Feasting on the BEST. VEGAN. EVER!
Oh yes and I did- FEAST that is....
But no, I did not eat it all that night- as I wanted to- because it was sooooo damn delicious, but I couldn't, I just couldn't fit it all in after a weekend of feasting.
Ok, let me rewind back to the start.
I drove to Sydney from Bega for my Aunts suprise 80th birthday on the Friday and we all had a wonderful weekend catching up with each other after many years. It was a bit like a small family reunion and along with the stories, old photos and videos there was quite a bit of food involved.
However, driving back 3 days later, I decided that I didn't have it in me to drive all the way back to Bega- a 7 hour drive, so I decided to stay in Canberra for the night, as I was driving down the Hume freeway (and it was HAMMERING down rain), and as much as I wanted to stay there because I was so damn tired, really my biggest motivation was to go back to this fantastic restaurant was just so I could eat this AMAZING vegan food once more.
Now, don't forget that I live in Melbourne (usually), but grew up in Bega. Melbourne is about 7 hours drive south of Canberra and Bega is about 3 hours away from Canberra, so when people that live around the Bega valley want something special, like a good day out shopping, or need something important, like good medical, we go to Canberra.
Lychee Delight
Which is why when my Beautiful Mum and I were living at Canberra hospital in 2017 as she was undergoing Radiotherapy treatment (after her chemo) for Bowel Cancer, we discovered this restaurant.
At that stage, mum wasn't eating much and she asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday and I told her that I wouldn't mind checking this restaurant out, thinking that ofcourse she would go with me, but not really enjoy the food, after all, she was a lifelong carnivore and I am a 15 year good vegetarian/bad vegan.
Southern BB soy Pork
Anyway, we both had a great time and she LO VED the food just as much as me.
So much so, that the next day, she asked me if we could go back again.
And then the next and the next.
Soon we were eating there for lunch and dinner and I didn't care what it cost, I was just so happy that Mum wanted to eat- especially the Buddha's Feast- Veggies.
Soy Chicken Satay Stirfry
This visit there, it was a Monday night and there were only 2 other tables, so I almost had the whole restaurant to myself- like a private dining experience- which is totally unusual as this place is usually packed to the rafters and I know that some of you are thinking but the dining experience is as much about the friends as it is the food and yes, it is, but in this instance, I sat there reliving the wonderful memories of my mum, dressed up in her beanie and scarf (hiding her hair loss- plus Canberra is a freeeeezing cold place in Winter) and eating food that neither of us ever thought that she would eat, having a great time in the last weeks of her life.
Crispy soy Duck with Sweet and Sour Plum Sauce
So I sat there and thought about every dish we had eaten there. Every time we both went OMG this is so good, it just HAS to be real animals (but thankfully not....) and remebered those great times together. Those last times together.
And so even thought the restaurant was almost empty, my experience there wasn't.
I ordered the same dishes that we decided were our favourites and I took them all back to Bega with me the next day so I could eat the leftovers (for the next 3 days...lol...)
Mum on Monday 30th October 2017
Mum on Wednesday 1st Nov, 2017 She died exactly 1 month after this photo was taken, so it's such a bittersweet experience that I have here and also a incredibly delicious one too...
And the whole reasons that she kept wanting to go back- the desserts, but I think we only ate the desserts once, because every time we got there, we couldn't help ourselves and ate the savoury dishes instead!
RIP my beautiful, funny, darling mum...thanks for the memories...
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The last time I went here was a year and a half ago with a good friend and the next time I go will be....? probably not for a long time, so when you find an amazing place like this, but can't support it consistently as you would like, you need to pray that they stay in business so next time you go, they will still be there.
And you also need to buy in bulk so you have a few more days to savour it, because I won't be able to eat it again for...who knows how long it will be? 6 months, 2 years...?
I'm driving back up north tomorrow, past Sydney, up to Newcastle, then next week, up to #Cairns in far north Queensland for a few months and after that, Thailand to volunteer at #Soidogs for a month, then #Hivefest in KL and then after that- who knows...?
So if you every get the chance to go to #Canberra, make sure that you go the #Woden Valley #Westfield shopping centre where you will find this divine restaurant called #Aulac, Royal Vegan cuisine.
https://www.aulacveganwoden.com/s/shop
And for those of you who think that vegans/vegetarians are hypocrites or whatever for eating fake meats- well why wouldn't you eat them when you can have that taste minus the sickening animal cruelty.
And so after a restless night sleeping in my van, I went back to the shopping centre, ate this delicious and SUGARY treat for breakfast at Rakshay's, then jumped back in my van for a 3 hour drive from Canberra back down over the Great Dividing Range, down the winding Brown Mountain to the coast.
Thank you so much for reading my post, I really hope that you enjoyed it and look forward to your comments and thoughts.
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ChocolateScorpi is so incredibly grateful to the traditional custodians of this beautiful land that I call home and I thank you for caring for it for so long.
I pay my respects to elders, past, present and emerging and offer our hand to all first nations hands in order to help heal all of our relationships to the earth on this truly magical and extraordinary island nation that we now all call home.
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