A Vegan Retreat in Green Gourmet

A family fun business in the suburb of Newtown is now catering delicious food that normally a person on the vegan diet would not dream of. Whether it be yum cha dumplings or ice cream, there is something for everyone at Green Gourmet restaurant.

With a focus on nourishing the healthy body and development of a balanced mind, Green Gourmet founder Colin Fung uses soy based ingredients, mainly tofu, to create a range of vegan dishes that has satisfied his customers since 1984. Many items on the menu seem impossible for a vegetarian, let alone a vegan person to imagine, but they are in fact, 100% vegetarian and vegan.

Some of the dishes included are:
Pekin Duck Wrap - a wrap consist of wheat protein 'ducks' in pekin-style flavoured sauces.
Steamed Dim Sum - Wheat pastry filled with soy 'meat', black mushrooms and carrots. Steamed in a Chinese bamboo steamer.
Steamed new-moon spinach dumplings - Half-moon shaped dumpling filled with spinach, water chestnuts and mushrooms. This dish is also gluten-free.
Wonton soup - dumplings in vegetable stock
Tofu cream corn soup - Diced tofu with creamed corn in vegetable stock
Five Spices mushroom tempura - Lightly battered fresh mushroom varieties sprinkles with five spices powder. Gluten-free batter available.
Sweet and sour taro fritters - Fried taro fritters with carrot, capsicum, pineapple and tomato.
Sichuan style eggplants - quick fried eggplant strips sauteed in a sauce of red vinegar, soy and chili sauce.
Homemade tofu ice cream (2 flavours)

The menu of Green Gourmet is reasonably priced, with Entrees averaging around AU$5 per dish, Mains averaging around AU$15 and desserts at AU$5.80.

The creativity of the dishes and the thought put into in making dishes that imitate the flavours of regular restaurants is what makes this place popular. Green Gourmet also stress that they do not put garlic and onions (these include spring onions, leek and chives) into their cooking, as these vegetables generate an enzyme that causes harmful chemical reactions in the human body.

As well as being a restaurant, Green Gourmet also has attached, a vegetarian/vegan grocery stall, selling ready made meals in their menus as well as base ingredients such as frozen and dried foods, for those who like to do their own cooking.

Green Gourmet Restaurant
Newtown - 115-117 King St, Newtown, ph: 02 9519 5330
St Leonards - 538 Pacific Hwy, St Leonards, ph: 02 9439 6533

Green Gourmet Vegans Choice Grocery
113 King St, Newtown, ph: 02 9519 7646

Further information visit the restaurant's website at: http://www.greengourmet.com.au/