‘Bowls’ may be known by different names depending on the café or restaurant you visit, but whatever you call them they have one thing in common – they’re making salad sexy again.
Nourish bowls, buddha bowls, macro bowls, grain bowls or power bowls are packed full of whole foods and are a colourful feast for the eyes along with being a textural banquet for the mouth.
Providing a more balanced meal than a regular salad, bowls are filling and contain grains, protein, seeds, plus a range of greens and vegetables. We’ve found three great destinations to get your next bowl full of goodness.
Doubleshot
Situated in the Deakin shops, Doubleshot is the social hub of the suburb. Photos: Sophia Brady.
Situated in the Deakin shops, Doubleshot is the social hub of the suburb. No matter what day or time you visit you will find the sprawling café packed full of patrons enjoying the lively easygoing atmosphere and quirky interiors.
Taking his cue from the health-conscious locals and nearby gym-goers, owner Omar Muscat said his regular customers are conscious about what they eat. In response, Doubleshot has devised a menu that provides a balance of lots of nutritious vegetarian-based options great for every day, along with mouthwatering, irresistible weekend indulgences. From a bowl of Zoodles with zucchini noodles, roasted vegetables, quinoa, macadamia parmesan, chilli oil all in a tomato, and verjuice sugo to a Southern Fried Chicken Burger with all the trimmings, the compact menu covers a lot of delicious ground.
The Nourish Bowl served is a literal rainbow – full of colour, crunch and zest.
“It is a bowl of happiness. When customers receive it, they smile,” said Omar.
“You walk away full, having fueled your body with good vegan ingredients all made in-house.”
A visual sensation, try the Nourish Bowl which tastes as good and fresh as it looks, loaded with roast pumpkin, miso eggplant, kale, beetroot jam, cashew and cauliflower cheese, organic kimchi, house pickles and organic brown rice.
A visual sensation, the Nourish Bowl tastes as good and fresh as it looks.
Shop 7, Hopetoun Circuit, Deakin.
Open seven days a week, 6:00 am to 1:30 pm.
Bitten Goodfoods
Located in Braddon, Bitten Goodfoods is a full-service whole foods supermarket and café. The back of the store has shelves full of groceries to purchase for home while the front houses the casual eatery. The philosophy is the same throughout, providing access to the best quality Australian organic ingredients from seafood to their range of premium meat, vegetables, fruits and pantry staples. And there’s an option for almost everyone whether you’re after vegan, keto, paleo, dairy-free or gluten-free.
Owner Alex Howes explains: “We wanted to create a place where everyone can eat.”
“No matter what your dietary preferences you can come and find something on the menu. It’ll be delicious and everyone in your group can find something on the menu too, even if they had completely different dietary needs.”
The Bitten Bowl was designed as a choose-your-own-adventure bowl, going back to a philosophy of being able to cater for different dietary needs. The standard bowl has a seasonal organic salad of the day – quinoa, avocado, macadamia feta, kraut, hemp dukkah – and a choice of topping of either free-range poached chicken, egg, organic coffee cured jackfruit, or zucchini fritters. There are also options to swap the quinoa for cauliflower rice and to add extra ingredients. Bursting with produce the Bitten Bowl is thoughtfully curated and packs a huge nutritional and flavourful punch.
Bursting with produce, the Bitten Bowl is thoughtfully curated and packs a huge nutritional and flavourful punch.
Unit G17, Palko Building, 27 Lonsdale St, Braddon.
Open seven days a week: Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 7:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Common Grounds Gowrie
A local go-to in the Tuggeranong Valley, Common Grounds Gowrie has a mash-up of tried and tested café classics on the menu such as Egg and Bacon Rolls, French Toast and Burgers along with a changing array of unique specials dishes.
“We want our menu to be a mix of well-executed classics that are menu staples and interesting, unheard of dishes from all around the world that we feature on our specials board,” says owner Szymon Jagus.
The Buddha Bowl started out its journey at Common Grounds Gowrie on the specials board in 2016 and has ended up a permanent fixture ever since. Every time the team tried to take it off the menu, they field questions and demands from regulars insisting they bring it back.
The bowl is homely in appearance and taste with a base of spiced red cabbage, crispy sweet potatoes, honey roasted pumpkin, chickpeas, quinoa, spinach hummus, and house dressing. You can add avocado and a range of proteins to the bowl including grilled halloumi, smoked salmon, chicken or pulled pork. The star of the dish is the spiced red cabbage, cooked in secret spices for hours and the result is an addictive flavourful elixir.
The Buddha Bowl.
4 / 1 Jeffries Street, Gowrie.
Open seven days a week: Monday to Friday 7:30 am to 2:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Loading ...
