araliya cafe and wine bar restaurant - 629 glenferrie road hawthorn 3122 9818 5120

when was the last time you said 'you know what, i could really do with a bit of sri lankan food tonight'? what do you mean you've never said that?!! it's as aussie as a pie floater and a vb! well, maybe not quite that aussie but araliya has been around for many years and i guess my failure to develop a burning need for a sri lankan pie floater always had me walking past the place. sure i'd been there for dessert and coffee after a particularly lousy meal from somewhere in the slums of hawthorn, but i never walked through the door and said 'load me up with aforementioned pf, my good man'.

the promise of dinner with two true vegetarians (not like the freedom i get from the gorgeous pesca-ova-veggo i share my life with) had me in a panic. now because of my vegetarian experiences i actually do know that chicken is not the vegetarian option (i shit you not, that question has been asked) but where do i find pure vegetarian? most places i know serve up a plate of grilled veggies or a bucket of salad as the veg option. i'm in trouble.

a mate persuades me to go to araliya mere days before i have to pull the culinary equivalent of the rabbit out of the hat. and it's awesome! now you must understand that araliya menu looks like a typical indian menu with chicken this and beef that as well as the veg stuff. but like most indian restaurants, the best foods are the vegetarian dishes. the meat's more of a 'aussies eat meat with everything' compromise. they even let you purchase your wine at a discount if you want to take your meal home. that's just good thinking.

knowing absolutely fuck all about sri lanka (i challenge you to point it out on the map without much squinting and crapping on about 'i'm sure it's around here somewhere') i left the meal suggestions in the waiters hands. actually we had two female waiters, professional knowledgeable and, wait for it, helpful. it's a bit sad that i have to point out such qualities but my experience is that good waiters are in short supply. but their suggestions were wonderful, i loved the whole experience.

i strongly recommend that you leave the dish recommendations to the staff. tell them what you like and sit back. great wines, expert coffee and desserts to die for. you might have picked up some hints that araliya is on my list of places to go back to. you'd be right. and you should go too. your vegetarian friends will thank you (and they might even buy you dinner).

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