Genesis in the Hills - Veg Cafe/Restaurant

On the weekend, I headed out to Genesis in the Hills which although tags itself as a vegetarian eatery, also caters to vegans. I know a few vegans who have eaten there before  and so was curious to see what the place was like for myself. There aren't many vegan friendly places to eat in Perth, so when you hear about one, you want to try it out.

The setting is lovely - bushland surrounding you, whilst sitting on a deck with fans spinning high above you. There is a resident dog who just likes to hang out, getting up and lying next to people's chairs and tables. No begging, no barking, just casual adorableness. She was so cute I just *had* to take a photo of her.

My partner started out by trying the homemade lemonade which I had a taste of. It was seriously delicious. It tasted how real lemonade should and it being a hot summer's day, it went down well.

As I perused the menu I was very pleased to see items marked as 'vegan', 'wheat free', etc. I opted for the Quinoa Salad, whilst all my companions chose the Burgers.

Then we waited.....and waited.....After about 30 minutes, we started to wonder if they had forgotten us. We were noticing that other people who had arrived after us were being served their food before us. Hmm...this wasn't good. We ended up asking about our food and after 15 more minutes or so, it finally arrived.

It wasn't so much a 'burger' as it was an 'open sandwich'. I was told, however, that it was tasty.

I was so hungry after the wait, that when my Quinoa Salad arrived, I had to stop myself inhaling it. I'm glad I did, as it really was to savor. All the vegetables were so fresh and those that were cooked, were done so they were just crisp. Loved the asparagus and sweet corn kernels that were fresh and not tinned. The quinoa that was used was the red variety, which I had not tried before.

My one criticism was that there just wasn't enough on my plate. I certainly got quality but for the price I paid for this dish, I felt I should have gotten more on my plate. There really should have been more quinoa, for starters.

I finished my dish still feeling hungry, so considered having some dessert. After perusing what was on offer, I found that only one of the cakes was vegan - a pear and dried fruit cake which I really was not in the mood for. So, no dessert was had.

Even though I was not thrilled with my experience at this venue, I would consider going back another time - I'll just have to remember to order more food.

Location: 124 Croyden Road, Roleystone

Genesis in the Hills is open Thursdays to Sundays but take note that they will be closed from  19 Dec 2011  to 9 Feb 2012.