299 Dominion Road,
Mt Eden
Auckland,
(09) 623 4900
The ViewAuckland Review
4 out of 5
Whenever I’m feeling less than wholesome—from too many late nights, not enough home-cooked meals, or a particularly fierce hangover from a long weekend—I meander down Dominion Road, past the cheap curry houses, the kebab joints and the $2 shops, and into the Blue Bird Cafe.
Just walking in makes me feel a bit better about my toxic lifestyle. There are birds on the walls and soft flute tunes on the stereo.
The café is run by followers of Sri Chinmoy; a spiritual teacher encouraging everyone to spread a little love and harmony to world—and the cooks at the Blue Bird Café are making good on that goal.
The menu works like this: pick your bowl, your base (brown rice, mashed potato or kumara), and your topping (Hungarian stroganoff, peanut sauce, Mexican and so on). Insert steamed veges into the middle, and you’re away.
A particularly hearty combination is the Taihape on rice (that’s beans, eggs and vege dogs). The mushroom sauce is also recommended.
On my most recent visit, I forewent the tried and true, and ordered a spicy enchilada and salad from the cabinet. Sublime. Hot, filling, tasty. None of the blandness that vegetarian eating can get a bad wrap for.
The only time I’ve ever mis-ordered at the Blue Bird Cafe was when I asked for a glass of rose milk (tastes like soap) to counteract a hangover.
Learn from my mistakes. You’ll never go wrong with a big bowl of Taihape and a slice of vegan apple crumble.
The Blue Bird Vegetarian Cafe has been reviewed by 4 users