• 4
• A warm, tasty meal from a diverse menu

I had had enough of the Children's Hospital, so I hopped onto tram 57 and tried my hand at Vege Villa, which I'd seen in passing in on Racecourse Rd, but hadn't gone into. It was fairly late on a Monday night, so the place was empty, but every table's menu was filled with a diversity of vegan foods, with a few lacto entries thrown in (milkshakes and gulab jamun, for instance). The raw menu including lasagne and pad thai wasn't of interest on this winter's night, and I bypassed wrap sandwiches, indian breads, and stir fries, looking for something soupy. It wasn't the soup I was looking for, but I chose the Vegan Tuna over the pho listed beneath it. I'll have to go back to find out what distinguishes Vegan Tuna from the Vegan Fish item preceding it, but I received a full plate topped with seitan (or perhaps soy?) gently deep-fried so that it was crisp and salty on the outside, but soft and a little chewy on the inside. It had plenty of flavour to complement the bed of brown rice, which was otherwise laden with a stir-fry of spinach, broccoli, zucchini, carrot and sprouts in a soy-tahini sauce. An interesting combination, and altogether tasty, the dish was accompanied by a small bowl of miso; not the best miso soup I've eaten, but well matched to the meal and my need for warmth. An enjoyable meal that I wouldn't have imagined at home, nicely presented, for a reasonable price.