My Heart Garden

The food is (almost) all cooked on premises. And a very nice change to standard café fare.
It is vegetarian. Sri Chinmoy. Atmosphere is friendly and laid back. Lots of regulars.
Update on 5 August 2013: The St Lucia café has closed :-(. But we’ve been told to watch this space:

I was greeted by a really nice lady when arrived, and since it was still sunny back when I visited (unlike the now with the scary hurricane weather), the café looked inviting with its simple, bright décor. I ordered the mushroom on toast, which was actually quite good even though it was simple — but the bread came with too much butter! The toast was delicious, but a little too oily for my taste (since I don’t usually cook with butter) — and though this place boasts fresh and healthy food — this was definitely not healthy.
My friend had one of the vegetarian burgers, which looked more like a sandwich, but looked fresh and healthier than my choice. I also had a latte, which was mediocre — but I wasn’t expecting much and it was a nice boost. My Heart Garden’s menu is based on some sort of teaching, and they really do believe in fresh food — which I feel like can sorta be hard to come by in Brisbane restaurants. The food arrangement was also nice for a casual (and relatively cheap) café, which always makes me happy!

Super-​lovely staff and filling, tasty wholefoods cuisine make this place a real favourite among UQ’s sizable vegetarian/​vegan populace. I’m quite omnivorous myself, but when a friend suggested this place on a study break, I assented.
Concerned that without meat I would have to take special measures to sate myself I ordered the biggest (and at $ 13.50, also most expensive :) item on the menu — the Sri Lankan Platter. It comes with brown rice heaped with dhal, eggplant curry, grated carrot with some chilli, and despite its lack of dead animal it was quite satisfying. I could get used to this healthy living… Except they don’t let you BYO. FAIL.

A word of warning — if you’re a raging canivore, stay away. This place is big on fresh, healthy and vegetable-​inspired dishes.
The food here is hearty and wholesome — from Sri Lanken curries loaded with eggplant, dhal and brown rice to a Neatloaf (a combination of tofu and lentils, with a very meaty flavour). This place serves simple yet sneaky meals which are packed with protein and flavour — it’ll have you thinking that you are in fact eating meat.
There’s a small area inside to eat, but go with alfresco — there’s plenty of hustle and bustle in Hawken Drive to keep you entertained.

My Heart Garden is a vegetarian, gluten-​free, and vegan friendly restaurant nearby the UQ St Lucia campus. Around lunch time, you’ll see a throng of university staff at My Heart Garden, either settling down with their reports over a slice of homemade cake, playing a game of chess while they sip on a fresh juice, or picking up take away to bring back to the office.
When I worked around UQ, I would swing by My Heart Garden with my colleagues when we needed to escape from the office. There’s so many tasty options on the menu, but we’d always stick to the legendary Bliss Burger (spicy fruit relish, carrot, beetroot, lettuce, soy mayonnaise, and a vegetarian pattie) for $ 10.50. Their mango tango smoothies are also amazing and available with soy.
Bliss Burgers are the healthiest and tastiest burgers I’ve ever eaten, and a great meal to bond over. Even though I no longer work at the same place, I still meet my ex-​colleagues there from time to time to feast and reminisce. My only tip is to bring a pair of sunglasses with you if you’re planning on eating outside; in the afternoons you get a face full of glare.