Rosie’s Coogee… The Embodiment of Balance

By Dining Dave (@diningdave) on January 16, 2019 in Food

As we approached Rosie’s in Coogee on a recent Wednesday evening, I couldn’t help but sing that classic Guns ‘N’ Roses power ballad November Rain to myself, as the coastal hamlet was being drenched by a torrential downpour. I assumed the inclement weather would keep the crowd light at Rosie’s, but the night would prove me mistaken.

Just steps from Coogee Beach, Rosie’s is located on Alfreda Street in the space once occupied by The Hub and, prior to that, Sauce. It’s enjoyed a full makeover and now features mainly neutral colours and white, creating a light and airy interior that still enjoys prime views over Coogee Oval.

Open since the beginning of April, Rosie’s is the creation of Shannon Rosie, a clinical nutritionist, and her partner Dan. They have designed Rosie’s to be a place where the food acts as nutritional medicine. In practice, this means that you can have great tasting, high quality foods and cocktails without that nagging feeling of guilt.

When we arrived we were immediately greeted by Shannon, who explained to us the Rosie’s concept and revealed that this especially appeals to a female clientele.

The Rosie’s dinner menu takes inspiration from both Mediterranean and Asian cuisines, which makes sense given the natural foundation of those diets. This means there are no burgers, no pizza and no pasta on the menu, and even the cocktails are balanced and low in sugar.

We decided to begin our meal with a couple of ‘conscious’ cocktails including the signature Green-Tini with freshly-squeezed green juice, Hendricks gin and celery bitters, and the Healthy Sailor, a concoction of Cargo Cult sugar-free spiced rum, apple, kombucha, ginger syrup and cinnamon (both $18).
After settling in, we ordered a few starters including prosciutto- wrapped halloumi ($14), green quinoa falafel with hummus ($13) and the herb goats cheese with ginger, sesame and shallot ($18).The halloumi was the unanimous standout of the three.

Moving on to mains, we opted for Rosie’s flank steak with ponzu and Asian salad ($35), and the miso baked salmon ($25), along with sides of sweet potato wedges with aioli ($14) and baked cauliflower with pomegranate, parsley and pistachio ($13). All the dishes were beautifully presented and meant for sharing, and we really could’ve done with a third person to help us out. Our two favourites were the salmon and the cauliflower. The salmon (enough for two) was cooked to perfection and the miso flavouring really lifted the fish, while the cauliflower was deliciously creamy despite the absence of cream.
Despite being at bursting point, we had to try a few of Rosie’s healthy desserts, particularly the good-gut brownie ($11) and the vegan lemon cheesecake ($14). The brownie is made using pure chocolate and ghee instead of normal fatty butter; we’re told it’s good for gut health, which is said to be important in disease prevention. The ‘cheesecake’ looks and tastes like cheesecake, but contains no cheese or eggs. Rather, it’s made with ground cashews and lemon, among other things.

Shannon is the face of Rosie’s and her philosophy of ‘food as medicine’ is clearly on display. Our dinner at Rosie’s was a fantastic experience. It is the embodiment of balance, and Coogee already seems to be much healthier because of it.

Rosie’s
Address 31 Alfreda Street, Coogee
Phone 9665 6797
Instagram @rosiescoogee
Facebook www.facebook.com/rosiescoogee
Open Wed-Fri 12pm-late, Sat-Sun 9am-late, closed Mon & Tue
Prices Entrees $13-$18; Mains $25-$35
Cards Accepted All major
Licensed Yes