Simply Buddha-ful – Villa dishes up bowls of nourishment in the heart of Bulimba
Usually when we return from a holiday we feel recharged, serene and content – but never overly eager to return to work. For Coco Bliss head honchos Candice Kemp and Mellita Rayner the duo were itching to get back to the office after some time away, for they had an idea that they simply had to share with Brisbane eaters. Enter Villa – a brand-new healthy outlet dispensing an abundance of Balinese-inspired protein and vegetable-laden bowls, set to give eaters a stellar nutritious savoury option once it opens on Friday November 17.
During a getaway to Bali Candice and Mellita of Coco Bliss fell head over heels in love with Buddha bowls – a mouth-watering dish loaded with healthy proteins and vegetables that nourished mind, body and soul. Noticing that Buddha bowls were criminally underrepresented in Brisbane, Candice and Mellita came up with Villa – a new concept that would offer a range of healthy bowls (called Abundance bowls due to the abundance of flavoursome ingredients, naturally) to act as a savoury counterpart to their sweets and smoothie empire. After tinkering around with a first draft of their menu, the team reached out to Jake Harrison from Jake and Elle’s Kitchen (and My Kitchen Rules fame) to bring in some flair and take the idea to more scrumptious heights.
Upon opening, Villa will offer eight different kinds of bowls, loaded with your choice of rice, protein and three serves of veggies to really get your body feeling right. Chow down on braised sake beef with apple and fennel slaw, raw beetroot salad and charred Brussels sprouts, grilled mushroom with turmeric cauliflower and kale and cucumber salad, poached coconut chicken with sugar snap pea, fennel salad and roasted sweet potato, and falafel with roasted beetroot salad, kale and cucumber salad, miso eggplant and boiled egg. In addition to this goodness, patrons can add a side of prawn crackers with sambal and satay dipping sauces or green beans with tahini miso, sweeteners such as lychee and raspberry sorbet, and sip on young green coconut water and black lemon iced tea to wash it down. The menu will change twice a year to reflect the seasonal changes, with more Villa locations looking to be added side-by-side with new Coco Bliss franchises.
Villa will be open from 10:00 am on Friday November 17. The Stumble Guide is the place to go for contact and location details.
The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Brisbane dining guide with more than 2400 places to eat, drink, shop and play.
