Vegan goes mainstream with more plant dishes on regular menus

Adelaide’s vegan and vegetarian restaurant scene is shrinking.

Senior chef Caitlin Lemish with two of the seasonal plant-based dishes at Africola restaurant in Adelaide’s East End. Picture: Ben Clark

Vegan and vegetarian eateries are closing their doors across Adelaide as mainstream restaurants and supermarkets offer more plant-based options.

Closures this year include Rundle St institution Vego and Love’n It, which had operated for more than 30 years, as well as Thea Tea Shop in Gawler Place after 23 years.

Mexican vegan restaurant Cocina Comida in Ebenezer Lane, Semaphore brunch spot Crux, Goodwood’s Vietnamese business Metta Sol and the Rundle St outlet of Zenhouse Vegetarian Fusion have also shut down.

Melissa Pisanelli from plant-based restaurant Allegra Dining Room said there had been discussion in the industry about mainstream Adelaide restaurants offering more non-meat dishes.

“We (the restaurant industry) are sort of transitioning … to bigger establishments that do have options on their menus that cater to everybody,” she said.

Ms Pisanelli said rather than overall demand for vegan food dropping, there was a growing trend towards people eating more plant-based food as part of broader diet, and restaurants were catering to that.

This created less division between groups of diners with different dietary tastes or requirements.

“Everybody can be catered for at the one establishment. I think overall it’s a positive thing that we’re moving towards there being more thought given to different preferences,” she said.

“So chefs are creating menus that do cater to everybody but have lovely options, rather than a ‘vegetable stack’.”

Despite the industry change, Ms Pisanelli said Allegra was doing well since reopening after the pandemic.

Senior chef Caitlin Lemish with two of the plant-based dishes at Africola restaurant in Adelaide’s East End. Picture: Ben Clark

Duncan Welgemoed, who owns Africola in the East End and recently opened Africola Canteen in Norwood, said its menu had shifted from its original meat-heavy focus of a decade ago to offer a wide variety of imaginative, quality plant-based dishes.

Mr Welgemoed said restaurants should aim to offer customers healthy, vegetarian or vegan options that are “as good” as a traditional burger or steak.

“Our cauliflower dish, for instance – people go ‘Wow, it’s like eating a steak’. That is where veganism or vegetarianism wins,” he said.

“But when it’s just a plate of salad, it’s hardly appetising for the meat-eating man.”

Allegra Dining Room continues to offer a fully plant-based menu. Picture: Jack Fenby

One of the many plant-based dishes on offer at Allegra Dining Room. Picture: Jack Fenby

Africola changed its menu most weeks, depending on what is in season, Mr Welgemoed said.

“Two of my favourite dishes that have been on this week are really fat, purple asparagus – which we dress in a vegan spiced butter hazelnut cream – and our fire-roasted peppers, which have been marinated in our version of tabasco with deep-fried crunchy Mexican chillies.

“They almost taste like jerky through the dish … if you added meat to any of those dishes, it’s superfluous.”