tummyrumbles.com

241 Victoria Street, Richmond
Phone 03 9416 1889

Prompted by a review over at where’s the beef, I decided to drag this post from the depths of my drafts and put some words to the photos (only 70 odd drafts to go!).

Anyway, just like Claire and Michael, EG and I were similarly confused at the emptiness of Bodhi cafe, despite the fact the interior is inviting, the vegetarian fare tasty, and the service gentle and friendly.

On the particularly cold and rainy day we visited, a steaming pot of red date and longan tea was wonderfully warming, and I adored the cute glass teapot and shinto-red cups in which it was served. We visited Bodhi twice, so the following is what we sampled on those two occassions.

We shared the vegetarian duck roti roll ($5), and I must admit it was surprisingly good. The faux duck tasted meaty, although I am not sure whether it was the “duck” or the flavoured floss sprinkled on top that gave it flavour. A thick mayonnaise and crisp greens filled up the rest of the space, and the roti was tied quirkily into a roll with twine.

The pan fried tofu slices with lemongrass sauce ($5) again was a great starter (if you like tofu), sitting on top shreds of iceberg lettuce. The sauce was slightly sourish, a little more lemony/tamardindy than lemongrass.

The vegetarian spring roll ($4) came with lettuce to wrap (Vietnamese style), and sweet chilli sauce to add a little bite. Pretty standard fare.

For mains, EG chose the herbal soup noodle with chinese cabbage ($8.50) and was impressed with the herbally fantasticness of the dish. He said it reminded him of something his Mum makes - the wolfberries especially giving piquancy and sweetness. He said it felt very restorative.

I chose the Thai green vege “chicken” curry ($9.50) and very much enjoyed the flavour, although found it be to a little soupy for my liking. It had a nice mild kick, and the “chicken” was tender while the sliced vegetables tender crisp.

On another visit I chose the tofu don ($8) which was a soupy braise of silken tofu, sliced shitake, egg and onion. It was served with fluffy white rice sprinkled with bonito shavings and a flavoured floss. It felt warmly homestyle.

EG went the mixed mushroom don ($8) which was a hearty serve of shitake, oyster and enoki mushrooms braised in a sweet dark soy. It was served with a fresh salad and rice with floss.

Written by mellie on August 17th, 2008 | Tags: Bodhi Cafe, cafes, vegetarian | Category: dining experiences |  Print This Post |  Email This Post | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL