunday and we got there at 11.30, though we were late mum found some good finds. I’d recommend checking them out if you are in the area and looking for some cheap, vintage second hand finds.
https://sundaymarket.com.au/
PANA CHOCOLATE
The next day was spent shopping on the famous chapel street, visiting the famous St Kilda beach which was beautiful and eating fruit from the queen victoria market. We also made a visit to the Pana Chocolate shop in Richmond. Hidden away on church street, this little shop is home to the RAW ORGANIC HANDMADE. Australian Pana Chocolates, the shop stocks house-made raw pana chocolate cheesecakes and a variety of raw chocolates. They also sell hot chocolates, coconut water and spring water. The chocolates stocked in the shop are very different to the chocolate bars on the shelves in Australia. Besides the staff being rude the chocolates mum and I purchased and the cake we shared was delicious. We purchased a lavender and maqui chocolate, a raw salted peanut butter chocolate and a raw raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake to share.
Phone
|
1300
717 488
|
Website
|
Mon - Wed: 9:30
am - 4:30 pm
Thu: 9:30 am -
6:00 pm
Fri: 9:30 am -
4:30 pm
Sat: 9:30 am -
3:30 pm
MONK BODHI DHARMA
On Tuesday I met the gorgeous Anna and we made our way to balaclava to check out the famous Monk Bodhi Dharma.
After seeing many posts from some of the fantastic Melbourne vegan blogs I follow on instagram I knew I had to check out Monk Bodhi dharma. Before I even got there I knew what I wanted to share with Anna. The creamy mushrooms and the vegan buckwheat pancakes, and they were exactly what we got. The gorgeous Monk Bodhi Dharma is nestle in a little alley way in Carlisle St, the staff are super friendly… but what makes the place is the A+ vegan brunch options. The menu is small but the quality of the dishes makes up for it. The creamy UMAMI MUSHROOMS
(Slow roasted king oyster, shitake, oyster & swiss brown mushrooms on a house made pumpkin, spinach & sun dried tomato polenta bread) were delicious, creamy and perfect on the cold morning in Melbourne; the house-made polenta was divine and paired with the creamy mushrooms made a satisfying dish. Due to the variety of mushrooms and being paired pumpkin bread, the flavours were insane! I would definitely recommend to a savoury breakfast lover! Though the mushrooms were crazy good the AVIGNON APPLE PANCAKES blew my mind, the description doesn’t do them justice. Gluten free Buckwheat apple pancakes served with cinnamon ice cream, maple syrup, vanilla bean whipped cream and dehydrated apple chips. They were by far the best vegan pancakes I’ve ever tasted, my mother who had them with me on another time we ventured to monk for breakfast said they were the best pancakes she had ever had. They were fluffy but moist and tasted like sweet cinnamon donuts and paired with the raw cold ice-cream, vanilla cream, fresh seasonal fruit and maple syrup it made them a sweet lovers breakfast delight. Being a sweet loving person usually in the morning, these pancakes really hit the spot. Both dishes hit about the $20 dollar mark, but the mammoth portions were worth it.
Monk also does dinner every Friday night and mum and I made sure to book. The menu was small, but the dishes made up for it. They had a variety of raw and cooked dishes, entrees, mains and desserts. We ordered the raw carrot and corn wraps for entrée, the wraps where dehydrated and filled with a raw vegan pesto and various seasonal raw vegetables. They were nice, but the wraps themselves were soggy and were hard to enjoy. For the mains I ordered the raw vegan falafel plate and mum order the European plate. They were massive! I loved my dish, there were raw crackers, raw falafels, raw olives, a trio of raw dips (raw hummus, raw beetroot dip and a raw vegan tzatziki) it reminded me of raw pizza I had previously had a naked treaties in Byron Bay, it was super delicious. Mums dish was average, it included cabbage wraps filled with rice, beans, and stuffed capsicum. I tasted the beans and they were nice, but the rest of the dish just didn’t sit with me. For such a $$$ price the dish wasn’t worth it. For dessert we shared the raw vegan deconstructed snickers, it was delicious but there was to much chocolate, in which we left, however the combination of raw vanilla ice cream, peanuts, raw caramel nougat and raw chocolate paired perfectly, it was super rich, so I would recommend sharing.
