Perth Voice Interactive

WITH the warmer weather arriving, it’s time to ditch the stodgy fare and get into the salads and light summer cuisine.

So my wife “Special K” told me as I hoed into a cheeseburger and chips on Saturday night.

Maybe it was her subtle way of telling me to shed some timber and loose the moobies before Xmas.

Inspired by this hurtful body shaming, I decided to try The Acai Corner for lunch on Tuesday.

They’ve got a shop front in Scarborough and food trucks in South Perth and Lake Monger, all open from Tuesday to Sunday.

I went for the food truck at Coode St Playground on the South Perth foreshore, which has stunning views of the Perth CBD and Swan River.

Sometimes food trucks can be a bit nasty – the pong of diesel as the decrepit generator splutters along and spews out black, noxious clouds of smoke.

But Acai Corner had a lovely vibe with colourful signage and a modern ‘truck’ with bright, vibrant colours.

They had put out some parasols and chairs on the grass, where parents and kids could relax in the shade and watch the endless procession of joggers and cyclists.

The menu had a good range of açai bowls including ones featuring coconut, goji berries, strawberries and passion fruit.

There were some indulgent options with peanut butter, ferrero rocher and almond butter, as well as a detox option and a kids bowl.

There was also a small range of smoothies, coffee and drinks, and a “raw ball” (sounds painful) with either lemon, jaffa or snickers.

I couldn’t go past the Sunshine Bowl ($19) which had an appealing medley of summer fruits. To really get my body humming, I also got a zesty green smoothie ($11.50).

There was a line of people waiting when I arrived at the food truck, but the crew were clearly old hands and powered through the queue in a pleasant but efficient manner. The woman in the truck serving was friendly with lots of smiles.

At a food truck you want the wait to be just right – long enough to know it’s being made fresh, but not so long you get hangry and wish you had brought your own sangers instead.

This was spot on and after about eight minutes I decamped to a bench with my wholesome treats.

The presentation was spot on – a colourful array of mango, banana and strawberry with a generous, artful dollop of kiwifruit on top. 

It was all perched on a deep bed of granola with açai, banana, mangos and coconut water. You could get either natural or sweet açai – I went for natural.

For those not familiar with açai (pronounced ah-sah-EE) – they are deep purple berries native to tropical Central and South America and are packed with powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins.

In recent years they have become a trendy “super food” leading to açai cafes popping up everywhere. If you’re still baffled, think of açai bowls as fancy muesli.

The fruit medley was super fresh and tasted amazing when combined with the crunchy granola. A judicious blend of flavours that wasn’t too sweet or tart.

As you went deeper, the açai puree began to transform the granola into a vibrant purple swamp that was moreish and delicious.

But what about the elephant in the room – the price. 

Some might be aghast at paying $19 for glorified muesli, but fruit is expensive and this was top notch stuff and utterly delicious, so I think it’s worth it.

Zesty

I washed it down with the zesty green smoothie – a refreshing mix of spinach, mango, pineapple, mint, lime and coconut water.

It had a lovely thick texture and balanced sweet and bitter really well. Another hit.

I had previously been with my wife to the Scarborough Acai Corner, where we tried the Berry Bowl with granola, strawberries and unprocessed honey, and the Power Bowl with bee pollen, goji berries and desiccated coconut. They were just as good.

The Açai Corner is a great option for a fruit-packed summer treat on the go. 

I’m not sure how many calories are in them, but my moobies do feel a bit smaller.

The Acai Corner (Lake Monger)
Just off Vincent St exit from the freeway.
Tuesday to Sunday
7:30am-2pm
theacaicorner.com.au 

by STEPHEN POLLOCK