We went to An Di in Docklands for Vietnamese food. Like many Asian restaurants we visit, most of the menu is non-vegetarian, but there were still enough vegetarian choices for us — roughly one in five options. We tried the vegetarian fried rice, tofu pho and a salted Vietnamese coffee. Vegetarian fried rice The fried … Read more
A short food note from Garg Indian Kitchen in Truganina, with Cheese Pav Bhaji, Paneer Tikka Tacos and Veg Frankie.
We went to Brother Bon in Northcote for lunch and really enjoyed the food. It is a fully vegan restaurant, so there was plenty to choose from without having to look through the menu for vegetarian options. We ordered the Vietnamese fried rice with tofu and Pad Thai with tofu. Both were generous serves with … Read more
Our family fruit-picking visits to Payne’s Orchards in Bacchus Marsh, with cherries, plums, nectarines and apples depending on the season.
We visited Kumar Sweets near Derrimut / Deer Park, a vegetarian sweets and snacks place on Mount Derrimut Road. They are known for vegetarian sweets and snacks like samosa, milk cake and gujiya. The samosas used to be one of the best things here for me, but recently the taste has changed a bit. I … Read more
We visited Nine Elephants in Docklands for a Thai meal. It is not a fully vegetarian place, but there were a few vegetarian options on the menu. We tried the Nine Elephants Fried Rice and Garlic Fried Rice with Tofu. Both were simple, filling lunch-style dishes, and it was useful that the menu had veg … Read more
A simple family visit note for Laddu Gopal in Truganina, a full vegetarian restaurant with gongura soya chaap biryani, chaat and parking.
Gordon St Bakery in Footscray was a simple and very satisfying bakery stop. We visited for a quick bite and coffee, and the display had plenty of fresh-looking baked options. This is not a detailed review, just a short note from our visit. Quick Summary Place: Gordon St Bakery Location: Footscray Good for: coffee, bread, … Read more
On a visit to Bhavnagar, we tried the local dish-style ice gola, topped with syrup, malai, nuts, tutti frutti and cherries. It is a simple street dessert memory, but the making process was fun to capture. Quick summary Good for: Bhavnagar food memory and Gujarat dessert notes. Food note: shaved ice, flavoured syrup, malai, dry … Read more
We visited a few famous Ganapati pandals in Mumbai, including Mumbaicha Raja, Lalbaugcha Raja and Tejukayacha Raja, and these photos bring back that festival day. Quick summary Good for: Mumbai festival memories, Ganeshotsav photos and family travel notes. Places noted: Mumbaicha Raja, Lalbaugcha Raja and Tejukayacha Raja. Family note: the visit involved long queues and … Read more
Melbourne has some lovely beaches for a simple family outing. We have visited St Kilda, Frankston and Brighton at different times, usually keeping the day relaxed with an easy vegetarian food plan. Places covered: St Kilda, Frankston and Brighton Good for: short beach visits, walks, photos and relaxed family time Vegetarian notes: cafe and casual … Read more
This final Amritsar note is less about one meal and more about the rest of the trip — temples, local sightseeing, Wagah Border and shopping in the old markets. Quick summary Place: Amritsar temples, Wagah Border and market areas Best for: Family sightseeing, local markets and travel memories Vegetarian notes: We found plenty of vegetarian … Read more
We moved from Malpe Beach to Mangalore, stopping at temples, local markets and simple vegetarian places along the way. There were also a few ice cream and coastal food stops that I still remember from the trip. Quick summary Good for: coastal travel notes, temple visits, vegetarian breakfast ideas and Mangalore food memories. Places noted: … Read more
Benaras, also called Varanasi or Kashi, was one of those places where food, faith and street life all blended together. Many of our strongest food memories from the trip were vegetarian. Quick summary Place: Benaras / Varanasi Food memories: kachori sabzi, jalebi, chai, baati chokha, chole chawal and thandai Good for: vegetarian street food and … Read more
This part of our Udupi and Mangalore trip was mostly about simple local food, temple-town meals and beach stops. One of the strongest memories for me was eating at Mitra Samaj near the Udupi temple area. Quick summary Place: Udupi and nearby coastal stops Main food stop: Mitra Samaj Food memories: idli, vada, dosa, filter … Read more
This trip covered Jagannath Puri, Konark Sun Temple, local Odisha food, sweets and the quiet roads around Puri and Nimapada. Quick summary Good for: temple travel notes, Odisha food memories and a Puri-Konark day route. Food notes: dahi pakhala, khaja, chhena jhili and chhena poda. Travel notes: Jagannath Puri, Konark Sun Temple, local crafts, rice … Read more
We visited Mannubhai Sweet and Snack Shop in Bhavnagar and watched fafda, sev, boondi, gathiya, phoolwadi and laddoo being made. Quick summary Good for: Bhavnagar food notes, Gujarati snacks and sweet shop memories. Food notes: fafda, sev, boondi, aloo sev, gathiya, phoolwadi and laddoo. Vegetarian note: these are vegetarian snack and sweet shop notes. Vegan … Read more
Indore felt like a city built around food conversations. Sarafa Bazaar was the highlight for us, with jewellery shops closing and the lane turning into a busy vegetarian street food market. Quick summary Good for: vegetarian street food, sweets, snacks and night market memories. Food notes: kopra patties, dahi bade, shikanji, dal bafla, bhutte ki … Read more
Queen Victoria Market, also called Queen Vic Market, was one of the first Melbourne places that made me feel the city’s food culture. It works both as a local produce market and as a casual place to walk around, browse, eat and pick up small gifts. Place: Queen Victoria Market Location: Melbourne CBD Good for: … Read more
Bikaner was full of spicy snacks, sweets, old markets, temple visits and classic Rajasthani food memories. Much of what we tried was vegetarian, so food naturally became a big part of the trip. Quick summary Good for: vegetarian snacks, Bikaner food memories and Rajasthan travel notes. Food notes: Bikaneri bhujia, poori sabji, jalebi, kachori, mirchi … Read more
This part of the Jaisalmer trip covered Gadisar Lake, Tillon Ki Prol, Nathmal Ji Ki Haveli, Patwon Ki Haveli, breakfast, lunch, dinner near the railway station and local sweets. Quick summary Good for: lake views, old havelis, family travel notes and simple Jaisalmer food stops. Food notes: kachori, samosa, kulhad tea, thali, dhaba-style dinner, besan … Read more
This part of the Jaisalmer trip covered the living fort, old lanes, temples, shops, local crafts, lunch near the fort, evening tea, and a dhaba-style dinner. Quick summary Good for: Jaisalmer fort memories, family travel notes, old lanes and local food stops. Food notes: Rajasthani thali, jalebi, tea, saffron milk, sutarfeni, jowar roti, ker sangri … Read more
This Hyderabad and Secunderabad trip took us through Charminar, the old city and several memorable food stops, with both vegetarian dishes and traditional Hyderabad specialities along the way. This trip covered Charminar, old city markets, Irani chai, Karachi Bakery, Chutneys, Hussain Sagar and food memories from Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Quick summary Good for: Hyderabad food … Read more
On this part of our Kutch trip, we moved through Bhuj and Mandvi, visited Vijay Vilas Palace, stopped for a Gujarati meal, and later saw Swaminarayan Temple, Prag Mahal and Aina Mahal. Quick summary Good for: Bhuj and Mandvi travel notes, palaces, temples and a vegetarian lunch stop. Food note: Gujarati thali-style meal with chaas, … Read more