78 Bridge Rd
Richmond, VIC
Richmond, VIC
I could never be a vegetarian. That said though, I do enjoy my vegetarian food. You’d think being a food blogger would be all about indulgence, and you would be right, but there’s a lot of joy to be found in the humblest of meals too (no, really!). Being along the tram line that I take every day to work, Tofu Shop’s neon signage is no new sight for me.
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For the longest time, I couldn’t decide if it was just a run-of-the-mill health restaurant, or if it was something more. But we don’t live in the 21stcentury for nothing, so when I finally got around to googling it, I found out that it is actually a very highly rated vegetarian restaurant that has occupied the premise for over 20 years. There isn’t very much to the place – the interior is as humble as the house-made tofu, but they do have dinosaurs.
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| Small Bowl ($11.5) |
Whilst we spent our time humming and hawing over the half a dozen dishes of the day, the girl behind the counter helpfully suggested that we do what everyone else does – get a bit of everything. So for $11.5, we each got a Small Bowl of everything on offer, with the only difference being that I said yes to the optional pickled ginger on top.
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| Small Bowl ($11.5) |
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| Small Bowl ($11.5) |
And then we dug into our bowl of vegetarian goodness. There was ginger tofu, curry tofu, soft tofu, hard tofu, and of course a good selection of veggies – raw, roasted, blanched, marinated – piled on top of a bed of brown rice mixed with dahl. Bonus points to the fluffy piece of deep-fried tempeh on the side. It was every vegetable and soy product served every way imaginable, and I have to admit that the result was wholesome and tasty.
I can see how Tofu Shop got the reputation it has. There’s a great variety of vegetarian dishes that all managed to be tasty in their own right, and I imagine finding an interesting and healthy meal as a vegetarian can be an uphill battle sometimes, so Tofu Shop must be very welcome indeed. But as an omnomnomnivore, I left Tofu Shop feeling a little empty, partially due to the small portions, and partially due to the lack of protein. $11.5 for a small-ish bowl of veggies? Pass the steak thanks.
Rating: 11.5/20 – omnomnomnivore.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.
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3 Comments
So glad you reviewed this place. I’ve had it on my Urbanspoon wishlist for awhile now but just haven’t gotten around to heading there yet, this was the reminder I needed! The meals look very wholesome and fresh, just what my body’s screaming out for after gorging myself on chocolate today.
Hi Lily! I’m still all mixed up about how I feel about Tofu Shop. The food is definitely fresh and wholesome (though a little uninspired), but the portions are just so tiny! Add that to the lack of protein, and I walked away half hungry. I’d definitely recommend getting a medium if your appetite is anywhere near average
Definitely sounds like some place I’d like to check out but judging from what you’re saying and the pictures, I’d probably be doing medium or large bowl. Just curious but, is there a menu to order from or is the food already prepared?