Get snap happy with beautiful vegan brunch dishes at Flora and Fauna, Northbridge

Flora and Fauna, Northbridge

If I was perfectly honest with you, I hate places that are hidden off the street out of sight - the so often quoted 'little gem of a restaurant tucked away in a back alleyway'...that is just so hard to find! I love the idea of a hideaway place being in some unknown nook and cranny, but hate spending a year and a half on an empty stomach driving up and down with my brake lights flashing like a disco ball trying to find it.

Yup, I guess I do get a little hangry!

Fortunately we only drove all the way up Aberdeen Street and back down again just ONCE whilst trying to find Flora and Fauna. It's not easily visible from the main street, as it is in the laneway just next to Via Torre Lane. Situated right next to Varsity Burgers, these two polar opposites could not be more strikingly contrasted neighbours. As a tiny boutique cafe, Flora and Fauna has built itself quite a loyal and vocal fan base touting about all of their beautifully artistic vegan, healthy brunch dishes and raw treats. And it is true, the bright pops of colour and arrangement of the food make delicious camera candy.

Goji Superfood Muesli - $14

As a firm believer of strictly no ordering of muesli bowls when eating out, I couldn't help but be lured in helplessly by the endless photographs of their muesli bowl I was exposed to. Because I don't think I would ever a). get full on a bowl of measly muesli; b). fancy ordering something I could smash together at home (just a less fancy version); and c). eat something so healthy, this is an entirely different story. Everyone's a sucker for pretty looking food and in this instance, all my anti-muesli values flew out the window. Gone are the days of healthy food looking and tasting like cardboard!

The prettiest breakfast muesli bowl

The combination of different fruits, nuts, flowers and vibrant colours would see this take out the title in a muesli bowl pageant. It is much like eating out of a flower garden with the presence of flower buds scattered over the bowl. I love the look of the dish with the addition of flowers, but I left a few buds uneaten as I wasn't a big fan of the slightly hard and gritty texture from the multiple layers of petals.

Digging up the treasure

The look of the muesli bowl is everchanging, as it constantly changes with the seasonal fruits available. Yay for the strawberries being sweet, because I have developed a slow dislike for strawberries over the years as the sour ones always have a fond attraction towards me. The passionfruit pulp added a nice and sharp zesty flavour burst to a few mouthfuls, and I would have loved a few blueberries too!

My eyes widened at first sight, mostly because the size of the bowl is ridiculously big and so loaded with fresh ingredients that it would overflow if you go heavy on the milk to muesli ratio (which I tend to do at home). I proved my 'I don't get full on muesli bowls' theory so wrong and ended up being pretty stuffed when I reached the bottom of the bowl.

The all important First Pour

I have always eaten goji berries in Chinese herbal soups all my life, so I'm not fazed by the sudden crowning of them as superfoods. I do like their sweetness and enjoyed them alongside all the pecans, almonds, coconut flakes and seeds in my muesli. The muesli itself is sweetened with real maple syrup, and is served with a choice out of dairy, almond, rice or soy milk or yoghurt. My only gripe is not having enough milk to pour into that deep bowl, so some mouthfuls were rather dry for me (sometimes greediness may get the better of me) :P

Herbed Smashed Avo on organic Turkish Toast (plus a side of free ranged scrambled eggs +$4) - $13

My hungry friend decided on the smashed avocado on toast, adding a dainty pot of scrambled eggs on the side as an extra. Even without it, the portion of the avocado was pretty generous and there has never been a time when a pile of green mush looked more delicious. I sneaked a spoonful or two of the smashed avocado and my tastebuds swooned in delight - the avocado is slightly tangy and bursting with flavour from the lemon, basil and whatever other seasonings were added to give it that full flavour punch. On the other hand, it was a slight punch in my face that I didn't order this for myself!

Happiness comes in so many forms

My ignorance meant that it came as a surprise that Flora and Fauna served only vegan fare. The food is so real and unpretentious, so it is refreshing for a change that I can read their menu and understand absolutely everything written on it instead of trying to guess or consulting Google what on earth my dish even is.

There is very limited seating inside the cafe - you are able to prop yourself up against the 3 or so bench seats and watch other diners eat outside the cafe at the few mismatched tables and chairs. It is a very quiet laneway and the passers-by are mostly patrons of the cafe, making it a quiet breakaway right in the middle of, yet calmly shielded away from the hustle and bustle of Northbridge.

Fauna and Flora, Northbridge

Fauna and Flora

Tuesday - Friday: 7:30am - 4:00pm

Saturday - Sunday: 8:30am - 3:00pm

Closed Mondays

0468 948 281

4/70 Aberdeen Street, Northbridge WA 6003

Take your furry friend to this pet-friendly cafe at Gustav's, Mosman Park

Gustav's, Mosman Park

I've never had a pet dog or cat in my entire life, so I've never actively sought out a pet-friendly cafe when eating out. So when my good friend's adorable puppy changed her lifestyle (for the better!), I never thought it would end up influencing myself too by dictating where we would be going for brunch.

