THE BODHI TREE, Mount Hawthorn
by JENNY D’ANGER
Buddha received enlightenment sitting under the bodhi tree, and The Bodhi Tree bookstore cafe in Mt Hawthorn is working towards the same—only with an emphasis on food.
The philosophy behind the eatery is consciousness-raising about what we eat—making informed choices before imbibing, owner Karen Kotze says.
When the formerly vegetarian cafe introduced a selection of meat dishes she went to the local butcher because she wanted to know the meat’s provenance.
“[With] the chain stores you have no idea what you are getting,” Ms Kotze says.
Milk is sourced from a WA dairy that doesn’t use antibiotics and new suppliers are quizzed to determine whether their wares are preservative-free.
“[They] say there’s just a little bit—but I don’t want any.”
It may sound hardcore, but the cafe bookshop is anything but.
Rather, it’s a soothing, gracious establishment with plenty of lovely things for the eye and mind (lots of self-help books on the shelves) as well as delicious dishes for the tummy.
Having missed breakfast my lunch companion and I were torn between food and browsing.
Eating won, but only just, and by the time our order arrived we already had a mental shopping list of things to look at more closely.
The savoury cabinet had plenty of choices too, and I agonised between the potato rosti ($13.95 with salad) or the amazingly colourful tuna patties.
Throwing caution to the wind I had both, without the salad.
The tuna patty was huge and, with big chunks of red and green capsicum, looked like a Pro Hart painting.
The flavours were a lovely fusion of lemon and mustard, potato and tuna.
The rosti actually made a great accompaniment, the potato cake flavoursome, but not overpowering. Topped with tomato and crumbled feta it was delicious with the tuna.
My mate’s mushroom soup, with a couple of hearty slabs of rye bread ($11.95) was a hefty serve and so thick you could stand a spoon in it.
The fresh mushroom flavour stood out, with more than a hint of a generous dollop of cream, she reckoned.
Soon the lure of the cake cabinet was sending its siren song.
A berry cheesecake and a slice of the gluten-free Persian love cake ($6.95), with an organic Fair Trade coffee and a cup of tea hit the right spot.
Hugging a couple of gorgeous mugs, a book on cutting sugar out of the diet, a glasses case and a photo frame we headed back out into the cold, cruel world, all the warmer for eating right—and shopping locally.
The Bodhi Tree
416 Oxford Street, Mt Hawthorn
open 7 days 8am–4pm
Phone 9444 9884
Perth Voice Interactive 
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