Vegan
Organic
Western
Juice bar
Gluten-free
Australian
Vegan, gluten-free, low-waste cafe with a focus on sustainability, supporting local business and reusing existing materials such as furniture and food containers. Operating on the premises of Eka Wholefoods, which sells honey. Five percent of profits from the cafe goes to Pay The Rent, a grassroots collective working for justice for First Nations people. Only open once a month over the weekend. Reported closed February 2024.
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Last update on 14 Feb 2024 by Aloo
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Added by Tiggy on 08 Aug 2015
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19 Reviews
First Review by Aloo
chatreuse
Points +2480
3.5 stars: very good tofu scramble - Edit
I've had the tofu scramble here before when Foraged was open every day rather than as a pop up. I remember I loved it SO much, and I did love it this time as well, except for the amount of chilli oil which completely soaked the sourdough bread. Soggy bread is not fun to eat, and it definitely wasn't like that the previous time.
Read moreThe loaded savoury pancakes were ok, I was expecting okonomiyaki from the menu description of cabbage pancakes, but it was a thick chickpea pancake with very little cabbage through it. It was extremely dry and crumbled easily. The toppings were quite good, tvp and kimchi with gochujang mayo.
The chef was SO welcoming and lovely, and I hesitated to post this review.
Pros: tofu scramble (if you have without chilli oil), Friendly service
Cons: dry crumbly cabbage pancakes, too much chilli oil on tofu scramble
Guest
eatyourveges
Points +165
Edit- no longer a cafe as such (please come back!) - As good as it ever was - Edit
Previously innovative and exciting, but now the menu is prepared frozen meals microwaved on order. Huge coffee machine but no coffee. Shame, the following is what the place was like when I first wrote this review:
Read moreThe old Eka Cafe was a safe bet for plant-based goodies and a decent meal even if it took ages to arrive. The Cafe looks largely the same but seems to have tables for cafe dining, and the new menu is creative with good variety. I chose the avo mash with a beetroot puree and a sprinkling of a finger lime sherbet and micro greens while my partner ate loaded mushrooms on some sort of grain bed. Neither meal took too long to arrive (luckily as we were hungry!). Both plates were nearly licked clean as the food was just delightful. Will totally return to try more of the menu, and maybe one of the attractive looking raw passionfruit tarts next time I'm in the vicinity.
Updated from previous review on 2023-07-08
Pros: Good sized menu, Fresh and tasty food, Creative vegan options
Cons: Hot drinks could be warmer
Guest
manifesting.maddi
Points +536
Fantastic food - Edit
Fantastic, small section of foods available for lunch. Was so delicious and tasty. We had a turmeric cauliflower leaf curry with black rice and got some cakes and treats from the wholefood store. The cakes were vegan gf naturally and are amazing & made from whole foods. Could also buy loco love chocolates without the wrapping!
Read morePros: Amazing vegan food , Community supporting costs , Frozen food ready for home
Guest
Tiggy
Points +14194
Great new community cafe at Eka - Edit
I was delighted that a new cafe had opened up in the Eka space, and that it’s a truly community-focused business. The menu is decent, consisting of fairly typical brunch cafe fare, such as smashed avo, pancakes and scrambled tofu. We chose the aforementioned tofu and the breakfast stack. The tofu came in a substantial serving size, two pieces of toast and was tasty with a hint of chili. The stack was not exactly what I expected: it was built around a potato pancake that was quite thick, set in a bed of beans and surrounded by vegetables, quite beautifully presented and pleasantly sour in flavour. I also ordered a berry smoothie, which was fruity and juicy rather than creamy and sweet. We finished with coffee and a slice of the matcha cheesecake, just sweet enough. Make sure you get here and make this place a roaring success. Points for the social justice ethos.
Read moreGuest
JessRBH
Points +18
Amazing food, space and ethos - Edit
So glad the cafe space at Eka has reopened as 'Foraged'. Love the fresh GF toasties, raw sweets, Proud Mary Coffee and just everything.
