Cashew cheese? Who knew? It's the unexpected highlight of the raw vegan lasagna ($15.50) at Sadhana Kitchen, now popping up on Enmore Road as they scout for a new location in Surry Hills.
Yep there it is. Raw. Vegan. Organic. Gluten-free. My arteries don't quite know what to do.
Sadhana pop-up store on Enmore Road
Sadhana Kitchen used to be alongside a yoga centre around the corner. Its temporary relocation on the main street of Enmore attracts a steady flow of customers, mostly twenty-somethings who can't wait to dig into chia porridge ($10), green smoothies ($9.50) and walnut mince tacos ($15.50). The decor is a happy mishmash of benches, stools and vintage chairs and quirky tables. You help yourself to cutlery and water on the side.
And you know what? The Sadhana lasagna is actually pretty tasty, a layered construction of cultured cashew cheese, basil pesto, walnut mince, wilted spinach, tomato sauce and thin ribbons of raw zucchini.
Cashew cheese is made by soaking raw cashews in water, blending this with lemon juice and then allowing it to sit for a day or two to ferment. This, combined with the walnut mince, provides a welcome sense of sustenance to this vegan meal.
Superfood salad $10.50
In the superfood salad you'll find mixed leaves, capsicum, grated carrot and grated beetroot. Scattered over the top are cranberries, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, goji berries and chia seeds. The dressing is faintly sweet and particularly delicious, made with coconut oil, mustard and extra virgin olive oil, according to the kitchen.
Star Raws - heh
We feel so virtuous leaving Sadhana Kitchen that it would be wrong not to stop by Cow & Moon for dessert. It's vegetarian, right?
Cow & Moon Gelato
Cow & Moon Gelato
Gelato display
Deciding what to choose at Cow & Moon is never easy. Owners John and Wendy Crowl make all their gelatos on site, with their more unusual flavours including roasted pineapple with yoghurt and fennel; apple wasabi; and tumeric, cardamom and pistachio.
Chocolate sorbet and pistachio gelato $6.50 two scoops
Their popcorn gelato is a massive crowd favourite, sweet and salty with a hit of butter. It's not available today but the chocolate sorbet is a pretty good consolation, intense and chocolatey without the heaviness of cream.
The pistachio gelato isn't as intense as the one up the road at Gelatomassi, but there's a smoothness and delicacy here combined with genuine pistachio flavour. It comes with certified accolades too. In 2013 the Cow & Moon pistachio gelato was named champion dairy gelato in the 2013 Australian Grand Dairy Awards.
Affogato $6.60
And if you can't decide coffee or a gelato you can have them both. The affogato lets you choose your own scoop of gelato and they'll add a shot of coffee over the top.
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Sadhana Kitchen Pop-Up Store
147 Enmore Road, Newtown, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9516 1334
Opening hours
Open 7 days 9am - 4pm
View Larger Map
Cow and The Moon Gelato Bar
181 Enmore Road, Enmore, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9557 4255
Opening hours
Open 7 days 8.30am - 10.30pm
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Bahaha! I'm noting less enthusiasm and glowing, evocative language in your descriptions of the raw vegan food than is the norm in your posts. But hey... not everything can be fried chicken and waffles or Motorino brussels sprouts pizza, hey? Sadly.
ReplyDeleteWalnut mince? I wonder if you can byo pork belly?
ReplyDelete^^ and bechamel, John!
ReplyDeleteI recently had something from a one of these type places in Newtown: tofu ice cream. Turned out to be just soy-based ice cream... I remain unconvinced.
I love Cow & Moon and I'm very partial to the buttered popcorn too! As for the cultured cashew cheese, a friend made a raw vegan cheesecake once and I was mighty tasty! (But yes, my tastebuds & tummy didn't know what to expect either ;)
ReplyDeleteYum!
ReplyDeleteI have a recipe for vegan cashew cheese but I have never tried it!
I love the look of all the frozen goodness!!!
Ooh cashew cheese! I've heard of it used in raw cheesecakes but not as something savoury! Everyone always has nice things to say about Cow & Moon gelato so I must visit if I'm ever in the area :)
ReplyDeleteSaddhana is in my radar. Raw vegan is actually closer to paleo than standard "Western" fare.
ReplyDeletecashew cheese you say... hey?
ReplyDeleteLove this post. By simple fact, that you kind of didn't know what to do with yourself so had to balance and get gelato.
Still I'd def try that lasagne it sounds really good!
I am still finding my way around the raw food thing. Like you my arteries probably wouldn't know what to do. Actually they would probably go into shock.
ReplyDeleteaffogato , gelato.. yes I am in.
ReplyDeletehahahaha! Good thing you had gelato afterwards or your body may have gone into lock down ;D Yet another place I HAVE TO GO, thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteI love the look of that rawsagne and the salad! I'm not personally convinced by the raw-food movement, but I don't think you can go wrong with big servings of a big variety of veggies!! :)
ReplyDeleteCashew cheese has just blown my mind. I had no idea. It looks good, I'd definitely give it a try, but I'm pretty sure my heart will always be with a rich, meaty, 3 cheese lasagne :P
ReplyDeleteSalted popcorn gelato at Cow and Moon Gelato is AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteCow & Moon - always a staple when catching a show at the Enmore Theatre!
ReplyDeleteToo funny - I think gelato definitely is a must after such a virtuous meal! Cow and Moon is one of my favourites in Sydney - I think it's definitely on par with Messina.
ReplyDelete