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15 Wu Chang St, section1, Taipei, Taiwan

It’s every child’s dream of paradise: you choose what to eat and have as much as you like. When you walk into the Vegetarian Heaven you pick up a tray and pair of tongs, and are confronted by a vast array of dishes. There is tofu prepared in various styles, mushrooms with a flavour so intense they must have been dried and rehydrated (I’d like to know how this works), the greens the Chinese do so well, broccoli, various other vegetables, a dark dish based on sea vegetables, a satisfyingly not-too-sweet black bean desert and (how far can the borders of Chinese cuisine be extended?) potatoes. You pay by weight; rice and soup are complimentary. This restaurant gives a wonderful insight into a traditional and entirely vegetarian way of eating. The only danger is that, as you work your way through the vast amount of food you piled onto your tray, you will hear a distant voice from your childhood: ‘Someone’s eyes were bigger than his stomach.’

10 Little Stanley St, South Bank, Brisbane

During the days of the Empire on which the sun never set, Indian cooks devised a number of dishes calculated to please the British palate: a kind of fusion food, Raj style! Among these is mulligatawny soup, which the Ghandi Curry House does well. The lentils are pureed and nicely spiced, and soft rice lurks at the bottom of the bowl. There are also large samosas, where lentils are to be encountered as well as the usual mix of vegetables. The main dishes include Vegetable Kolapuri, in which carrots, green beans, peas and green capsicum swim in a tomato-based sauce. Some curry afficianados may find this dish a wee bit bland. The spinach paneer is worth ordering for its beautiful deep green colour alone, but I’m told the taste is very good too.  Located in the middle of a tourist area, this restaurant offers some unusual takes on a wonderful cuisine.

2/1420 Logan Rd, Mt Gravatt, Qld

The entire VVOC team converged at the Loving Hut for lunch, and we all enjoyed oursleves. There is a very good range of openers, among them a creamy corn soup with silken tofu and mushrooms, the corn largely dissolved to create a beautiful smooth texture; the slightly sweet Inari sushi, in which finely chopped veggies with rice come wrapped in tofu skin; Vietnamese rolls of sprouts, carrot and parsely wrapped in rice paper, and, unexpectedly, perfectly respectable popato chips with a side dip. The favourite main dish was the Loving Wrap, which consists of tofu and mushrooms in a tofu wrap, and comes with generous serves of vegetables and rice. A number of the dishes listed on the menu contain ingredients described in such terms as vegetable protein and soy protein; by and large we prefer to steer away from such concoctions, although for some people, particularly those new to a non-meat diet,  they can be very welcome.  All in all it was a great lunch, as good food was shared in the best of company.

100 Marsh St, Armidale NSW

I’ll never forget the first time I tried tom yum soup. Nothing in my experience had prepared me for the intense taste coming from the mixture of lemon grass and lime leaves, but it was obviously the product of people who knew very well what they were doing, and since then I have always enjoyed raising a spoonful. At the Yim Thai the soup comes thick with mushrooms (Tom Yum Hed), which provide hearty bulk without getting in the way of the flavour. The restaurant also offers vegetarian curry puffs filled with carrot, potato, peas, corn and onion; there are tasy enough, but much milder than the soup. The main dishes include Tofu Tod, in which deep fried tofu comes with a plum sauce, Pad Thai tofu, and a variety of other dishes. In fact there are 17 dishes in the veggie section of the menu, which should be enough to keep the inhabitants of the beautiful Athens of the North happily eating for some time.

Today we shared a lovely lunch at The Loving Hut.

1. Thanks to John for his restaurant reviews.

2. Thanks to Jacki for her ongoing work with campaigns.

3. Jacki suggested we put up a post featuring our t-shirt and bag as an activity.

4. Vasilios is going to put up links to two articles he has written; “Being Orthodox and Western” and last year’s Easter article.

5. John has offered to lend Helen a book : to assist in writing a posting about fasting.

6. John is going to write a review of The Loving Hut and has kindly offered to host our next meeting.

7. Discussed the book “Dewey“, a wonderful story of a library cat in IOWA.

We have all I am sure been saddened to hear of the tragedies which have occured to people and animals alike in the recent Haiti disaster.  It is heart warming to me to see that the government of Haiti actually requested the assistance of WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) – that in the horror of all that has happened to the people of Haiti, and the immense amount of assistance that is required to aid the population, that the welfare of animals has not been forgotten.  The Animal Relief Coaliton for Haiti (ARCH) has been formed to deal with the Haiti crisis and is led by WSPA and iFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare).  More information can be found at the WSPA website – www.wspa.org.au

30 Charing Cross Rd, London WC2, UK

There’s a whiff of New York Jewish about this place, as there is of Mittel Europa (a friend of Hungarian background pronounces the goulash excellent.) But for veg*ns, the chief interest will be the dishes from the Middle East, among them falafel with hummus in warm pitta bread, and the fine array of salads, both cooked (the potato and aubergine are recommended) and raw (tomato with onion is hard to beat.) The mood is laid back, the food excellent and reasonably priced.

Take the tube to Leicester Square; Gaby’s is on the eastern side of Charing Cross Rd. It’s wonderfully located for various activities in central London: theatres are all around, to the north lie the serious bookshops of Charing Cross Rd, while just to the south are the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square, beyond which it’s a gentle stroll to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.

248 Great Western Highway, Blackheath NSW

A significant milestone in the lives of some good friends brought a sizeable number of us together in the Blue Mountains, a bit over two hours west of Sydney by train. While Italian restaurants are usually fine for vegetarians, and this place is renowned for the quality of its pizzas, they can prove a bit tricky for vegans. However, the chef kindly offered to cook a mushroom risotto using olive oil in place of butter, and the result was excellent, beautifully moist while densely textured, the mushroom taste coming through loud and clear. Such a dish needs to be followed by something that cleanses the palate, and as it happens the sorbets here are water based, offering a genuinely fruity taste rather than bland sweetness. People of the most diverse dietary habits left the restaurant in the best of cheer, and after such a happy evening it only remains to wish the wonderful couple who had been responsible for our coming together: Many Years!

135 Prince St Grafton NSW

If you’re lucky enough to be walking away from the river along the left-hand side of the main street in Grafton,

Where the lordly River Clarence flows in splendour to the sea

And the stately jacaranda blooms in regal majesty

(spare me the adjectives!), after a few blocks you’ll pass the entrances to two Chinese restaurants. That nearer the intersection with Bacon St, the Fountain Court, is the one you want. You can order cashews or tofu with vegetables (if you go for the latter, it may be an idea to check that it will be cooked in vegetarian fashion), while from a Thai section at the back of the menu you can order the same vegetables in various sauces. The servings are generous and the staff friendly, two things I always think of as being characteristic of a country town and the people who live there. It’s possible to sit back with a VB and give thanks that you are in Grafton.

58 High St, Toowong Qld

Even by the standards of Indian restaurants, the veggie menu here is extensive. It includes a good number of stand-alone dishes, such as several varieties of dahl, pumpkin, and ‘creamy’ mushroom (the chef will happily prepare this vegan-style on request.) There are also numerous dishes that can be served with vegetables, potatoes or paneer, among which the mughlai,  made with date and tamarind, is a particular favourite. A good range of starter dishes (the vegie samosas, which come on a bed of salad, are particularly good) and incidentals complement the main dishes. The food here is excellent; the staff invariably friendly and obliging. This restaurant is a real treasure.