20 Nov Feast of Merit, Richmond

It’s not often that you hear of non-profit restaurants, but Feast of Merit is such a place. 100% of their profits go to YGAP, an organisation that runs social enterprises such as this one. YGAP supports local organisations in Australia, Kenya and South Africa which have the aim of reaching communities disadvantaged by poverty, empowering them to become self-sustainable.

Feast of Merit features a contemporary Middle Eastern menu with a seasonal, sustainable and ethical farm-to-table philosophy. There’s a distinct breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, and since we visited during lunch hours we had the choice of a number of salads and proteins. Menu decisions are made simple by the option of choosing one to three salads, plus a protein if desired. It still wasn’t necessarily easy to decide what to order, because all the salads sounded enticing.

Pumpkin, Spiced Kabuli Chickpeas, Winter Greens, Lemon, Honey Tahini Dressing; Charred Broccoli, Mint, Watercress, Pomegranate, Lemon Oil, Hummus; Milawa Chicken, Lemon, Za’atar $18

S chose two salads: pumpkin, spiced Kabuli chickpeas, winter greens, and lemon with a honey tahini dressing, and the charred broccoli, mint, watercress, and pomegranate with lemon oil and rough hummus. As her protein, she chose the roasted Milawa chicken with lemon and za’atar. Everything was tasty and cooked to perfection.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Red Onion, Pearl Barley, Garden Herbs, Baharat, Whey Dressing; Roasted Eggplant, Smoked Labneh, Dukkah, Harissa Oil, Coriander, Parsley; BBQ Fish, Tahini, Herbs $18

I love eggplant, so the roasted eggplant, smoked labneh, dukkah, harissa oil, coriander and parsley was definitely up there on my list. Somewhat unexpectedly, as with the pumpkin, the eggplant came as a large piece. The half-eggplant was cooked until its flesh was tender and delicate, then flavoured with some classic Middle Eastern herbs and spices. I also tried the roasted sweet potato with red onion, pearl barley, garden herbs, baharat and whey dressing, which was also quite satisfying. My protein of choice was the BBQ market fish with tahini and herbs. The portion of fish was a bit small compared to the other proteins, but it was cooked nicely.

The dinner menu at Feast of Merit is a little pricier, but their lunch menu offers a delicious selection of salads at a reasonable price, with a great opportunity to support charity.

Feast of Merit
117 Swan St
Richmond, VIC, 3121
(03) 9428 8480
www.feastofmerit.com