Spoon’s Vegetarian Butcher

Omg I was just looking for Spoon’s opening hours so I could grab a schnitzel burger on my way to the beach tonight when I did a double take at the above 2 star review!
Like woah! Try it for yourselves guys!
They may not have any fancy seating but they DO have a cute little communal table and chairs outside and the schnitzel burger is good enough to warrant sitting on the street and eating in my opinion! So good. Ditto the mushroom thing and the southern fried tofu bites. I’m also a big fan of their traditional sausage.
It’s the vegan «junk food» that I’ve been searching for ever since I left my heart at Melbourne’s Veggie Bar.
I hope so hard that they do well enough to expand into bigger premises and do a full restaurant experience.
Vegan Nachos please!!!

Let me start by saying that it absolutely pained me to label Spoon as a two, as a «meh.»
The anticipation that built up during the weeks that Spoon was being built was unbelievable. A vegetarian butcher! Oh, the concept! I imagined the ingenious and witty ways they would display their quinoa sausages, hanging from a window like a traditional German schnitzel shop. Oh, and the schnitzels would be sliced in front of you! And there would be dips, so many dips!
Needless to say, my expectations were high. Really high. Newtown and Enmore prides itself on being alternative, on sticking it to the man! There’s an ever-​growing population of vegetarians and practicing local food is practically an epidemic. So when you’re opening a shop thats as unique and sort of landmark as this is, then I think it’s some what of your responsibility to open up with a bang. Am I right or am I right?
The first time I peeked in, I was entirely underwhelmed… Yes, it’s a butcher, not an eatery, so to expect cozy seating or cutsie décor would be unreasonable. But there was nothing unique about the inside at all…
When you walk in there’s a small grill that cooks up the vegetarian products they sell in shop. Now Spoons is impressive for the fact that all of these products are made in store, and they place a huge emphasis on using local ingredients, which I love. Not only are they a vegetarian butcher, but all of their products are vegan, too, meaning that their mayo is also made in house.
Spoons is take-​away centric, as there’s no where to sit, and designed for someone who’s on the go and grabbing a quick bite. They sell three main items: schnitzel, sausage, and a veggie burger, which cost between $ 7-​$ 8 and are topped with the all too average mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, etc. I’ve tried both the sausage and the burger, and unfortunately I was disappointed both times… It simply tasted as simple, or even more so, than a veggie burger you’d make at home. There was nothing distinct about the flavors, nothing that made you say «Mmmmmmm.» And to add to the simplicty of both flavor and presentation, the fact that just steps away from the grill counter is a case where they sell all of their home-​made products, made me feel like I should’ve bought a four-​pack for $ 7 rather than a single burger for $ 7 and spruced it up on my own when I got home.
I think a lot of the emphasis is placed on purchasing their veg products rather than buying the hot food, but being that a lot of Newtown has probably sampled every vegetarian sausage on the market, they’re going to have a difficult time finding customers that want to return if there’re no flavors that leave them wanting to come back for more .
Again, while the taste and presentation may not be all there, the concept is landmark, and Spoons will get overwhelming street-​cred simply for that fact alone. For now, I’ll still choose my «Fork over Knife,» but I can’t say Spoon is my top choice in cutlery.
(I really hope someone got that reference)

Vegan schnitzel is my favorite. The vegan burger is also amazing. I wasn’t as big a fan of the polenta sausage, but I want to try the other sausage they make. Excellent quality ingredients and friendly staff. Definitely a neat place to check out!