Sydney chefs shift from meat-filled dishes to more of a plant-based menu

INNER CITY Sydney is on the brink of a full veggie revolution amid predictions the diet which ditches animal products will engulf the entire metropolis. And a number of high-profile chefs say restaurants are already embracing the concept.

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INNER CITY Sydney is on the brink of a full veggie revolution amid predictions the diet which ditches animal products will engulf the entire metropolis.

First it was famed Newtown pizzeria Gigi’s all animal products. Then local food stars Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt relaunching their award-winning eatery Yellow as completely vegetarian.

Now we have Wooloomooloo’s Alibi restaurant ditching the usual high-tea staples like cold meats, sandwiches and tea cakes with a plant-based spread of forest mushrooms on toast baby quiches and egg-free meringues.

The offering is the latest from US plant-food culinary guru Matthew Kenney, who opened Alibi Bar and Dining inside the Ovolo hotel earlier this year.

Foodie Inna Ilieva, with Alibi head chef Michael Nicolaou sampling the food at Alibi restaurant in Wooloomooloo. Picture: Toby Zerna

The usual high-tea staples you see have been ditched for more plant-based creations. Picture: Toby Zerna

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Several months on and Kenney, who also runs vegan eateries in Los Angeles in New York, now insists Sydney is poised for an ‘all-out paradigm shift’ as chefs across the city continue to slash meat from their menus.

“And the big mainstream chefs too … the ones who form the broadest part of the industry,” says Kenney, who insist the old ’95-5’ menu ratio will ‘flip’ within five years.

“Instead of having 95 per-cent dairy, animal or fish dishes on the menu I honestly believe we will see things the other way around within a few years with plant-based dishes making up the bulk of menus.

“Almost every restaurant in the city is already moving towards this.

“And a few have gone completely vegetarian and you see, has it affected their business?

“Well, yes. They’re busier than ever.”

Matthew Kenney believe there will be more plant-based meals than meat on the menu in five years. Picture: Christian Gilles

Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt agree with Kenney. They were talk in the foodie world when they ditched all meat from their menu at the restaurant Yellow. Picture: Supplied

Backing up his claim is Savage who, along with his sommelier partner Hildebrandt, caused a stir back in 2016 when they ditched meat all together at their award-winning Potts Point eatery Yellow.

“Since then we are generally full every night and on the weekends full twice over,” says Savage, who still serves animal products in his other two eateries Bentley and Barangaroo seafood fine diner Cirrus.

“But certainly we have changed the menus there also, and we’re operating at about 50-50 meat versus plant-based now.

“I think that’s the tipping point that most restaurants are at now and I think you will see vegetable dishes increase even more.”

It’s a prediction also supported by long-time Sydney restaurateur Matt Moran though he disputes the ’50-50’ push and maintains there will always be room for the “old fashioned steakhouse.”

But celebrity chef Matt Moran says there will always be room for the “old fashioned steakhouse”. Richard Dobson

(Moran part-owns famed steak restaurant Chop House in the Sydney CBD).

“I think definitely there will always be room for meat but in saying that, the days of plonking a plate of broccoli down in front of someone … or a neopoiltan pasta — are definitely over,” Moran says.

“As a buyer I am spending more money on vegetables now than anything.

“And that’s just a fact. You look at the past couple of years and yeah, there has been this massive change and you have to provide more vegetarian and vegan options now because people just want to eat it.”

However the vegan invasion has not changed one aspect of an increasingly selective dining market — dietary requirements.

“Even with the move away from meat you still get requests like ‘no onions, no garlic, no mushrooms, no this no that,” laughs Savage.

“Sometimes I think, ‘wow I’m going to hit my head through this wall in a minute.”