Before I say anything else, I want to thank you all so much for your wonderful, wonderful comments on my blogiversary post. You made me feel even more bubbly and supported than ever, and I’m very grateful to you for that. Now, back to some adventuring…
Some of you might remember that, awhile ago, I mentioned I had booked a visit to my brother, E.TeacherLord, in Melbourne. Well, the time has come [the walrus said]. In actuality, the time came yesterday, as today is my second day in this city of the ever-changing weather*. And while I have a backlog of chocolate and recipe posts to write up, I can’t help jumping the queue to post about the place my brother and I went for dinner last night.
It’s a place that:
- I was so excited about that I could barely contain myself in the lead-up,
- serves food I’ve never tried,
- I had to appeal to my brother’s adventurous spirit in order to get him to go to.
Yong Green Food.
Raw. Vegan. Magnificence.
I first heard about this restaurant via blogs such as where’s the beef? and In The Mood For Noodles, but it was these two raw goddesses who really stoked the not-above-105°F-fire of my raw excitement.
My brother, however, was less convinced of the potential deliciousness of raw food:
I countered his squeamish face with a stern-yet-hopeful expression of my own:
Having read at least 15 reviews of Yong Green Food, I knew that the Rawsagna came highly recommended. Despite my brother initially thinking he’d order one of the non-raw options on the menu, we decided to go full-bore with novelty food after my parents generously offered to pay for our meal in absentia.
So, he ordered the Rawsagna ($14.95) which, according to the menu, is made of “layered zucchini with mushroom, onion, cashew cream, and raw tomato sauce”.
And you know what? It was delicious. There was far more involved than the simple menu description implied, and the mix of creamy, savoury, herby, rich-cashews-permeated-with-intense-tomato-y flavours were utterly satisfying. As E.TeacherLord said, it tasted nothing like a traditional beef lasagne, but if you took it as something entirely unique, it was great.
I thought it tasted a little bit like an amalgamation of super rich tasty dips.
I ordered what I’m going to call Raw Sushi, although the menu called it Mock Salmon Roe ($9.95). This was described as “carrots wrapped in nori with sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, capsicum, cucumber, avocado and cashew cream. Served with wasabi sauce”. I really enjoyed the freshness of this, and loved the textural contrast of the slightly-crunchy “rice” against the creamy avocado and fresh vegetables, shot through with nubbins of seeds. The sauce was fantastic, too, with a super-intense spicy punch.
We also ordered a Mango Lassi to share, which was made of mango, almond milk, banana, and agave. This led to a heated debate about how I’m not Australian enough because mangoes aren’t my favourite fruit. Ergo I refuse to talk any more about this aspect of the meal (although the drink itself was nice enough).
However, there was one reason, and one reason only, that had truly spurred my Yong Green Food raw excitement.
Raw cheesecake.
First off, it amused me that the table next to us, with three older-than-my-brother-and-I adults, shared one slice of cheesecake. My brother and I were never going to order less than one each. Just so you know.
We suffered a moment of sadness when we discovered that the (non-raw) pumpkin pie on the menu wasn’t available, but soon regrouped and made our orders. One Raw Blueberry Cheesecake ($8.80) made with “cashew, coconut oil, agave, almonds, sunflower seeds, sultana, dates, coconut” and one Raw Carrot Cake ($8.80) made with “hazelnuts, walnuts, cashew, carrot, agave, coconut butter, vanilla, lemon, spices”.
Both looked beautiful, but I have to say the winner for both my brother and me was the Raw Carrot Cake. And because my brother is not only funny, intelligent and the best teacher in the world, but also generous, he let me switch our plates and have more of “his” carrot cake than “my” cheesecake.
The cheesecake was still fantastic, though. Denser and smoother in texture than the other dessert, and very rich. The dominant flavour was coconut, though, which is perhaps why I was more interested in the Carrot Cake.