Read morePros: great food - all plant based and gluten free, friendly staff and service, community and sustainability minded +++
Cons: too delicious I can't even
Guest
eveikigai
Points +630
Unique toasties and food packed with nutrition - Edit
This shop / café is so pretty inside, it offers amazing vegan food as well as refills of whole foods and cleaning products which was so great for reducing our plastic consumption!
Read moreGuest
Inga75
Points +145
Must go - Edit
Love Ela, staff are awesome and the food is always amazing. The wholefood store is great too
Read morePros: Whole foods... sooo good
Guest
Lissavt
Points +16
Wholesome soul food - Edit
Had the avo smash & enoki mushroom dishes... seriously delicious & generous portions. Was a bit disappointed with the smoothie but can’t win them all!
Read moreOn my first visit, had an exceptional chickpea & harrisa stew with creamy cashew cheese... amazing - wish it was still on the menu!
Make sure you have time when visiting, as not many kitchen staff means a bit longer wait times... absolutely worth the wait though!
Pros: 100% vegan, Generous portion sizes, Cheaper than most vegan cafes
Cons: Cutlery/glassware not very clean
Guest
funia8
Points +33
Overpriced and not as per menu - Edit
Ordered Jackfruit burger which was described "comes with herbed potato wedges" no wedges on the plate, no sallad, a few very skinny fried lotus slices at almost $20? What a ripp. When I asked why no wedges I was told.....we used to serve them but no longer do??? Too lazy to change the menu?Waste of time and money
Read moreGuest
Tixeon
Points +122
Excellent food and great service - Edit
I dropped in here for a quick bite to eat and was very impressed by the selection. Their satay black rice sushi rolls were delicious.
Read moreI went back later in the day and treated myself with a doughnut and it too was delicious. I am definitely going to make this my go-to eaterie when I am in the area.
Pros: Delicious food, Excellent range, Friendly staff
Guest
PotatoesTho
Points +13483
Talent in the kitchen - Edit
Fourth visit:
Read moreThe scrambled tofu was great on the first couple of bites but then the oiliness overwhelmed everything unfortunately. The tempeh bao was just as good as last time however.
Third visit:
I had the sliders again, served with an iced chai and they were both very good. I really can't fault the place after three visits. Very good food, friendly staff, quick service and a pleasant atmosphere.
.......
Second visit:
Enjoyed the Bao Tempeh Sliders; spicy goodness! I had mine with a miso soup on the side for an extra $3 which turned out to be a good pairing. I also had another chai which was just as good as the first time.
.......
Tasty food and reasonable prices. The chai, which is very good, comes in a pot, with the plant milk of your choice. The toastie is one of the best I've had with a nice balance of flavours.
Updated from previous review on 2019-06-16
Pros: Friendly staff, Good food, Environmentally responsible
Guest
Wuji_Luiji
Points +2550
Delicious cafe - Edit
I have enjoyed many meals from Eka and they keep getting better each time I come. My most recent lunch of polenta with vegetable ragu was delicious as was the hot chocolate that I had with my lunch. The staff are friendly and helpful and the cafe is a pleasant venue in which to eat lunch.
Read moreI’m delighted that they have changed their cafe to only serve vegan food.
Guest
Noda
Points +611
What a treat - Edit
Loved everything we ordered, only two of us ate and ordered 4 mains and 3 desserts. Will come back again for sure. Lovely staff and the chef is amazing.
Read moreGuest
BreakfastKlutz
Points +12008
7 out of 10 for the cafe bit, somehow = 4 out of 5 because the happycow rating system is not entirely awesome and a rating of 3 out of 5 suggests a venue is decidedly average. Apparently you can use really long review titles... - Edit
A decent and inviting space that clearly has some talent in the kitchen. We enjoyed the tempeh bao, and the hot chai was definitely better than most and also very well priced, especially considering it is a pot that = approx 2 cups.
