VVOC.org

194 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley Qld

A recommendation from friends brought a group of people together at this simply named restaurant, and what a good one it was. We enjoyed bean curd salad in rice paper, rolled by an expert (it turns out you are supposed to fashion the wraps into parcels, rather than the pipes I have vainly sought to manufacture in the past), vegetables in satay sauce, and steamed green vegetables with garlic (the cook kindly substituted this for the oyster sauce that is usually used; the combination of greens with garlic, which has parallels in Greek cooking, provides a simple yet utterly satisfying taste.) But the highlight of our meal was the wondrous vegetarian spicy noodle soup, in which many vegetables and thin noodles came swimming in a thick sea that was flavoured with flecks of chili and dried fried onions. Not only was the soup delicious, but it was served in an enormous bowl filled nearly to the top! The quality of the food was one of the ingredients of a very happy occasion.

Break The Cycle Africa – 3 Jul to 14 Aug 2011

I think most vegetarians (not a blanket statement) would agree that compassion for animals also equals compassion for our fellow human beings. (The shame about this is that often this is not necessarily vice versa.) I am fairly certain that within our membership we are in agreement that we love animals and people and hope for better for those of the human race who suffer.

Since I am currently in Africa, this month I’d like to continue with the African theme and highlight some Aussie cyclists who are doing their bit by riding mountain bikes 5668 km across Southern Africa. This event aims to raise money for child focused projects in Southern Africa.

You can learn more about this event and how it can be supported, follow their blog, leave messages of encouragement etc, at:

http://www.breakthecycle.org.au/africa/

Good work guys – we salute you!

3/224 Hawken Drive, St Lucia Qld

While the vegetarian options on the menu are scanty, and the complimentary prawn crackers did not find favour with my non-vegetarian companion, who pronounced that they tested like cardboard, there is a very good reason to eat at the Song, and its name is Gado Gado. At the centre of the plate is a mixture of sprouts, cucumber and, in place of the more widely used potato, pineapple, over which has been poured a lightly curried peanut sauce; on top sit the quarters of a boiled egg, and around the side are pieces of soft diced tofu. This is a luscious dish of contrasting tastes, colours and textures which it’s hard to imagine not liking, but here it is particularly well done. We also enjoyed salt and pepper tofu, in which the pieces of bean curd sit on crispy noodles and are accompanied by finely chopped red chilli and spring onion, rice sitting to the side. If you don’t relish singing for your supper, I recommend the Song for lunch.

1/928 Logan Rd, Holland Park Qld

A group of friends, four omnivorous and one vegetarian, met for dinner at this attractive and popular restaurant, which is given a feeling of openness by its glass walls. The menu, which seems to put a western spin on some dishes, and the other members of the group, were veggie-friendly. Among the starters is a richly flavoured vegetarian seaweed tofu soup. The main meals include a colorful array of vegetables in peanut sauce, equally attractive to the eye and taste, and deep fried tofu. This comes in a variety of sauces, and we asked for the ginger and shallot. The dish is tasty, but the big triangular pieces of bean curd do sit on the plate like solid chunks of protein, and need to be shared around a table; in a situation like this, it’s great to have veggie-friendly mates! May others enjoy happy evenings with good food and friends at the Thai Country.

3/21 Nash St, Rosalie Qld

While the Middle East hasn’t developed a specifically vegetarian cuisine the way India and China have, the possibilities it offers vegetarian diners are enormous.  We began our meal at the Rouj with flat bread and appetisers (pickled turnip, olives and chillies), before moving on to a trio of dips, hommos, baba ghanouj and labneh, a dish of yoghurt into which olive oil and garlic have been mixed; it is said to be delicious. For mains we tackled the vegetarian platter of ftayer (a pastry stuffed with greens), silverbeet roll, fried pumpkin kebbi, a mjadra of lentils and rice with a fried onion topping, and tabouli, and, a separate main dish, the beautiful freshly cooked falafel kebab. On the way out we noticed how fresh and appealing the fatoush looked, and a cabinet full of sweets! This is a sophisticated, remarkably wholesome cuisine of strong but not overpowering flavours, well prepared and served at the Rouj.

A few days after this restaurant opened in January the premisses were flooded. This was a great disappointment to its proprietors, who are most worthy of support.

Independent MP Wilkie and Senator Xenophon announced on Tuesday 31st of May that they will be submitting a bill to ban live animal export to Parliament on 20th June. You can support this by following the links below to sign petitions and or write letters to you local member of parliament.  Act quickly!

