Ayla's Cafe

As a child, Arian Rezaei struggled to pronounce his mother's name. The nickname stuck and many years later, it became the name of his cafe. Incidentally, Ayla means "moonlight" in Persian, "halo of the moon" in Turkish, and "oak tree" in Hebrew. These motifs are incorporated into the cafe’s logo.

Previously Joy Discovery, this city mainstay remains a vegan and vegetarian favourite, with worldly dishes reflecting Australia's multiculturalism. There are huge burgers, jam-packed wraps, lentil shepherd's pie, lasagne, Persian soups, fresh juices and smoothies.

Other menu items have an Iranian culinary twist, in accordance with Rezaei’s heritage. His family moved to Australia in 2012. While most people claim their mother's cooking is the best, this family wanted to prove it and coaxed mum, Soheila Bakhtiari (a trained chef) out of retirement.

For those days you can't leave your desk, Ayla’s delivers. You can even order online.