There's a new raw, vegan restaurant in town and it's at the Sunshine Coast - about time I know for all you vegans up that way who have had slim picking for years now. So, join me as Renata, Nick and I ventured to Kind Living Cafe one Tuesday in early May:

Renata is a children's entertainer in Brisbane and one of my closest friends. I'm the script writer and project manager of her new children's DVD all about going green. The two of us, along with Nick who is our main film expert, were heading to Maleny to scope out a friend of Renata's friend's farm as a venue for the kid's DVD. Lucy just so happens to have recently opened a raw, vegan restaurant in Maleny as well as having a farm with her partner, Gary. So, never ones to leave trying new vegan fare off the menu, and as we had been greatly anticipating the opening of Kind Living Cafe for sometime, we decided that now was as good a time as any to taste what Kind Living Cafe has to offer. 

I believe that every day should be started with a vegetable juice or a green smoothie. Therefore I ordered the Green Smoothie ginger zinger consisting of kale, apple, lemon and ginger AU$7.50 Renata ordered the Wakeup Healthy juice: pineapple, lime, ginger, mint and apple AU$6.95 for a large size. Nick also ordered a large Liver n Let Live juice: carrot, beetroot, apple, lemon and ginger, also AU$6.95 Other than the apple and lemon, Nick's juice mix is one I have most mornings, yum:

Even though Renata wasn't too interested in having the raw nori rolls on offer, I talked her around which was lucky as this dish is not only well presented but tastes divine. 4 rolls for AU$6.55:

Renata and I shared the cabbage and cauliflower kofta balls which taste a LOT better than it sounds. I can't stand cauliflower but mixed into the kofta balls I wasn't too worried. This meal was also delicious. 3 kofta balls with salad AU$12.95:

We also shared the raw Greek pizza which was great! AU$13.95:

Nick decided on having one of their vegan grain bowls. The sushi bowl consisted of steamed brown rice, kale, avocado, cucumber, nori, spring onion and herbs in a sesame, ginger sauce. AU$10.95:

Each section of the menu is divided into a Raw section and a Vegan section so it's easy to choose what you want. The raw food is mostly vegan too. Keep in mind that although the store says it's vegan and raw it's not entirely both. There is honey and bee pollen on the menu as well as cow's milk. Plus not all the meals are raw either. Keep this in mind when you go there and you won't be disappointed.

After we filled ourselves up with great food, we headed to Lucy and her partner Gary's farm to meet some of the locals: rescued hens from Monique's Battery Hen Adoption Project, some geese, some pigs:

And many dogs, including this kind soul:

We then headed back to Kind Living Cafe for some afternoon tea and cake and a bit of op-shopping. Nick and I had the gluten-free chocolate cherry cake:

Sorry, forgot to get the cake prices and started eating before I took the photo. Can you see the cherries on the left hand side at the edge? This cake was great! We thought the chocolate cake was the only gluten-free option, Renata's caramel pie (pic below) ended up also being an option for Nick who is a coeliac. I wasn't too impressed with the caramel pie as I don't really like pastry, Renata loved it though:

The atmosphere at Kind Living Cafe is very warm and accommodating. For lunch and afternoon tea they were packed on a day that is normally known to the locals as a very slow day. The staff were friendly and even though it's a very new place with a few teething problems, I have no doubt that Kind Living Cafe will be a very successful venture for Lucy and her crew. The best thing is that there is now a (mostly) vegan restaurant around the Sunshine Coast for those who have long been deprived of great vegan fare. The food is delicious, nutritious, lovingly made and well-presented. Make sure you head to Kind Living Cafe soon to check out the place and if you can get someone to pay for your meal, even better (thanks Renata!) Great job, Lucy and co.