The Carrot Cake was divine. We actually both thought it tasted like the pumpkin pie we’d missed out on, with its plentiful spice notes and subtle sweetness. The icing, which I assume was predominately coconut butter, did have a slight cream cheese-ish tang when tasted on its own. Oh, and I absolutely nabbed the sole hazelnut for myself.
Overall, I loved this meal. For the food itself, for the novelty factor, for the fact that my brother was open and even enthusiastic about trying it, for the fact that he liked it, for the fact that our parents paid for it (thanks parents!) and because afterwards, I got to spend a few hours hanging out with my brother while he played guitar and I danced to this song, and because his housemates are all incredibly friendly and fun. Hurrah!
* I was on the phone to my mother ten minutes ago, and when she asked what the weather was like, I looked out the window and said “bright blue skies”. Now? It’s raining. I kid you not.
Oh yay! I am so glad you finally got to try out a raw food restaurant and I am glad you were not disappointed, however I DO believe, get Amber and I together and we could wow you and your brother and your parents even more
I’m just sayin 
Enjoy Melbourne, even with the 4 seasons in one day. And on my goodness, thanks for the shout out darling girl!!
I 100%, absolutely, utterly and completely believe that you and Amber could wow us even more than Yong Green Food did. After all, they don’t offer young coconut ice cream
And you’re more than welcome!
Robyn, hell yeah we could! Can you imagine what would happen if you grouped the three of us, you, me, and Hannah, in one kitchen? I think the universe would explode! (Or implode; I’d have to consult Stephen Hawking on which is likelier…)
And it would be the tastiest, best, most fun, worthwhile explosion EVER. Oh, please let’s all promise to make this happen one day!
The entire meal sounds divine!! I was salivating over the photos!
It really was tasty, and fun to boot!
Oooh those cakes sound great.
They truly were. Now if only Canberra would give us a place like this, right?
That sounds like raw food I could get behind
Especially cake.
Absolutely, right? After all, a raw foodist cannot live on juice alone
The food looks amazing! I have been looking at making a few raw meals over the summer, when we actually get a summer….OH THE RAIN!
Hey Leah! Sorry to jump right in here but I follow a pretty high raw diet all year round and raw doesn’t necessarily have to mean COLD so you can eat it even when it’s raining
Warming herbs help (like ginger, cayenne etc) plus you can have semi warm soups to if you desire. Just a thought!
No need to apologise Robyn! You’re the authority on this thing, after all! I must admit that, like Leah, I do enjoy physically hot food, but I also love the warming spices you mention
There’s just something about cayenne… 
P.S. Leah – I know the feeling. Thank heavens I escaped Canberra’s rain for a few days by coming to Melbourne!
Oh I love Yong’s! It’s been an age since I was last there, and I desperately want to go again. So delicious!
I’m so envious that you live here and *can* go again whenever you so choose! I’m just going to have to make my own raw cheesecake, I think
This place sounds fantastic! My best friend follows a raw diet permanently, I’ll have to make sure she knows about it…although the post sounds far too healthy for you Hannah!!
xxx
I have a few high-raw friends, some who ebb in and out of the lifestyle and others who are quite dedicated. I bet your friend would love this place! Teehee… don’t you worry, I haven’t given up on my chocolate and peanut butter consumption in favour of raw food. Just you wait…
Hahah welcome to Melbourne weather – the chick with constant PMS.
And I can’t believe I haven’t heard of this place – this is definitely going on my list
Teehee, that’s a brilliant way to describe it… And I’d love to know what you think of this place! It does non-raw vegan food too
Oh I would devour both plates of food and both desserts! So good! Raw food is/can be the most flavorful meal- especially how great it makes you feel after eating it! Glad you enjoyed the meal!
I wish you could go there soon and devour these dishes too! It was definitely a fun and tasty experience, though “cooked” chocolate makes me feel pretty good after eating it too
those photos at the top are hilarious – I must get to yongs one of these days but am not sure if it is somewhere I would take sylvia!
