Monk Bodhi Dharma

It’s the wild flowers. It’s the soy. It’s the vibe(s). MBD has a tonne of them and they’re all good. Even if you’re not a card-carrying member of the green bean army, this Balaclava back-alley lurker does some of the best coffee on the south side. The coffee roast changes almost daily, and they know how to silk your milk – be it from a cow, or soy bean. Meat fiend or not, tell us you don’t want to eat a mushroom medley of king, shitake and swiss browns roasted and mounted on a slab of pumpkin polenta bread with goat cheese. And thyme. And chilli oil just for good measure. On Friday nights, they hold vegan and raw dinners in two sittings. The menu changes weekly, so it may be soups and enchiladas, or perhaps you’ll start with a raw wrap of corn and tomato, pesto spiked mayonnaise and a jumble of vegetables in a dehydrated corn tortilla, followed by raw Pad Thai and white chocolate cheesecake? Either way, it’s immensely more healing than smashing a pint and a pie at the pub.