I ended up conducting some research on Instagram and came across a gorgeous and amusing little cafe called The Leaky Tap, whose page is flooded with pooches drinking out of insanely cute but nevertheless insane toilet bowls.

Please don't freak, they were massive cups shaped exactly like toilets, and the dogs have never looked happier to drink right out of them!

Huey - you may remember him from cooking adventures on afternoon TV

Unlike the tendency to delay the fixing of a leaky tap, I felt the immediate urge to link my friend to The Leaky Tap and we ended up there pretty soon. Before going there just for Huey, my friend came across Gustav's, which was also in the same area. And thanks to the effect of positive comments on Urbanspoon - no matter how real or fake they are - we dropped by, but not before having no idea where the actual place was.

Gustav's is quite literally hidden down a driveway, away from obvious views from the street. An inconspicuous sign next to the road directs you down the driveway, and even when you reach the end it is not clear the actual cafe is there due to the lack of any signage to indicate you are at Gustav's instead of trespassing somebody's front yard.

The entrance is small and unexpecting, and once inside you are actually still...outside. The seating area is under timber roofing, providing shelter from the elements but still very much like an outdoor patio. A fake tree with bare branches stands as a striking centrepiece and whilst the design is so unique, we were thinking how much of a nightmare it must be to clean and maintain!

Sweet Potato Rosti - $16

We have a read of the breakfast and lunch menus, which are both short and sweet. Nothing in particular jumped out and said 'Eat me!', so I had a snoop at their daily specials until something did. And I'm so glad this did :)

My beautiful brunch

The special of the day was a sweet potato rosti dish, with two poached eggs, grilled mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, chilli and dukkah. I was afraid of the potato rosti being too oily for me to eat, but the staff were only too accommodating and made it with less oil for me as possible. The flat cake of grated sweet potatoes was admittedly dry as a result, but this was my fault! (Although a small cup of balsamic vinegar and olive oil is provided, but I sadly left it alone). Whilst the star component of the dish was my least preferred due to its blandness, I did still like the crisp exterior and contrasting soft innards textures.

The feature of this dish that made my heart flutter was definitely the grilled mushrooms. As the silent hero of my dish, they were flavoursome and oh so aromatic! Three just wasn't enough and I would have happily devoured another 10 or so more (not even joking). The eggs were poached perfectly and the golden yolk that gently oozed out provided the moisture needed to enhance the dish, as there isn't any sauce.

Nay for eggs that are well done, but yay for eggs that are done well!

Hello gorgeous!

A sprinkling of their house made dukkah on top especially does wonders for the aesthetics of the plate, and also worked wonders for the taste and texture. The combination of herbs, nuts and spices add a crisp and crunchy texture to each mouthful as they give a savoury kick to the taste.

Increasingly so, I find that you're not only buying a plate of food when you go out for a meal, but you're actually buying a beautiful piece of art put together by a talented artist who also happens to be a chef. When things look too good to eat, you go ahead and DESTROY it haha!

Poached Eggs - $10

Opting for a light breakfast which I really thought would not even satisfy her, my friend was nothing less than impressed. Although this was such a simple dish that had me silently screaming at her when she ordered it, this was simplicity done right and enough to make her really happy about her choice.

I'll have to admit, it's the prettiest eggs on toast I have ever seen. I'm not a big fan of having my food served to me on slates/planks of wood/whatever is trending in hipster cafes that make horrible sounds when my fork hits the bottom, this made it look rustic and just so beautiful.

I grilled her on what made her eggs on toast so worthy of her praise, but she couldn't pinpoint the exact thing that made her so 'wow'. Her two free range eggs were equally as perfect as mine, so perhaps in combination with the lightly grilled, crisp and buttered bread was what made her dish such a game changer.

Even so, I still would still never ever order eggs on toast at a restaurant - because forget YOLO, I have a serious case of FOMO on all the other potentially delicious things I would have sacrificed for eggs on toast!

I spy a pizza menu!

There is limited seating at Gustav's, but this little space is full of character. Everything you see in the area just look like they belong exactly where they are, right from the pots and pans, to colanders, to the lanterns and light fixtures hanging around the ceiling or draped over poles. Together, it is a sight you'd expect to see in someone's old but loved garage space, strewn full of their own belongings.

There's also a fry-pan clock hanging on the inside wall which I would love to make my own!

And naturally, a pizza oven

Gustav's has only been open for under 6 months, but good word are spreading and it doesn't take much (or long) to fill up the tables, especially with the limited seating available. It shares the same premises as a clothing store so there is only the choice of outdoor seating at a handful of tables. Unfortunately the only downside was the wait time it took from ordering to actually eating - a good 40 minutes for both our orders. This is probably longer than acceptable for most people, so it is a good idea to leave yourself plenty of time and prep your stomach with the anticipation of knowing it is worth the wait.

My eyes fixated on that door - the diagonal opening is just so awesome!

