Review: Urban Herbivore

Review: Urban Herbivore
64 Oxford Street (in Kensington Market)
Cuisine: Vegetarian lunch fare - sandwiches, salads, rice bowls.
Sandwiches: Avocado ($8.50 + tax) and celery root ($8.50 + tax)


My girlfriend and I have recently embarked upon a vegetarian Lent - self-flagellation it may be but it's certainly inspiring me to try new things. Rather than sitting in the apartment, thinking about bacon, I decided to seize this opportunity to try out Urban Herbivore. Having read a number of favourable reviews, I rushed through Kensington Market, sending be-dreadlocked health food shoppers, and cheese enthusiasts flying in a meat-deprived frenzy of excitement. 

Urban Herbivore has had a bit of a facelift since the above review was published and so the 'house-turned-eatery' feel is gone. Instead, window-walls and a few tables with bar stools make it bright and airy, but this transformation may have removed some character from the establishment as it is closer you would expect from any high street sandwich retailer than I imagined. There is a glass-fronted salad station to the right where the sandwiches are prepared, and a kitchen behind that you can peek in to to see the vegetarian magic at work. The prices have also increased from $6.49 in June 2007, to $8.50 now. This is quite a substantial price increase and, whilst I would say that the sandwiches were good value for the quality and amount received, I would be interested to know what prompted such an increase and if the sandwiches have changed at all in that time.

The menu is printed on big white boards hanging above the counter, and it makes for quite interesting reading. There are only a small number of sandwich options - perhaps 5 or 6, ranging from grilled vegetable to tofu or tempeh. Below the sandwich options there is a little passage about what they put on their sandwiches which amounts to 'this is how we make our sandwiches because we think this is the best combination of flavours. If you want it made differently, you have to let us know.' I always think that, when trying something new, you should order straight off the menu with no changes. That way you get their idea of what it should be like - not your idea - and so you have the experience that was intended when the menu was written. So, in this our philosophies are aligned, though I imagine that some people might find it a bit limiting when ordering a sandwich to be presented with something to have to alter, rather than being presented with a blank slate.

I ordered the avocado sandwich, and the celery root sandwich intending to have half of each and to save the other (obviously smaller) halves for my girlfriend. The sandwiches are assembled, dressed, squashed on a panini press, sliced diagonally and then packaged in an environmentally-friendly cardboard box - a touch that I enjoyed.

I began with the celery root sandwich. The bread was perfect. A sturdy pita, crisp from toasting, tasty and crunchy with whole grains, wholesome and the perfect vessel for a sandwich. It was coated inside with a herbed, olive tapenade which only added to the nutty flavour of the bread itself. I would really have been very happy just eating the bread - I think that much is clear. It was a large sandwich, packed with a filling of sprouted greens, spinach leaves, tomato and a generous helping of subtle and delicious celery root.  A restrained dash of salad dressing added a necessary tang to the sandwich, without overwhelming any of the other flavours, and that is quite a feat. This was a sandwich comprised of delicate flavours in equal balance so that with each bite you tasted every flavour together, and yet could pick out each one individually. Ratio of ingredients is such an important component of a good sandwich and this was just right. If I had to say something negative about this sandwich, I would say that the celery root was a bit slimy, but I think that this different texture was necessary to stop it being just another crunchy salad sandwich, and make it into something more substantial.

After ten minutes of typing notes furiously at my computer, making inappropriate noises of pleasure, and struggling against the impulse to gorge it all down in one big bite, I managed to regroup for the avocado half of my brace of vegetarian sandwiches.

I expected to enjoy the avocado sandwich more as I really love avocado but it was somewhat disappointing after the surprising triumph of the celery root. The avocado itself was perfectly ripe, rich and delicious and really starred in the sandwich (which contained a whole avocado!). However, the result of this was that it lacked balanced ratio of ingredients of earlier. The rest of the sandwich took a backseat to the avocado and so functioned more as a textural component. Also, the richness of the avocado became quickly overwhelming - I don't think I could have managed the whole sandwich simply because it was so rich and I think I would have struggled to taste the celery root sandwich had I eaten them in reverse order. There was a small amount of tangy, bruschetta-style diced tomato on the sandwich which,when encountered, really lifted the whole taste experience and cut through the richness. A more generous helping of this tomato might have transformed the whole sandwich.

These misgivings are more by comparison to the celery root sandwich than anything else. They were both excellent quality, filling, wholesome sandwiches that I would, and will, happily eat again and they illustrated the potential of meat-free sandwiches to be balanced, nutritious and delicious.


Celery root - 9/10
Avocado - 7.5/10