First Look: Delicia Açai + Protein Bar's oversized menu has something for everyone

There are three foods in this world that regularly invade my thoughts: Ethiopian food, Bombolini doughnuts (obviously) and açai bowls.

My face has not encountered a bad açai bowl (yet), so I am eagerly anticipating my breakfast today.

Delicia Açai, an Australian-owned franchise, is Canberra’s newest açai hotspot. This Canberra City location is owned by Ranjeet and Gayatri, longtime friends who share a passion for plant-based food.

Delicia Açai’s colour scheme takes inspiration from the vibrancy of an açai berry stain. Strawberry hues and the other fresh fruits used in their açai bowls and smoothies are also featured.

This tiny café boasts a Goliath-sized menu. The main event is their açai bowls, but there’s also a wide range of deliciously descriptive plant-based smoothies, wellbeing drinks, raw treats and some savoury bowls.

“The idea of plant-based health food that is delicious really appealed to us,” Ranjeet says.

The original acai base is all about fruit: a blend of açai berry with banana, mango and a mix of forest and wild berries.

When starting your açai bowl, you can go the fruity path or go down the Snickers/açai base/chocolate route. (You’ll never guess which direction my açai bowl is headed …)

The Snicker acai base (oh, you guessed it!) combines açai berry with peanut butter and cocoa. Delicia’s peanut butter and nut butter are made in-house and the team is currently working on creating and expanding their nut butter range.

Choose one or multiple gorgeous add-ons to layer additional textures and flavours to your acai bowl.

Warm, savoury bowls include the Keep it Beanzee with chickpeas, mushroom and avocados on a savoury quinoa base – you can also have it in a tasty pie form followed by some delicious plant-based bakery items.

The smoothies sound tasty as well, there’s Cookies & Cream, Iced Coffee, or the Bouncing Banana Raspberry smoothie, which has hot pink dragon fruit. Ranjeet says they have eight different hot chocolate sensations, including cinnamon and chilli.

I order a peanut butter cup protein bowl: Delicia’s rich velvety chocolate açai blended with banana plant protein, topped with granola, cacao nibs, strawberries, banana, hemp seeds, coconut yoghurt, coconut flakes and peanut butter. To drink, I choose a matcha latte.

The açai bowl base is velvety, rich and fruity with rich nutty hits of peanut butter. I could happily eat it on its own. But the fun part of an acai bowl is all the added textures and tastes. One mouthful with the fruit mixed in, plus the chew of Goji berries and the crunch of the sesame and hemp seeds and cacao nibs- so delicia! I am literally in my absolute happiest place, a generous bowl of deliciousness that is guilt-free. This is açai perfection.

The matcha latte is creamy with an earthy taste, delicate with an amazing foam. Head barista Anmolpreet makes a splendid coffee too. I have not been able to properly enjoy coffee since having COVID, but the froth on the cappuccino is thick and pillowy, tinged with rich deep coffee tones. Bliss.

If I had something like this for breakfast every day, I would absolutely radiate vitality! While their menu is plant-based, Delicia does have regular milk on offer.

Delicia Açai + Protein Bar is located at 20 Genge St in Civic. They are open from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm on weekdays and from 9 am to 3 pm on weekends.

Follow them on Facebook or visit their website to get all the nutritional information.