In line with my first mission, I thought in addition to eating at vegetarian places, that I would try opt for the vegetarian dishes at everyday restaurants. And so the challenge began at my local (near work), Miss Jackson. Continue reading
You may have heard of Lentil as Anything, as there are several branches in Melbourne. It’s known for its unique payment method – you pay however much you feel it’s worth.
The most popular one is located at Abbotsford Convent, and so I had this in mind for my vegetarian mission. It wasn’t until I started looking it up online that I discovered there was one much closer to home in Preston.
The interior was small and basic, which was expected for a place that runs on donations. However as we were waiting for our food, we decided to check out the courtyard at the back.
It definitely had that grungy feel with graffiti and dreamcatchers decorating the place, but it also looked like a great spot if you were to drop in for brunch or on a sunny day.
As it was cold, we remained at our table inside, but we were glad we made the effort to see what was hidden at the back.
This branch provides table service, which was prompt. I went with the curry platter, which came with some rice, dhal, curry, salad and pappadum. It wasn’t amazing, and the curry and dhal could have been a lot hotter (temperature-wise and spiciness-wise). To be honest, I’ve tried dhal made by a film festival colleague, which tasted a lot better!
My friend ordered the Indian minestrone soup, which seemed to have a herbal flavour in the soup that wasn’t to my taste. A little towards the end my friend also believed he found a hair in his soup at which point we moved on to the salad…
The Vietnamese salad was surprisingly delicious. I was reluctant to order something Vietnamese at a place like this because, as we are both Vietnamese, I didn’t think it would be up to standard. However the tofu on top was excellent, covered in some nice, sweet sauce.
Our only gripe would be there was not enough tofu!
My friend enjoyed his cappuccino, whilst I ordered a hot chocolate. It looked lovely but took a little while to come out and the froth felt cold.
And so I’m glad I got to try something out of my comfort zone, which is what the mission is all about. Unfortunately the place did not surprise me with some amazing food, but the people were lovely and attentive. I might give the Abbotsford Convent one a go in the future.
Lentil As Anything is located at 288 High St, Preston and is open for lunch 12-3pm and dinner 5-9pm everyday. Check out their menu here.
As always for this month’s mission, I would like to remind you I have chosen vegetarian as my first adventure to raise awareness of the Environmental Film Festival Melbourne. Our program is now live and you can watch our trailer below!
It’s not what you think – I am not going vegetarian for one whole month. Although, perhaps one day I will discipline myself enough to conquer that challenge.
Instead, I am starting my first mission, which I’d love you to be part of! I want to focus on certain cuisines each month, to be more adventurous and explore specific genres. Furthermore, I want to involve my friends and readers, by taking blogging further than just reading and commenting online. Read on!
Mission Overview
Part of this month will involve me going out there in search of some great vegetarian places – and I would love recommendations of where to go. Everything from your niche little local, to the inner suburb gems. Even if I can’t make it to those places, I will gladly list them in my “Insiders of the Month” on the righthand column.
During this time, I will post my usual, miscellaneous adventures, but towards the end of August, I will report back to you guys with a series of vegetarian experiences.
Dinner Event
I’d also like to invite you all to a vegetarian dinner, so you have the chance to share this adventure with me. To ensure everyone can comfortably chat to each other, this will be a small dinner event, so spots are limited. Please express interest as soon as possible via email with numbers, so I can organise this adventure!
Where: Shakahari Too, 225 Clarendon St, South Melbourne.
I am leaning towards this restaurant after reading some good reviews about both the southern and northern branch. Click below to see the full menu – I am still open to suggestions if you’d like to sway me!
When: Friday 15th August, 7pm
Price: Mains $20-$22.50, Desserts $6.50-$15.50
RSVP: By 10th August
Facebook event: Click here – invite open to everyone!
Why this cuisine?
I hope to do this every month – but the main reason I chose vegetarian as my first mission is because I wanted to raise awareness of an organisation I work for. Well, volunteer for. We are all volunteers, so I’d love your support for this fantastic festival. Please take a read below and I hope you enjoy my first mission!
The Environmental Film Festival Melbourne is a non-for-profit organisation and annual event, now in its fifth year. This year, the festival will run from the 4th-12th September at Kino Cinemas, 45 Collins St, Melbourne. I’d love for you to come or to check out the website here.
Look out for our program, launching soon this August. Share this with your friends who might be interested, and if you’re feeling generous, you can also support us with a donation here.
Mon's Adventure 
