Overview
The organic cafe that's already had Kingsland buzzing has landed in Ponsonby. Little Bird's new nest is a quaint cafe perched just around the corner from Ponsonby road with a little birdhouse to show the way.
Just six days shy of opening, the new Little Bird's already a full house. Chatting away about the menu, our host Karla showed us the some of our drink options. The tea section on the menu was to say the least pretty impressive. If you're ever after a pretty-looking tea, try the Blooming Jasmine tea ($6.50) which comes with a beautiful arch of Jasmine flowers that slowly unbundle and bloom as they infuse. Not ones to shy away from international goods either, Little Bird even stocks teas like South Africa's Rooibos tea ($4) and the Argentinian Yerba Mate ($4).
Although an impressive list, we decided against the tea. Instead I went for a Creamy Greens with Electrolytes smoothie ($12) while my dining partner picked a Berry Antioxidiser ($9). I've never had a smoothie like the Creamy Greens before. The combination of avocado, pineapple, kale, lemon, super greens and fresh young coconut was something completely unique; a taste that was both surprising and delicious. The Berry Antioxidiser (blackcurrant, banana, acai, honey, vanilla and almond milk) was a tasty balance between sweet and tangy.
The mains followed soon after. I had a Bird Bowl ($16) while my dining partner had a balsamic beets and macadamia chevre salad ($16). What I loved about the Bird Bowl was that there were five different options (four salads and a helping of quinoa, wild rice and millet pilaf) all on one plate. Usually, to the frustration of friends, I spend around five minutes cross-examining the waiter about what food to order, so a plate that's stocked with multiple options is right up my alley. A special mention goes to the organic avocado and tahini (IT'S SO GOOD), and the kale salad. About halfway through her salad my partner was already listing all the people she wanted to bring to Little Bird. I can only assume her salad was pretty spectacular too.
Besides being healthy, the Little Bird meals are seriously filling. By the time I was about 3/4 the way through my Bird Bowl my stomach was in revolt. I wanted more, but I couldn't, but I wanted more. So when Karla asked whether I'd like desert I still said yes, because of my duty as a reviewer, and my stomach hated me for it. That is, until my mouth was introduced to the taste of their raspberry and cacao non-cheese cheesecake ($8) - which also just happened to be low GI, soy, gluten and dairy-free. So my stomach and I made a pact that it was okay to overeat when healthy mouth-watering cake was involved.
One thing that became ragingly apparent throughout our meal is that the sweet Little Bird Unbakery isn't just a cafe, it's a culture. The Little Bird's built on the principals of an ethical and healthy diet, and well, life. All their food is organic and gluten, dairy and cane sugar-free, as well as being predominantly vegan and raw (yes, even the cake was raw). At one point I asked Karla about the cafe's hours, she told me it was a 4pm close, and reading my dissapointment (I personally would like a 24-hour home delivery Little Bird service), she explained that most people who work there are musicians and artists so need the time off work to work on their personal projects.
It's this different take on the cafe scene, and their tasty food drenched with healthiness that'll keep Ponsonbites flocking to the new Little Bird for a long time to come.
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