I will join you in being unaustralian when it comes to mangoes – I think stone fruit is far more Australian – the cherries I bought at the market were superb – I wished I had thought to buy some for you to take on your trip to flinders st. Was lovely to meet you yesterday though I am sorry I was rushing around shopping – next time hope we can sit down and relax more
Thanks Johanna! My brother’s a good sport. That, or we’re just both clowns at heart
Hmm… perhaps you could take Sylvia and ak them to cook a plate of Brussels sprouts and plain tofu (they do cooked food too)?
Hurrah! Stone fruits are where it’s at
I adore plums, and figs, and white peaches, and berries, and pomegranates (okay, those aren’t all stone fruit, but you catch my drift)! It really was so lovely to meet you too – looking forward to next time 
I say – complete raw food meals! A few more converts could go a long way towards saving greenhouse gas emissions. But then again, all that roughage? I wonder?
Evan and I have digestive systems of steel – no such thing as too much roughage!
I’d love to take you somewhere like this – I think there’d be a lot you could try!
Didn’t we ever teach you to smile for the camera? I think we’ll take our bankrolling offer back! Seriously though the food looks intriguing…and, yes, even tasty.
I should’ve explained to you that this kind of raw food isn’t just salad and cut-up fruit. It’s fancy-schmancy, incredibly filling, and delicious!
Also, you clearly didn’t teach us that. Bad parents.
Good looking family! And I want to eat ALL OF THAT and hoard their pink water bottle, distressed white furniture and Japanese screen for myself. I just may request a raw cook book for Christmas… I hate cooking, but I like buying good ingredients and putting them on a plate. Seems like the proper diet for me.
Yep, Evan’s definitely looking attractive there
I’m sure the restaurant decor would look lovely in your place 
However, raw food like this is slightly more complex than just buying ingredients and putting it on a plate! You’ll have to buy a high-quality blender and then an expensive dehydrator so you can spend 24 hours dehydrating your flax crackers 
Whoopie Doooo, I’m so envious that you got to go there and try out this oh so fab place, thanks for the awesome write up, great pics too.
Great that your having such a fun fab time down in the Melbourne town
Thank you Anna! I’m absolutely having a blast. Someone definitely needs to offer me a job in this city
Oh that does look delicious!
It certainly was!
I love those raw cheesecakes, and haven’t had one for ages. Must return soon!
Welcome to Melb, and loves the shots of you and your bro.
Thanks K! I’ve spent far too long being envious of your eating adventures to come here without trying at least something you’ve blogged!
very intriguing offerings! Love salads, always have,does that mean I would love raw food? need to check it out!
I’d say so, though nothing at this place was just a salad! Apart from what we got, there were raw sandwiches, raw burgers, raw pasta… it’s definitely worth a try
Awesome!! I want to go there! My flatmates are currently galivanting around Melbourne eating up everything on sight…perhaps I should recommend it. I do adore both of your facials! Clearly great facials runs in the genes!
I don’t know how people can order just one dessert between even two people. I mean, even if you are ridiculously full there is a second stomach for dessert. Not to mention you can always just take the leftovers home if you wimp out. It is tragic. Don’t get me started on the ridiculously small slivers of cake people take these days.
By the way, raw pumpkin pie is fantastic
Teehee! Or silliness runs in the genes
Oh gosh, I completely agree about desserts. And I hate when restaurants refuse to give you the dessert menu with the savoury menu. Don’t they realise that some of us plan everything around dessert? *gripes*
Okay, though, now I’m cranky at you. I haven’t had real pumpkin pie, let alone raw pumpkin pie… I think you should come up with a recipe
Well, I actually have one in this raw food recipe book sitting on my shelf (was going to call it a cookbook but that would be weird). Haven’t tried it yet. But what would be easier is if you just popped over to New Zealand for dessert and we went and visited Christchurch and The Lotus Heart…
You put my plane ticket in the mail already, right?
(You could always type out the recipe for me and my hungry hungry tummy…
)
Hmmm, I will do that…hound me if I don’t because you know what I’m like (or if you don’t, then you soon will!).