Read moreThe scrambled tofu while well cooked was critically oily, especially combined with the toast and tahini, the iced chai was also a bit disappointing.
The small menu is a tad restrictive, this was compounded by our timing, apparently not long before a menu change, which left our desired dish of 'mushroom parcels' listed on the menu, but not available. There is also no sign of the menu on facebook, and the website menu is more out of date than an Australian prime minister's wardrobe.
The business is currently listed combined (cafe & store) on Happycow and as vegan, which while true of the cafe (yay finally), is not true of the store which still contains multiple bee 'products'. Apparently these are being phased out, but it is a decent example of one reason why cafes located inside of stores, should be listed separately. The other reason being they are likely to receive different ratings/reviews, especially since stores of this nature can often be seen as being expensive, while the menu pricing is often reasonable.
/blah
Updated from previous review on 2019-06-15
Pros: Vegan cafe, Nice venue, More ethical than most
Cons: Still selling bee 'products' in the store, scrambled tofu, Small menu not updated online
Tiggy
I agree the store should be listed separately and I *did’* put a separate entry for it years ago but it didn’t last long before somebody removed it for some unknown reason.
Read moreBreakfastKlutz
It is an issue that we have had with multiple listings in the past. The Happycow editors and Eric have been unfortunately inconsistent in this respect, although it can admittedly be a bit confusing and there is always the chance that someone will just change it again anyway (this has happened multiple time with Back to Nature in Brighton).
Read moreBreakfastKlutz
The 2 businesses are listed separately now, hopefully they stay that way
Read morehttps://www.happycow.net/reviews/eka-wholefoods-seddon-173087
Guest
Kittybiscuit
Points +7693
Tasty tofu - Edit
This was the first time I’d been here and we sat at a shared table. I had an iced coffee with soy and the Indian scrambled tofu. The tofu was full of flavour and the iced coffee was nice and strong and not too sweet. The serving size was good too. They give you a crystal as your table number, I must have looked confused as she explained what it was!
Read moreGuest
DanTraKel
Points +32
One of the best vegan cafes in Melbourne - Edit
We had the porridge (made with oats, quinoa and chia and the most delicious fruit on top) and smashed avo with Yay feta on toast, both of which were among the best vegan versions of each I’ve ever had. Can’t wait to try the scrambled tofu next time.
Read morePros: All vegan menu (apart from honey), Food is incredibly tasty and nourishing , Attached to an organic bulk food store
Cons: I wish it was closer to my house!
Guest
SqueakyTempeh
Points +56
Environmentally conscious - Edit
Very environmentally conscious with no option for one use plastics. You can buy a re-used mug for $1 if you want to take away coffee. The menu is all vegan and delicious. Child friendly with a nook for kids to play and read. There’s a shop attached with many vegan products. The only thing I can see in the whole building that isn’t vegan is a small amount of honey. You can also take away freshly made peanut butter, enviro washing detergents, flours, lentils, beans and heaps more.
Read morePros: Environmentally conscious, Big vegan menu , Kid friendly
Guest
CapybaRus
Points +308
Nice cafe, expensive shop - Edit
The shop's prices are frankly ludicrous. Went there to fill up my bulk foods but left empty handed. The cafe is ok: we both had a cake each which was pleasant enough but nothing to take a trip for. I had a "golden" turmuric latte which was horrible, couldn't drink it. He got an iced coffee which came with a scoop of vegan ice cream which was awesome. They charged us twice, despite us saying the transaction had gone through, and we had to return the following week to sort it out. An honest mistake but still a drag. Also although they are open until 4 they close the kitchen much earlier which they don't advertise.
Read moreGuest
Aloo
Points +6920
Refreshment and replenishment - Edit
Cute little cafe with good, wholesome food. Menu changes regularly. and some unusual options, such as a Japanese breakfast. Friendly service. Limited seating.
Read morePick up your supplies too - bulk foods are available, such as flours, lentils, nuts, and refrigerated products.
Guest
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