Combi

Combi has been a place I have wanted to visit for a long time. I have been working hard at staying active and eating well (except the times I'm eating burgers and ice cream) so when I saw they offered a range of vegan breakfast options and colourful smoothies, I was very keen to try. They are located in Elwood so it's not close or far for me, so it made a nice Sunday drive. I went there on 2 occasions as I couldn't fit in all the smoothies and bowls I wanted to try in one visit.

When I told D that we were going to a vegan, raw food brunch place he instantly scrunched up his nose but he was a good sport and gave into my nagging. To start off I got the green mylk (green tea latte) for us to share. This was made with almond milk, sweetened with honey and finished with a dash of cinnamon. Normally I am a big fan of green latte with soy, so I was slightly hesitant to try almond milk. The flavour was slightly nutty and surprisingly still had the same amount of creaminess. The matcha flavour was more on the light side but still strong enough for the aromas to come through.

I also got a smoothie, there was no way I could turn down that opportunity. I've seen many photos on instagram and they always look delicious and colourful. I didn't feel too adventurous so I just got the mango shack which was a mango, banana, mint, coconut flesh, camu camu, nut mylk with added protein. The smoothie was rich and filling. It had a full body mango and banana taste with the texture of coconut flesh blended in. I can now understand why people in Elwood go nuts over the smoothies here.

For our second visit I got the liquid passion. Normally I'm not a passionfruit fan but I was a sucker for the pretty colours and I love berries and mango. This was not as sweet as I had hoped it to be, more on the tangy side but it was very refreshing. Again it had protein powder, nut milk and coconut flesh so it was a heavy smoothie.

D for blue moon, which as the name suggest is a blueberry based smoothie. It had chia seed, banana, coconut flesh and protein powder. This was just as heavy but less tangy compared to the liquid passion. I quite liked this one and it Combi was closer, it is something I'll happily have for breakfast every morning.

Despite all the heavy smoothies, I still managed to get a bite in on both occasions. The acai bowl caught my eye. Acai bowls have been a new favorite breakfast of mine. I was sucked in by the super food promise but stayed because I liked the taste and found it a good alternative to bircher muesli on all my Sat brunch catch ups. Combi's acai bowl came with blueberries, banana, coconut flakes, apples strawberries, dates, buckinis and nut milk. It was like eating a smoothie in a bowl with lots of crunchy bits. Unlike other brunches, I walked out feeling full but not in the need for a nap.

D was overwhelmed by all the "healthy stuff" so he got the toasted sandwich with ham, cheese and tomato. It was served on seeded bread but it wasn't anything exciting.

Second visit we just got the granola to share, as we were in the area for Lune croissants so we didn't want to completely stuff ourselves. The granola was made of almond, walnut bits with honey and cinnamon. It was served with apple, banana, vanilla yogurt and coconut milk. I found it just right in terms of crunchiness balanced  with yoghurt and coconut milk. I would like more fruit but that's just more me, liking lots of fruit in my breakfast.

Overall 15.5/20 I was very impressed with their smoothie collection and found the acai bowl very enjoyable. I love the variety they offered for healthy alternatives. I don't think this place is for everybody but I certainly liked it and will come back.