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Corner Margaret St and Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach, Qld

Four hungry people with very different tolerances for spicy food sat down to dinner at this restaurant in a busy tourist area, and all were satisfied. The novice among curry eaters tried the Paneer Makhani, which took the form of cottage cheese in a very gentle curry sauce. The next step up in heat was the Aloo Saag, of spinach and potato in a mild sauce. The Battat Bhaji was probably the most memorable dish, consisting of dry potato and onion with curry leaves and mustard seeds; we all enjoyed it, and it is thoroughly recommended. And for lovers of spicy dishes there is the Channa Masala of soft chick peas with green chillis and coriander. The vegetarian part of the menu is extensive, and would be worth exploring further. Truly, there is no end to the possibilities of vegetarian food!

2/235 Flinders St, Townsville

Situated in a tourist strip where there is plenty of competition, this restaurant pitches itself as being both Indian and Persian. The samosas are firmly within the former tradition; they are of the kind with thin pastry, the vegetables finely chopped and a dish of tamarind sauce at the side. But the Sabzi Polou is a revelation. It’s based on rice, to which peas, broad beans, cashews and almonds have been added, with plenty of parsley and dill that give it a green tinge. While this dish is satisfying and filling, it profits from being eaten with something a little more spicy, and we enjoyed it with Navaratan, a richly flavoured Mughlai dish of vegetables that can be had without paneer. Talking with the owner we learn that a Persian couple founded the restaurant, and they are clearly sticking to the old traditions. There are always new vegetarian dishes waiting to be discovered, and this is best done in a friendly and hospitable environment such as that at the Taj Mahal.

278 Marine Pde, Swanbourne WA

As you might guess from its name, this is a stylish establishment of the kind that doesn’t specialize in vegetarian and vegan food, but on the evening we were there it certainly came up with the goods.  We kicked off with beautifully served small dishes of olives and potatoes, before moving on to some serious eating. The moussaka is a richly flavoured melange of cinnamon infused tomatoes, aubergine and tofu, luscious in texture, while the bean burger is based on a serious pattie and comes with salad, corn ships, green tomato chutney and, for those who want it, Swiss cheese; it’s a nice example of a dish that it would never have occurred to vegetarian cooks to create, but nicely mimics what they do on the other side. My companions tucked into two desserts, lemon meringue pie and lime and lemon brulee, each served with both (!) cream and ice cream.

The Naked Fig has a superb location, overlooking the Indian Ocean. As we settled into our seats the sun was sinking beneath the waves; as we rose to leave the moon was setting. How wonderful to enjoy food of this quality in such a place with good friends!

19 Woolley St, Dickson, Canberra ACT

In a street full of Asian restaurants, why not try something a little unusual? Although Korean food hasn’t made a big splash in the West, this small restaurant makes a good case for it. The centre of our meal was the Dubu-Beosoet-Jeongo, a hot-pot of tofu, several kinds of mushrooms (large, small and floppy), vermicelli, carrots, white onions, shallots and greens in a spicy stock with plenty of pepper that is cooked on a little stove on your table. It’s a wonderfully hearty stew that would be very warming on a cold day and is welcome on a hot one. We also enjoyed the Maewun-Jabchae, a dark stir-fry of noodles made from sweet potatoes and veggies that is a bit hard to divide into shares, the only cutlery on the table being chopsticks and long spoons. The entrees include Yachae-Jjinmandu, a dish of steamed vegetables and tofu, and Ddeokkochi, fried rice cakes served like kebabs on skewers that come with sweet chilli sauce. Four condiments, ranging from extremely spicy to bland, are placed on the table: kimchi, the alleged super-food of cabbage fermented with red chilli after which the restaurant is named, flat green beans, sprouts and strands of potato, not cooked to the extent they would be in the West. This is a most interesting and enjoyable cuisine that we should all know better.

19 Tanglin Rd, Singapore

If you enter this restaurant at lunchtime you will be offered a menu, but my advice is to ignore it and go with the flow by asking for one of the set-meal thalis, whether north or south Indian. On the day I visited the latter comprised two papadums with a bowl of pepper soup, curries of potato, potato and onion, and dark lentils with greens,  yoghurt, rice and two puris; at the end of the meal a dessert was waiting. Such a meal gives a good feeling of what everyday food is like is a cuisine with a powerful vegetarian tradition.

