Overview
Plate It Forward has already made an impact on Sydney's culinary scene and beyond with its first two venues: the beloved Enmore Road Sri Lankan restaurant Colombo Social and 2022 arrival Kabul Social. The hospitality group's inaugural spot is based on the philosophy of providing employment opportunities, training and meals to people seeking asylum, while its Afghan counterpart in the CBD is run by a group of female refugees, and donates a meal to a person in need in both Australia and Afghanistan for each meal sold.
Following the success of these first two ventures, the social enterprise is growing again with a walk-in-only Mexican restaurant located in the South Eveleigh precinct, which opens on Monday, April 17. Like its sibling venues, Coyoacán Social is using its Mexican street food to give back, donating a meal to Mexico City for every guest who dines in — and also working with local charities to create a safe space within the local Redfern and South Eveleigh communities.
Founder Shaun Christie-David and Head Chef Roman Cortes.
Plate It Forward founder Shaun Christie-David has put the restaurant in the hands of Head Chef Roman Cortes, a Mexico City native and someone who has previously faced the challenges of overcoming addiction. Cortes shares Christie-David and Plate It Forward's belief in the power of food to create social change, and has pulled together a vibrant menu inspired by his mother Maru Navarro's cooking and dishes from her birthplace Coyoacán.
"Seeing Roman create dishes that are so special to me and our family is beautiful, and I am so proud of how far he has come on both his cooking and recovery journey," says Navarro.
Birria tacos are the star of the menu, made with shredded beef marinated in a traditional adobo, topped with melted cheese and served alongside a side of beef compote cooked overnight for dipping. Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find cochinita pibil — marinated pulled-pork tacos topped with pickled red onion and your choice of sauce — plus three types of quesadillas including a specialty chicken tinga variety. There's also a customisable nachos menu, and a range of accompaniments like guacamole, pico de gallo, horchata and churros.
"Our menu is a mix of street food — 'tacos' and homemade Mexican food. It is made of some of the food that I enjoyed the most in my city, but also dishes that my mum and grandmother used to cook for our family," says Cortes.
"It replicates authentic Mexican recipes which have been kept in the family for generations. My purpose is to share the love I got from the most wonderful women I've met (my mum and grandmother). I do this, with the unwavering condition of always keeping their authenticity — if I cannot make it authentic, I won't make it."
Plate It Forward has partnered with property development company Mirvac, which has been working with the hospo outfit to find sustainable locations for its restaurants and activations, helping the social enterprise to donate over 150,000 meals to the Redfern and South Eveleigh communities over the years.
"South Eveleigh has always been a huge part of the Plate it Forward journey, with their proximity to the communities we feed, and the people who have been with us since the start," Christie-David says.
Roman Cortes and his mother Maru Navarro
Coyoacán Social will open on Monday, April 17, at Shop 8, 1 Locomotive Street, Eveleigh — operating for lunch from 11am–3pm Monday–Friday, as well as for dinner from 6–9pm Friday–Saturday.
Images: Rhiannon Hopley.