There was a dog parked out at the cafe's entrance the entire time, which presumably is one of the staff member's dogs. With Gustav's being pet-friendly, we were able to bring Huey right inside (technically, still outside!) and taking up more of the already cramped space, which the staff were totally cool with.

I also love the staff here, all of whom are down to earth and up for a chat. The service is great but then again, Huey does pull in all the ladies haha! We were looked after well but what mattered to me was that the staff are friendly and their smiles were genuine. And that alone, is something I find to be a very rare, thus very cherished trait.

The entrance at Gustav's, Mosman Park. Don't miss it.

Gustav's

Tuesday - Saturday: 7am-3:30pm

Sunday: 8am-2pm

15 Glyde Street, Mosman Park WA 6012

0449015425

Bookings available

Healthy, guiltless herbivore eating at The Raw Kitchen, Fremantle

The Raw Kitchen

It is somewhat out of character for me to make a trek to Fremantle for dinner (although this mindset must change to make way for the bustling dining scene of Freo!), it made sense to find a feed here after some frolicking around at the beautiful Cottesloe Beach for Sculptures by the Sea. It was about time I visited The Raw Kitchen, a place that ticks all my boxes - having a menu in which I would be able to eat any dish that I could close my eyes and point my finger at. More so, I was interested in how much it would take to get our meat-loving bellies full and remain that way.

Summer Green - $9.50

Like a meal on its own, we started with this green smoothie - cool, refreshing and quenches your thirst for healthiness. Its combination of greens including organic spinach and cucumber blended with mango, lemon and dates results in a summery drink with a natural tinge of sweetness. I did notice the sky high price but hey, I've just gotta get used to Perth doing this to its people.
What I also found intriguing was the metal straw. An inflexible straw = mind blown.

Pad Thai - $24

Andy was very excited to eye out the words Pad Thai and other greasy, protein-heavy dishes on the menu like curries, but I gently let him down by reminding him of where we were dining - hello RAW KITCHEN! No signs, smells or sights of any woks here that even the mention of Pad Thai seems a little taboo.

A different kind of noodles

Looking deceptively noodley, there are long, stringy strands of zucchini noodles with an almond 'satay' sauce mixed through the dish, amongst a medley of vegetables such as capsicum, baby corn, snow peas, mung bean sprouts with fresh herbs, tamarind and kaffir lime.

Zucchini almost looking like real noodles!

The 'Pad Thai' available here is of course, a far and healthy cry from the kind we are accustomed to. This is a fresh and very clean edition of the greasy favourite kind I adore and to be honest it was somewhat difficult to fall in love with eating raw zucchini. This is the first time I tried zucchini noodles, the latest destination of the health-craze train. I must give credit to how long and thin the zucchini strands are sliced to mimic the appearance and nearly even texture of normal noodles - we spent a good 5 minutes studying a single noodle strand to try to deduce whether these were noodles with zucchini added in or actually made from zucchini itself.
Ooh aren't we just so silly!

Refreshing, but I finished this dish craving actual Pad Thai and a serious carb fix. Oh carbs, I could never leave 'em!

Yellow Coconut Curry - $27

In hindsight, I am not surprised that we ended up choosing the Asian-style dishes to try from the vegan menu. It is interesting to see the creative elements of how to rework these types of dishes into something healthy that you don't feel the slightest pang of guilt for eating.

I actually really enjoyed the yellow coconut curry dish, a shallow dish of creamy 'curry' sauce with lupin tempeh, broccoli, sweet potato chunks, lime and chilli, complete with the finishing touch of  crispy shallots scattered on top for fragrance and flavour. Not forgetting about curry's best friend - rice - the substitution is a small dish of quinoa on the side.

The heavenly raw dessert cabinet!

Strategically placed where the counter to pay is, the multi-tiered cabinet of desserts features a whole range of guilt-free (how many times have I said that right!) treats that you can't help but check out from top to bottom when lining up to pay. There are chocolates, then there are raw balls, then just out of the corner of your eye are more tempting caramel slices and a selection of raw cheesecakes just to test out your ability to resist.

Needless to say, we left with some balls. Meh, what does resisting temptation even mean!

Just like its menu and philosophy to real, natural food, the interior of The Raw Kitchen is very much simplistic and exposed. The warehouse style restaurant is big and spacious, where the extra space houses a retail store and is also used for other purposes such as yoga classes and workshops on the premises.

The most beautiful bottles of poison

Clever use of a shipping container

The Raw Kitchen is a haven for those who have food intolerances, as the kitchen is very accommodating and have taken care to design a very thoughtful and creative menu free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar. As my friend once said to me when suggesting a place for dinner, that this was a restaurant where I could "actually eat everything on the menu!"

Carnivores might resent places like this and probably won't willingly find themselves eating from a plant-based menu, but with such an interesting menu, they just might realise that not eating meat for a meal is not such a big missed-steak after all ;)

The Raw Kitchen, Fremantle

The Raw Kitchen
Monday - Thursday: 11am-4pm
Friday - Sunday: 11am-9pm
Closed public holidays

181A High Street, Fremantle WA 6160
(08)9433 4647

Menu