Charlie & Co. dined as guests.
Friday 29th June



Someone isn't a fan of waiting for me to take all the pictures... not wanting to comprise the temperature of the food. lol, someone doesn't know that being a food blogger is eating more warm-ish meals that anyone would admit. I am seeking a plus one by the way, as my friends are busy/not interested/trying to sabotage the blog. 



With white and blue, Tahina really does pop-up from its surroundings. Opening up a second restaurant in Hipsterville, already with quite a few vegetarian/vegan joints (more than any other town we've seen) Fitzroy welcomes Tahina Bar, a restaurant specializing in Israeli vegetarian street food (guessing that explains the colors of the front).  

Vegan Carrot Hot Dog 

I never thought a vegan hot dog would be this good, but is it! And there's no tofu involved. All the textures and flavoured were well balanced and pretty amazing - I can't wait to return and get this again! Even Luna liked it, and she doesn't even like carrots! It's got those three textural elements that make any dish amazing: crispy, crunchy, chewy. - Charlie (that's me).

The "sausage" is actually carrot but it's hard to identify it before you cut it. It's serves with sweet potato chips on top of it which bring more texture. It smells like a "normal" hot dog (lol - I should tell you all that Luna doesn't eat sausages, so we do question her judgement, she's borderline vegetarian). But when you eat it, you will be amazed by the balance of sauce and the carrot. Even a hate-carrot person will enjoy it. - Luna (that's my +1 today).

Luna says carrots are stinky (?!! - that's what she said, don't think it's lost in translation here)/funky where she comes from (HK). So she actually hates carrots, though I insisted she order this dish. :P

It's as amazing as it looks. We have to get this again next time.


The Shakshuka Platter comes in three different versions: classic tomato, green veggies and white with mushrooms and cheese. Spicy and hearty it's the perfect winter food, full of flavour and it's not too spicy. The serving is HUGE! As in all this is one dish/menu item. 


Served on the side was the pita & hummus, which Luna didn't like (they don't have hummus where she comes from), but I liked it, it's lighter than the supermarket dips, housemade. 


This is the white Shakshuka platter; two free range eggs, wild mushrooms, fennel, fennel, chili, fresh thyme, oregano and Meredith goats cheese. Served with Israeli salad, spicy green salad, pickled cabbage, hummus, tahini and pita bread.  



How is it? A little spicy, with a great mix of textures, chewy mushrooms, soft eggplant, a fresh salad with something that reminds me of sauerkraut. It's a great balance, with the hearty dish contrasted with the salad. 

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Saturday 9th June
Charlie & Co. dined as guests.



Located just around the bend from Hawthorne Bridge is Sardi, it's strange to write about a place I've actually been to before been invited to dine there, as it's quite rare. We actually discovered Sardi through Liven last year, and it's practically at the end (top end) of our street, opposite a park that leads down to the banks of the Yarra. Unlike most cafes it's in a residential area, so there's plenty of parking and lovely place to grab a bite after a morning stroll. 




The pictures with the rounded edges were taken in April 2017, and show that the place while ownership has changed, retains the charms and friendly vibes of a neighborhood cafe. Though there's the addition of the blackboard wall feature.



Brunching at Sardi on a beautiful Saturday, we had the '79Tu Golden Latte' aka turmeric latte. It does taste like turmeric! I don't like it personally but everything tastes fine with enough sugar. Andy liked it though. It's like matcha, not everyone likes it, though not something too crazy like Vegemite XD. Oh and it comes in 'Original, Cacao or Green Tea Infused'.







































The pancakes were pretty good, with the fresh blueberries, freeze dried strawberries and passionfruit which added zing. While it wasn't dry it could use cream. It was beautiful though.

You could get this one gluten-free or vegan too, but I had the normal and it came with a vegan coconut ice cream - I'm not sure if you can call it that if it doesn't actually have cream. It was kinda watery... And didn't look like I've cream, also melts at a slower rate. Would have preferred real ice cream.  






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Saturday 2nd June
Charlie & Co. dined as guests.


How exciting it is when brunch comes to the suburbs, those without tram lines! For years it seemed something of inner suburbs, with limited parking, but here comes Aunt Billies. Located just off Whitehorse Rd, with plenty of parking. Also an easy walk from the station on a sunny morning. 



With a modern interior with airy ceilings, and a trendy vibe it's nothing like no other cafes in the area, one of the very first brunchy places in the area. It was a lovely day and there's outdoor seating too in a no smoking dog friendly under cover area, if you'd like some air. 



We started off with coffee as we pondered what to order, sweet or savory? Classic or something different? At Aunt Billies the menu changes regularly and features a fusion of Modern Australian and Middle Eastern food.






























I personally ordered the mushroom dish (my go to) with a side of smoked salmon and haloumi, though really it's a pretty filling dish, a big breakfast on its own. The classic big breakfast dish isn't on the menu, though quite a few dishes could be that, including this one; where a bunch of great things like eggs (always poached) and mushrooms are combined to create a platter of a dish. 

The flavours were subtle, though the basil pesto added something, textures hit the holy trinity of soft, crunchy and chewy. I would have liked to add a sauce, dip or avocado to make it less dry (not that it's dry, I can't seem to find the word for it - but you know a milkshake would work too). Overall a great selection of brunchy things we love, that's pretty healthy too.











Brunching at Aunt Billies is perfect if you're out in the suburbs and driving (and looking for parking), no longer do you have to travel to Camberwell for brunch if you're in the South East side. There's something for everyone here it's not your regular brunch spot, with that middle eastern fusion, adding a twist to your dish!



For coffee lovers you'll be pleased to know Aunt Billies serves St Ali's. And if you're on the go there's plenty of cookies, and beautiful crumblessly flawless cakes from Little Bertha.










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