Don’t worry, I’m the same. Let’s not mention how many wonderful peopel I owe emails to… So yes. I will hound.
oooh raw-licious!! (sorry, lame). It looks really yummy! Especially the Rawsagna. I forgive you for not loving mangoes as much as your brother. I love them so much!! BUT I think I would choose berries over them
Love the initial expression on your brother’s face!
Heidi xo
Sometimes lameness is just awesome, particularly when it comes to dodgy puns
It’s not that I don’t like mangoes, I just wouldn’t sell my kidney for one 
And my brother does like being a goof…
Wow, where IS this place, she asks, blushing, having lived in Melbourne for two years…..
Oops! I should start putting addresses in these posts, probably! 421 Brunswick St
The raw cheese cake would be interesting to try. Have been looking for a place that does a good pumpkin pie.
Let me know if you find one! I’ve still never had any kind of pumpkin pie
P.S. Thanks for visiting my blog!
oooOOOOooo Raw vegan food is so exciting (I know, I love butter and cake and things, but still). I just wish it was more accessible – so many interesting recipes I click on turn out to need a dehydrator or some really difficult-to-get-hold-of-ingredients – and I don’t mean just agave nectar or whatever which can be found relatively easily or substituted with honey. The meal looks amazing, cashew cream sounds amazing, and your curly curls are also amazing!
Aw, thank you Laura! Out-of-the-blue compliments are rather lovely, especially when my hair is more often “crazy fluff” than curls
I know what you mean about raw food, but I’ve actually found a few that just need a food processor. I’m hoping to experiment more, but the problem is nuts and coconut butter are mighty expensive!
I’d definitely be interested in trying this place… but more out of curiosity than anything. I’m generally of the ‘why would I want raw stuff when I can have COOKED stuff?!’ school of thought, but I’m always interested in seeing how they execute this kinda thing. It’s like a yummy science project!
So if I had limited time in Melbourne, visiting here would probably get pushed quite far down the list in favour of…non-raw places. But I’m crossing any fingers and toes into big arthritic-like lumps, hoping to visit my brother in Melbourne for a few weeks in January/February…..AKA lots of potential meals 
Anyhoo. Very glad you’re having a good time! You and your bro are cuties
Can’t wait to hear about more of your travels/eatings!
You *have* to visit your brother in Melbourne frequently, because you have to make sure you’re his kid’s favourite aunt, right?
I so wish I was here longer so that I could have more miraculous meals. But I’ve clocked up four awesome restaurants in as many days, so I’ve done okay 
And thank you, Lizzi! Can’t wait to post more about the trip too… but I’m so exhausted from all the walking
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Has your brother seen this post yet? Has he disowned you for putting up that photo of him?
Well, you know what I think about raw food – I’m glad you enjoyed it!
PS: totally disowning you as a BFF if any pics of me end up on here…..
Actually, he approved this photo instead of the one of him smiling normally… And seeing as you’ve now met my brother, I bet you can understand this
True BFFness is supporting each other in our different tastes, right? You sent me that muesli recipe, after all!
P.S. Don’t worry, I shall keep your superhero identity a secret
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Raw carrot cake sounds amazing! I’m glad you’ve got such an open-minded brother… I can’t even get mine to try hummus. HA!
Haha! Oh, wow, I guess I should be quite grateful for my brother’s adventurousness!
I <3 Yong, but possibly not quite so much as I <3 the Tshirt your brother is wearing in that photo.
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oh gosh, that does sound interesting. Would never have thought something like this existed. how sheltered am I!!!!
It was such a pleasure meeting you on the weekend. You’re such a hoot!
I wouldn’t call you “sheltered” – I’d call you “magnificent and hilarious”
And oh, how you all laughed at me for my raw vegan excitement… 
Absolutely loved meeting you too!
