Yulli's - Surry Hills

On my first mission it was a warm winters day in Surry Hills - I met my fellow veggie friend Leanne at Central Station and we proceeded up the hill in search of lunch. Inside Yulli's is dark basic wooden walls and tables, a reasonably petite space. As the day was pleasant we decided to sit outside in the long 'corridor' astro-turfed courtyard out the back. We were saddened to learn that the banquet menu would only apply if we were a foursome, so decide to share a starter to get a taste of as much of the menu as possible.
We started with the Beetroot Carpaccio with Goats Cheese, lettuce, toasted hazlenuts & mint dressing. The beetroot came in 'carpaccio' slices with a few cubes chunks for decoration. The vinegar on the beetroot overpowered the mint dressing, but there was a generous bed of creamy goats cheese underneath. I wouldn't rush back to order it, I think there are definitely more exciting choices on the menu (which seems to be a mostly Asian & Italian influenced.) Last time I had visited Yulli's they had some gorgeous stuffed zucchini flowers, but these were now missing from the menu, much to my dismay.
There's a great range of beers & ciders - I had a Happy Goblin Ginger Beer - which was a bit too hoppy for my tastes, but would be a good option for a more seasoned beer drinker!
For her main Leanne ordered the Chilli Jam noodles - huge delicious ribbons covered in fresh greens, sticky chilli jam and perfectly stir fried vegetables. I had the Melitzana and Peach Wood Smoked Haloumi. This was a cross between a Moussaka & a Lasagne with layers of aubergine (or eggplant here in Oz) basil, mozzerella & a thick tomato sauce. Topped with a Haloumi crust, the serving looked a bit small on the huge plate, but was actually the perfect sized portion given the richness of the dish.
Despite being full to capacity, neither of us could resist the sound of the Avocado Chocolate Mousse. Chocolate mousse is almost always off the cards for a vegetarian - generally the dish always contains non-veggie friendly gelatine (a not-so tantalising combo of connective tissue and cartilage, mmm) So despite that all the deserts sounded incredible, we both opted for the mousse. It came layered in a glass, buttery biscuit crumble, thick chocolate mousse, the coffee granita the perfect balance against the sweet strawberries.

Don't Miss ; Desert - sublime! (And I am not a sweet tooth)