Get Up! – Action For Australia – Petition

Animals For Australia

RSPCA

Mung Bean Fettucine

Thank you to Melissa, who kindly hosted today’s meeting.  Melissa is very talented in the kitchen and prepared a wonderful lunch for us consisting of an Arabian salad (a warm salad of chick peas, spinach, onion, cumin and garlic), dolmades (vine leaves stuffed with rics and herbs), and mung bean fettucine topped with roasted vegetable and tomato sauce.  The mung bean pasta was a relatively new discovery by Melissa and has a lovely texture and a light flavour, a great alternative for those who are gluten intolerant.  The pasta also has a nice appearance (see picture to the right) and looks similar to spinach fettucine.  The piece de resistance was most definately the dessert.  We all sat and watched in awe as Melissa whipped up an apple pie in front of our eyes, vegan, gluten and sugar free to boot!  As we talked over our agenda for the month we could smell the wonderful aroma of the pie being freshly baked.  If only I had taken a camera, it was definately photo worthy!  Oh well, I guess we will just have to get Melissa to make another one in the very near future.

Minutes

1.  Jacki has reported that she is unable to use Skype whilst on the Mercy Ship, so couldn’t participate in today’s meeting.  Melissa and Jacki will both be away for our next meeting – having a lovely break off the coast of Sweeden!  Melissa is looking into setting themselves up so they can participate in out next meeting – our group will be having a simultaneous vege meal in two locations, one having lunch in Sweeden, the other dinner in Brisbane.

2. Our Holy Week trip for 2012 would coincide with work commitments for both Helen and Melissa.  Helen to look into possible leave.

3. Melissa raised that she has become aware of a petition to lobby for the ban on the live export of meat.  Helen to upload this in the news section.

4. Vasilios has decided he would still like to pursue the campaign – “Breaking Eggs With Compassion” for 2012.

5. Vasilios reported that the site is due for some maintenance and upgrades to WordPress.

6. Vasilios has agreed to look into the cost of placing a google ad to increase our traffic.

7. Helen to check that a reciprocal link has been placed for the Vegan/Vegetarian Society of Queensland, and also to continue pursuing other connections.

8. John to research the cost of placing a classified in a publication he subscribes to, “The Vegan.”

9. Items for our next meeting: Vasilios to report on statistics and cost breakdown of google ads. Melissa and Jacki are to report on all the wonderful vege cuisine they have been sampling on their trip- lucky ducks:-)

3/9 Lewina St, Sunnybank Qld

Despite what you might conclude from its name, this restaurant offers a vegetarian-friendly lunch, on a self-serve basis. You start by helping yourself to rice or barley (the latter a reminder that Koreans live in a cold part of the world), then pile on mushrooms, cucumber and various western vegetables, chives and what look like the stems of silver beet. There are three condiments, cold potato, a sourish kim chee, and sea weed, and the meal is washed down by a soup of tofu and vegetables, based on miso. It’s good, hearty, keep-out-the-cold food. The inhabitants of this part of Brisbane are known for their delicious cooking, but while the cooks here probably wouldn’t whip up an apple pie before your eyes, they provide a tasty and reasonably priced meal that is a reminder that vegetarian meals can be developed within unlikely contexts, even the ambience of a Korean BBQ establishment.

641 Stanley St, Woolloongabba Qld

You could easily pass this unassuming inner-suburban restaurant by, but that would be a mistake, for the two dishes we enjoyed there were excellent. Bagara baingan is a Hyderabad specialty, and the beautifully spiced aubergines come with potatoes, providing a nice contrast in flavour and texture. This is a dry curry, that teams up well with the moist dal taduka, based on yellow split peas. Again, the mixture of spices is exquisite, and the dish is enlivened by tomatoes and some dried chillis. The cook who produced these dishes is clearly an expert! We also had thin, crispy fried aubergine as a starter, but my advice to people dining here would be to go straight to the more complicated and subtly flavoured main dishes, where the skill of the kitchen can be better appreciated.

Food Court, Myer Centre, 300 Queen St, Brisbane

Where can vegetarians and vegans who happen to be in town at lunchtime get decent food? Step forward Vege Rama, an entirely vegetarian outlet in a busy food court! They do enormous samosas and pakoras accompanied by a slightly sweet tamarind sauce; while not cheap, in terms of what you get they represent excellent value. The main dishes include vegetable korma, in which the carrots, green beans and aubergines come in a rich and delicate sauce, and a slightly sour, but wonderful, sambha dal;  there is a choice of saffron or brown rice. Veggie diners, all too often pleased to find anything at all available in a downtown food court, will not only find plenty of choice here, but food of a quality that surpasses that available at the non-veggie outlets. In fact, the large number of people waiting to place their orders suggests that the clientele of Vege Rama includes many potential as well as existing vegetarians!