If you are in need of a delicious healthy breakfast you have the head to Monk Bodhi Dharma they have the best vegan pancakes ever created in existence.
http://www.monkbodhidharma.com.au/
Address: 202 Carlisle St, Balaclava VIC 3183, Australia
Phone:+61 3 9534 7250
Hours:
Monday
|
6:30 am –
5:00 pm
|
Tuesday
|
6:30 am –
5:00 pm
|
Wednesday
|
6:30 am –
5:00 pm
|
Thursday
|
6:30 am –
5:00 pm
|
Friday
|
6:30 am –
5:00 pm
|
Saturday
|
8:00 am –
5:00 pm
|
Sunday
|
8:00 am –
5:00 pm
|
The Staple Store
After breakfast Anna and I headed of to the The Staple Store, a health food shop hidden in the suburb of Ripponlea, which I had been excited to visit for months. Known for their raw vegan oreos, this little shop filled of wholesome goodies is probably the best health food shop in Australia. Giddy with excitement we both headed in I immediately started placing stuff in my basket, pats and veg sauerkraut, various dried fruits, staple stores Bircher muesli (freeze dried watermelon, dehydrated blood oranges, inca berries, gf oats, loving earth raw chocolate, sour cherries and so much more) Sprouted millet bread, the staple stores super food butter and of course raw oreoes, they had a variety of flavours including strawberry and goji, vanilla and macca, cacao, peppermint and espresso. $50 later Anna and I left happy with our purchases. During my stay in Melbourne I tried the vanilla and maca rawreo, the cacao and coconut rawreo and the goji and strawberry rawreo. All were delicious but my favourite was the vanilla and maca. The staple store was incredible; they literally had everything in bulk, from loving earth buckinis to dehydrated oranges. They also had nearly every single raw chocolate available, a variety of delicious wholegrain breads, including deeks quinoa bread and sprouted millet and vege bread, a variety of spreads including raw vegan nutella and house made super food butters, a variety of dried fruits, coconut yogurts and HEALTHY baking mixes for loaves, cookies, bliss balls and bars. They just had so much I can’t mention it all. I also love the fact that they emphasis recycling and being kind to the environment. If you are in Melbourne, you must stop at the staple store! The lovely owner caity, her staff and the little health food shop is a must stop for the health conscious visiting Melbourne.
Address: 19 Glen Eira Rd, Ripponlea VIC 3185, Australia
Phone: +61 3 9523 0190
Tue - Fri: 10:00
am - 6:00 pm
Shoku Iku
“Shoku iku is not your ordinary cafe/shop. it is a place to learn and experience this dynamic way of eating. Introducing raw food and living food to you, using healing organic/biodynamic ingredients, emphasizing the importance on fruits, vegetables and whole natural foods and also the use of "super foods" and "super herbs" We create our dishes using seasonal 100 % organic or chemical free ingredients, which promotes our strong belief of consciousness, well beings and sustainability for ourselves and the planet. The water used for out drinks and meals are filtered with reduced fluoride and other chemicals found in tap water. All of our nuts and seeds are activated for the maximum nutrition and digestibility. All our sweetener’s are as close to nature as possible. No refined sugar or over processed syrup including agave syrup are used.”
