Yulli's: Vegetarian Bar & Restaurant, Surry Hills (11 July 2010)

417 Crown Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Vegetarian with a side of beer

While attending the MUMU Grill Boutique Beer Tasting Dinner I was recommended by Dan from Beer Snobs that Yulli's have great boutique beers on tap. I quite enjoy the Stone & Wood Pale Lager ($6.80) from Byron Bay NSW and there's others I'm not quite acquainted with. To start the Mixed Chip Plate ($12.50) comes with fantastically crispy sweet potato, taro, lotus root, beetroot and spanish onion complimented by simple sauces. Steamed leek and ginger dumplings ($10.50) are served with a fresh plum sauce and are pretty good. Their Panfried haloumi ($10.50) is enjoyable and cooked just as it should be. The Yulli's massaman curry pie served with mashed potato ($15.50) is declared a treat by the orderer and my Eggplant Involtini ($17.50) I spotted previously on another table comes with grilled eggplant stuffed with buffalo mozzarella and spinach, topped with lemongrass and tomato sauce. It's fairly substantial for a vegetarian dish and I could have perhaps shared it to fit in some dessert later.

The Porcini mushroom and haloumi pizza with kalamata olives ($16.50) does come with a super thin base as promised and one of the table favourites of the night. The Vegetable sambal ($15.50) comes with fresh seasonal vegetables stir-fried Indonesian style and served with jasmine rice. It was really spicy and hot and was a bit hard to get through. Service was efficient but perhaps at times felt too efficient bordering on feeling rushed — perhaps because they get busy and need to clear tables as quickly as possible. For the more comfortable seating option avoid the small plastic stools and go for the wall seats or lounges at the front. The plastic table tops are quite unsteady so be careful not to lean to hard or you'll be wearing your dish or someone else's drink. Food was generally nice and it's great to find a fully vegetarian restaurant that's also fairly reasonably priced. If you're not scared of red lighting you'll feel quite cosy in this high ceiling bar and restaurant.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Efficient service, Nice food, Cosy decor, Reasonably priced

CONS: Plastic stools uncomfortable, Plastic table tops unsteady

MUST TRY: Beers on tap, Mixed Chip Plate as a snack with your beer, Panfried haloumi

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Stone & Wood Pale Lager, Byron Bay NSW ($6.80), 2007 Murray St. Vineyard Cab Sav, Barossa Valley, SA ($9.20)

Mixed Chip Plate: Sweet potato, taro, lotus root, beetroot and spanish onion ($12.50)

Steamed leek and ginger dumplings served with a fresh plum sauce ($10.50)

Panfried haloumi served with lemon ($10.50)

Yulli's massaman curry pie served with mashed potato ($15.50)

Eggplant Involtini: Grilled eggplant stuffed with buffalo mozzarella and spinach, topped with lemongrass and tomato sauce, served on roti ($17.50)

Porcini mushroom and haloumi pizza with kalamata olives and a super thin base, topped with roquette salad ($16.50)

Vegetable sambal: fresh seasonal vegetables stir-fried Indonesian style, served with jasmine rice ($15.50)

Bill $128.10 for 4 including lollies

Beers on tap

Decor and lighting

Bar

Beer decor

Back courtyard seating

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