Best of the Gold Coast: Top 10 vegetarian and vegan food spots on the Gold Coast
WE reveal the top 10 vegetarian and vegan food outlets on the Coast as part of our 2016 Best of the Gold Coast series as voted by you.
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WHETHER you want to go on a health food kick or just want to try a different food experience, the Coast is home to plenty of vegan hot spots. But where is the best one?
Today, we reveal the top 10 vegetarian and vegan food outlets on the Coast as part of our 2016 Best of the Gold Coast series as voted by you.
10 - Easy House
8/90 Markeri St
Mermaid Beach
5572 8808
Serving vegetarian yum cha all day, every day, as well as all the classics — but made meatless — this Mermaid eatery is a neighbourhood favourite. Easy House also serves delicious whole coconuts to sip on while you sup, as well as stocking vegan chocolate for sale.
9 - Greenhouse Canteen
1916 Gold Coast Hwy
Miami
5520 7722
http://www.greenhousefactory.com.au/
Anything you can do, they can do vegan. Greenhouse Canteen — a trendy, foliage-filled oasis on the Gold Coast Highway — makes the junk food we all love to eat more wholesome in a cruelty-free campaign for our tastebuds.
8 - Goji Granola Bar and Cafe
7/60 Santa Cruz Blvd
Clear Island Waters
0414 428 773
While not exclusively vegetarian, there are plenty of options to choose from. Diners can design their own granola bowls, choosing their favourite dried fruits, roasted nuts and health boosters to top with CocoSoft — a vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free ice cream alternative. The drinks list also includes some hardcore health smoothies served in measuring beakers.
7 - Kuan Yin Teahouse
2/152 Scarborough St
Southport
5511 5121
The meat substitutes at this Taiwanese restaurant are so delicious you won’t believe it until you see them in the flesh. Owner Thomas Lin is a devout Buddhist so takes his vegetarian and vegan food seriously.
6 - Govindas
20 James St
Burleigh
5607 0782
It’s simple food presented simply … but done exceptionally well. Govindas offers a variety of pure vegetarian food, all displayed buffet style with customers able to make their own selection of small, medium or large serves at reasonable prices. Takeaways are also available. Choose from potato bake, lasagne, samosas, pakora … or all of the above.
5 - Cardamon Pod
Shop 1/2685-2689 Gold Coast Hwy
Broadbeach
0452 218 108
http://www.cardamompod.com.au/
Raw and vegan restaurants used to be few and far between on the Gold Coast, but now eateries like The Cardamom Pod are bringing gourmet goodness to the masses. At the forefront of clean and healthy living, the Cardamom Pod provides delicious dishes and nutritious alternatives for those living with an intolerance to gluten, dairy and meat.
4 - Tian Ran
8/2464 Gold Coast Hwy
Mermaid Beach
5572 0678
http://tianranvegetarian.com.au/
The menu describes it as ‘authentic, healthy, Asian, vegan/vegetarian cuisine’ … it might be a mouthful, but it’s a tasty one. In English, the translation of Tian Ran is ‘natural’ — the meals are free from animal-derived products, alcohol, garlic, onions or MSG. All vegetarian ‘meats’ are instead substitutes made from soy, wheat, yam, seaweed and mushroom. The tasty dishes can be accompanied by Flat Earth organic kombucha, with flavours ranging from ginger to turmeric to hibiscus.
3 - Govindas
3120 Surfers Paradise Blvd
Surfers Paradise
0466 181 495
If you believe you reap what you sow, Govindas is the place to eat. The lasagne, curries and highly sought after kofta balls are not only satisfying for your stomach but also your conscience — with proceeds of the cafe used to support local community projects. While much of the food has influences from India and the Middle East, it’s cooked with a western palate in mind.
2- Mandala Organic Arts
4/2558 Gold Coast Hwy
Mermaid Beach
5679 1762
http://www.mandalaorganicarts.com.au/
It’s the secret garden tucked off the Gold Coast Highway, with a vegan menu boasting some of the best pizzas on the planet. They’re made with Australian grown, milled unbleached organic spelt flour, freshly prepared local produce, house-made condiments and sauces and their own cashew nut cheese. Mandala prides itself on being 100 per cent free from animal products, offering wholesome and raw meals packed with herbs and produce fresh from the on-site vegetable patch. You don’t have to be vegan to appreciate the delicious, nutritious results.
WINNER: Giri Kana Cafe
82 Marine Parade
Southport
5591 3555
Green is the new black when it comes to foodie fashion.
But avowed vegetarian Maha Machevsky says it hasn’t always been easy being green.
The owner of Giri Kana, voted the Gold Coast’s best vegetarian restaurant by Bulletin readers, says it was a long road to success from when she started her Southport eatery four years ago.
“When we first opened, the building we’re underneath was empty … no one had moved into the apartments yet. The first few days were like … crickets,” says Maha.
“I used to work at Govindas and I could see that vegetarian restaurants were really becoming popular but there wasn’t much available on the northern end of the Coast.
“I started to wonder whether I had got it wrong but over time word spread about Giri Kana and now we’re run off of our feet.
“People are really starting to realise just how exciting vegetarian cuisine can be, I’m happy to be a teacher.”
Maha says customers don’t need to be vegetarian to enjoy the fare,
She says tofu and vegetable burgers are a big hit with every eater, while desserts are another favourite dish.
“The burgers are definitely our biggest sellers, as well as our kofta pockets. Our kofta balls are gluten-free as well, which makes them extra popular.
“We do a different curry every day, really nice, colourful salads, vegan moussaka and a big range of desserts.
“Most of the dessert dishes are gluten-free too. We have tiramisu, chocolate mousse, chocolate brownies, raw peppermint cheesecake … there’s a lot to choose from.”
Maha says as a Hare Krishna, being vegetarian is a way of life.
While she says she has never been tempted to turn carnivore, she has sampled mock meats offered at a selection of Gold Coast vegetarian restaurants.
“I love that we have so many options here on the Coast now,” she says.
“One of my personal favourites is Easy House at Mermaid. They have mock meats made from soy and mushroom that are really tasty. Of course, I have no idea if that’s what meat really tastes like.
“I have trouble walking past the meat section at a supermarket, let alone actually trying it.”
Maha says there is a real sense of community among vegetarians as well.
“By no means are we an exclusive society, we welcome anyone and everyone, but we’re always happy when there’s a new meat-free option opening in the city,” she says.
“I used to work at Govindas and they were nothing but supportive when I decided to go out on my own.
“I wanted to build a business for myself and my son and after a lot of hard work, we’ve done it. It’s great to work together too … we do have our difficulties every now and then being parent and child, but we are both true believers in the vegetarian cause so we’re always united by that.”
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