This restaurant is in a tourist area far from Little India. The nearest MRT station is Orchard, but be warned that to leave this station you have to walk through a confusing shopping mall; look for the ext to Wheelock Place.

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282A South Bridge Rd, Singapore

An elegant restaurant specializing in traditional Chinese food seems a good idea for a light meal. The ginko and bean curd soup comes with mushrooms and plenty of pepper that lies in wait at the bottom of the pot in which it is served, while a dish of beautifully fresh steamed broccoli, asparagus, carrot and mushrooms works well, although right in the middle is something reconstituted to resemble meat, which I could have done without. Both dishes make liberal use of big slices of fresh ginger, which is believed to help in overcoming wind, and there is plenty of brown rice. A tall glass of lime juice strikes just the right balance between sweet and sour.

The nearest MRT station is Chinatown, but despite its address you enter the restaurant from Sago St, opposite the temple. The little streets running between South Bridge Rd and Eu Tong St contain many shops selling the traditional herbal ingredients so adeptly used in this restaurant.
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17 Weserstrasse, Frankfurt

 A bowl of pieces of fried bread to be dipped into lemony tahini greets you as you settle in at this slightly fancy restaurant, which prides itself on serving authentic Lebanese food in the financial capital of the Eurozone. The fatousch is a mixture of salad vegetables common in Germany (tomato, cucumber, lettuce, red capsicum) with more fried bread; it is livened up by lemon juice, olive oil, parsley and plenty of mint. The hommus is as good as can be, the brown dish in which it is served and the well of olive oil in the middle being guarantors of its authenticity. Lubiet Bizzeit comprises flat green beans in a sauce that has been prepared in advance and stands at some remove from fresh tomatoes with plenty of parsley; to the side is a mound of rice with slivers of almond.  What a pleasure to stumble upon such excellent food in an unlikely environment!

40 Winterfeldstrasse, Berlin

What form do the vegetarian delights of Indian food take in Germany? The serve of onion bhaji at this suburban restaurant is enormous: the large pieces come on a bed of lettuce, grated cabbage and tomato with finely grated yellow cheese on top and three dips standing by, one of chilli and two dairy-based. Natraj thali comprises four bowls: one of chick peas with a few cubes of paneer that is quite mild by the standards of Indian food, one of vegetables, very much al dente, one of rice, and the final one a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and rings of red onion on which pepper and green chillies have been sprinkled! This is Indian food adjusted to German tastes and, very obviously, appetites, and cries out for a glass of pils to wash it down. It may be a wee bit more expensive than some other dining options, but never mind, if you have the meal just described for your lunch you won’t need to eat for the rest of the day!

The nearest U-Bahn is Nollendorfplatz.

I find delicious hot chips difficult to track down, so I felt the need of a list of places where I have successfully found delicious hot chips. Please add to the list if you know of others! (I like my chips to be crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, taste of fresh oil and love them best with their skin on.)

• Gallery Walk Cafe, Carindale Shopping Centre (thick and crisp)
• Shingle Inn, Garden City (thick and crisp)
• Songbirds, Mt Tambourine (fat, crisp and with skin on) Tambourine Mountain Road, North Tambourine
• Snack Bar, Sunnybank Hills  (thin and crisp – I do ask for them to be cooked a little bit golden otherwise they are a bit pale for me) Corner Beenleigh Road and Wynne Street

246 Friedrichstrasse, Berlin

Don’t be alarmed at the signs outside promising Pasta and Pizza, for this is a proper Middle Eastern restaurant with a variety of vegetarian dishes. Order falafel and a plate arrives with six pieces of freshly cooked falafel on a sliver of pita bread, hummus (what I would call mayonnaise), potato chips, rice, and two large bread rolls…more carbohydrate, anyone? But the side dishes include a wonderful puree of capsicum, onion and tomatoes, full of flavour without being hot and decorated with sprigs of broad leaf parsley; its moisture goes well with the slightly dry main course. The drinks menu ranges as widely as it usually does in Berlin, with the addition of bottled water from Turkey! While not being up-market, this is the most formal of the Turkish restaurants reviewed in this series, and like the others it makes vegetarian food available in an environment which veggies won’t always find particularly friendly.

Apologies to Turkish readers; I have spelt the name of this restaurant using the letter i, not being able to generate the similar Turkish letter without the dot.

The nearest U-Bahn is Hallesches Tor.