combi

Combi is a raw / vegan / organic cafe in St Kilda, two streets away from the Elwood beach foreshore. It is part of the wave of nouveau hippie restaurants like Yong Green Food and Supercharger who are making vegan relevant and accessible to the vegetarian-curious.

It looks like a relaxed Hawaiian beach bar / kiosk, moved indoors. There was a very long line (I think many of the online gripes are about the fact that it is very very busy and you get, you know, hangry). On the morning we came the line moved relatively quickly.

I must admit I feel a bit out of my depth describing the food here, given that there are many more extremely passionate people who are converts to this kind of lifestyle 100% of the time. I am just, I guess, a dabbler in raw eating.

I feel like in the past five years veganism has done an about face. Not long ago it used to be the butt of jokes in uni (people miming holding up the limp heads of starving vegans) but now, in our late 20's, in light of all these spontaneous food allergies to everything, I find people being more open to lifestyle changes.

Berry beloved smoothie

The drinks are incredibly involved which is great: this smoothie had raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, acai, lucuma, raw fermented protein powder, coconut flesh, banana, house made nut mylk. They had run out of a lot of things by the time we sat down so I guess that is another source of angst for those hangry online reviewers.

When you think about it, the values of eating raw / organic / vegan blend seamlessly into the yuppies (do we use that word anymore) of the 2010's - fitness, image conscious, health conscious, trendy, environmentally-friendly. We all love health kicks. It's a kind of redemption after being excessive, all the damn time.

The food is beautiful, by the way. Like, literally looks like flower bouquets.

Organic chia party.

You know the ingredients? Parfait of chia seeds, soaked in house nut mylk infused with orange rind, layered with banana, berries crunchy activated chocolate buckinis, zesty incan berries and macadamias. Topped with house made coconut cashew yogurt and strawberry coulis. Phew.

I admit I follow a few Instagram accounts of people who make this themselves at home. I consider myself healthy but I have never bought a packet of acai in my life. This one includes "antioxidant-loaded Acai blended with banana, blueberries, house made nut mylk then layered with crispy coconut flakes, activated caramelised buckinis, banana, maca and cranberries".

Super acai bowl

The soup was delicious. I would love to see more savory dishes on the Combi menu like this.

Daily soup special.

I really enjoyed this place. Not in a "yeah OK I'll take this as an alternative to what I REALLY want" kind of way, I could imagine myself eating this food forever. If only the lines were shorter and the prices were more accessible for every day eating.

Combi
140 Ormond Road
Elwood
(03) 9531 0084