The description on Shoku Ikus website fits the little cafes aura, atmosphere and food perfectly. Nestled on high street in Northcote, it would be easy to miss this little beauty, but boy you really wouldn’t want to pass it by. Every day the menu is different, its simple where you either order a large or small raw organic mixed lunch, you can also purchase raw desserts that are made on the day, a range of smoothies and any raw items they have in the café for sale at the time (probiotic yogurt, raw cacao mulberries ect). The café is also open for dinner on a Saturday night as well as brunch Saturday and Sunday. The small organic mixed lunch is $12 and the large is $15 though the options are limited the delicious food makes up for it. On the day Anna and I were the mixed lunch was cashew and butternut pumpkin salad, silver beet and carrot salad with apple cider and spinach dressing, leaf salad with zucchini and apple flax leather, house-made sauerkraut and quinoa and chia crackers with cashew cream. The mix was incredible and tied with Yong green food for the best lunch I’ve ever had. Shoku Iku is the best raw café I’ve ever been too, the lunch was light and refreshing, not too creamy and really hit the spot. We also shared a green smoothie and a raw banana cacao cream cake, the cake was divine, but both Anna and I agreed that the smoothie tasted too much like green supplement powder. The cake was the best I’ve tried, it reminded me of the ice-cream cakes I used to have as a kid. Not only was the lunch incredibly delicious, the staff were super friendly, the whole atmosphere and aura of the café was welcoming, the benches were covered in crystals and I really just felt a sense of peace.
Address: 120 High St, Northcote VIC 3070, Australia
Phone:+61 403 569 019
Hours:
Monday
|
Closed
|
Tuesday
|
Closed
|
Wednesday
|
11:30 am –
4:00 pm
|
Thursday
|
11:30 am –
4:00 pm
|
Friday
|
11:30 am –
4:00 pm
|
Saturday
|
6:00–10:00
pm
|
Sunday
|
11:30 am –
4:00 pm
|
Before I knew it my trip was nearly over. After enjoying a delicious dinner at monk on my last night in Melbourne, on our way back to our hotel we saw a protest going on, to ban McDonalds, it was the funniest and most inspiring thing I had seen in a long time. It made me happy that even though everyone around the group of people protesting was giving them grief about what they were doing they continued to smile and fight for what they believed in. I was starting to feel sad though as I realized my wonderful trip was coming to an end. On my last day, I made my way to the Queen victoria market to say my good-byes to Ally and Anna, I had the day before gotten friendship bracelets made for us, the girls loved them. It was sad knowing I wouldn’t see two of my soul sisters for a very long time. Whilst at the markets Ally bought me the new raw vegan caramel chocolate from the loving earth stall there, it was and is seriously so delicious. Anna had to go to work so Ally and I headed to the staple store to share rawreos together and to Yong green food for my last lunch, ally had recently gotten her wisdom teeth out so was unable to eat anything and had a smoothie whilst I enjoyed a delicious macro dragon bowl.
We parted ways and I headed to Chapel Street after hearing Isabelle Cornish, a healthy body imagine advocate, actress and model, and one of the many women I look up to was going to be at a shoe store there. Nervous and excited I headed into the shoe shop and found myself start struck, in the only voice I could master (small and squeaky) I introduced myself as so did she and I asked for a photo, she said she loved my outfit and had the same overalls as me… I couldn’t say anything, as I would dumb founded and ended up running out of the store! I then ended up blowing some money at top shop as I was in a daze and headed over to an organic froyo place to meet up with calypso and Isabel one last time before I left. It was called Frozen by a thousand blessings on Chapel Street. I had an organic probiotic mango vegan froyo with various toppings. (They had a huge range of organic toppings including house-made granola, fresh, stewed and dried fruit) After chatting for a while I made my way back to the hotel, ready to head home. I had packed a chocolate almond mylk, raw oreo and a big big fruit salad for the flight. I’m glad I did as the flight home was not as long as I anticipated…
Because of the extremes storms in Brisbane, our two hour flight back home became a 5 hour one as we had to stop in Sydney to refuel as we didn’t have enough fuel to fly around Brisbane waiting for the storm to pass over. Though I was mad I made an effort not to be as it could have been worse, we could have crashed due to the storm and the pilot was doing everything he could to keep us safe. We ended up hitting Brisbane’s shores at around midnight and I happily drifted off to sleep once we arrived home.
Melbourne is literally a vegan haven and I know I will be back, again and again. The culture, the food, the people and the city were everything I hoped and expected. I one day know I will be calling Melbourne my home. If you are vegan or ever if you are not please whilst you are in Melbourne check out the places I mentioned, they are all super duper amazing! Till next time melb!
Demi
x
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