I am so very thrilled that you made it to a raw restaurant, and even more so that you enjoyed it! Oh, and that your skeptical brother did, too
Both desserts look amazing, but the texture of that carrot cake (and its icing) looks especially fab. I don’t know why I haven’t thought to make a blueberry cheezecake yet (considering I’ve made raspberry; duh!); that is one I will HAVE to try. When you come visit, I’ll make one for you that’ll knock the pants off this one. 
There was never a doubt in my mind that I’d enjoy it
And to be fair to my brother, despite what I wrote to you earlier, he was really keen to try it! He’s super adventurous when it comes to eating, which is awesome.
The carrot cake was fantastic, btu I have no doubt that your cheezecakes will outdo this one by a million miles! (This one tasted a bit too one-note coconut, ultimately, for me.) But do stick with raspberry for me! I much prefer that to blueberry
Ooh I have this on my list to visit too so thankyethankyethankye for the review!
And you look very determined but sultry in that pic but your brother does look a lil bit disturbed or aghast 
Oh, gosh, I cannot WAIT to see what you think of it! Are you going anytime soon? Please try the raw pecan pie! I was so torn between that and the cheesecake
Teehee, I wasn’t really going for sultry, but there are worse things!
All together now…. “four seasons in one day…”
This food looks very interesting. In a good interesting way, not an oh-man-what-do-I-call-this-pile-of-crap interesting one. What takes me fancy more though, is your brother’s shirt. I would like to have an interesting shirt-off with him. As in, an interesting (in a good way) shirt competition, not an interesting (in a weird way) shirt off situation. Oh god this paragraph is getting awkward. I hope you know what I mean. Gah.
*giggle* I have to admit, when you asked to have a shirt-off with my brother… I did immediately start dreaming about what it would be like to have you as a sister-in-law. And I decided it would be awesome. So, when are you going to Melbourne to meet him? Your wedding bomboniere could be interesting shirts for all the guests…
I’m glad you realise that shirt-offs before marriage is totally wrong.
I’m going to meet him when I’m there in January for the tennis, silly! You did double check that it’s ok to stay with him, yes?
Mind you, January is normally pretty hot, and my super cool singlet collection pales in comparison to my super cool t shirt collection. Perhaps we should postpone this meeting.
You know me – I even believe it’s imperative that couples have shirts counselling before marriage.
I know you say that as a joke, but I honestly don’t think he and his housemates would mind
And instead of postponing, maybe you could swap? I bet the brother would look great in your singlet tops…
That wouldn’t be weird at all.
Not a jot. I’ve always thought he has the shoulders to pull it off.
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I finally got to read this post. YAY. It looks so very intriguing. I’m not sure I quite understand the modern fascination with raw food, but I am keen to get to this place on my next Melbourne trip- I’ve been a rather lucky, relatively frequent visitor to that fair city over the years. We dine out a lot there, I’m not sure that my friend would willingly go to a raw vegan restaurant, but he sure would enjoy moaning about it later, so I’ll have to tell him that we are going to a surprise place. Actually I think my last few visits I haven’t made it out of the CBD so it would be fun to go to Fitzroy, it is my old stomping ground after all (I lived in Fitzroy for a year back in the 80s when I was young, and capable of having blue black hair). I am keen to try the rawsagna, although lasagna isn’t something I order when out usually. I would love to try raw sushi, but don’t consider raw carrot to be a foodstuff (it’s great getting older, you can have all these random things you don’t like, and have decided not to eat any more) so would be a bit concerned about that. The cakes look absolutely fab. And I’m not above ordering extras to take away and have for breakfast the next day just to get to try them all.
You could do what I did! I made my brother promise to take me to “a particular restaurant” before I told him what it was, then I appealed to his sense of adventure and by the end he was completely game. Also, the bulk of the menu is non-raw, so your friend could probably find something more up his alley anyway
I’m so thrilled that you’re interested in trying this place! The other mains were raw burgers, wraps, pasta, and I think a few other things that don’t involve raw carrot. And please please please pick up extra desserts and tell me about them! The green tea cheezecake looked beautiful, and I really wanted to try the raw pecan pie
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