Veggie Patch Diner is a disrupter in the chorizo bacon-infested waters of the Sydney brunch scene.
Swap bacon-for-broccoli and you'll get an equally tasty and satisfying feed. True upside is jaw-dropping appreciation of edible plant-life and a fighting chance to be heart-attack free before 50!

Veggie Patch Diner, Paddington

Almost every item incites drooling; so much so a beverage is needed. A single blend coffee is described to me as 'robust'. Honestly I only know this term when diplomatically describing a 100kg man's waistline. My best critique? It's nice.

Mixed blend cappacino with skim milk - $4.50

Gourmet salads are my weakness and my weekend mood now relies on the merits of a $20 mixed board. Waiter guides me to the $15 size but I think quickly - 'a third is joining us shortly'. Technically not a lie but still 5 months away...

Mixed Board - Beetroot pasta, spiced cauliflower and spinach quinoa with a zucchini pattie - $20

A symphony of produce with so many exciting elements. This is my match.

First the bad news. The 'refrigerated' feel hits me straight away; think pre-made counter salads say at Thomas Dux. Not a taste-detraction but like an Aldi special, a compromise on freshness. Also the pasta pieces in the beetroot mix are very rubbery.

Flip side is almost every element is delicious. Sweet potato and eggplant dips deliver sublime creaminess that a poached egg would otherwise deliver. Good portion relative to $ spent.

Mixed salad board with the eggplant and sweet potato dips

Egg and haloumi burger with onion, pocket and pesto - $10

Meanwhile, I polished off the mixed plate (ex rubber pasta) and earned the staffs' respect.

Relatively clean plate. Shared dish for one.

Today's mild negatives are highly forgivable if you consider such menu intrigue. Experience and faith in humanity puts it down to dish selection:

- Food - 7.5/10 - tasty, very healthy and a pleasurable distraction from chorizo.
- Value - 8.5/10 - low to mid teens pricing and filling!
- Other - 8/10 - great staff, sleek fit-out.
- Overall - 7.5/10 - I'm quite happy but the missus reverted to chorizo within 24 hours.

Will I be returning?
Other items on nearby tables looked so delicious that I'm already plotting my return. Examples include smashed avocado on black quinoa bread or spiced chickpea on crispy polenta.