Overview
When predicting what trends would dominate food and drink this year, eateries going vegan was on our list. After all, within Newtown alone, 2015 saw the opening of new joints Superfood Sushi and Bliss ‘n’ Chips, as well as the vegan-ification of Gigi Pizzeria. Now, Potts Point is taking on the animal-friendly mantle. Yellow has announced it’s going 100 percent vegetarian. That’s right, next time you drop by for brunch or a degustation, you won’t find any flesh on the menu.
Yellow frequenters will know already that the restaurant has always had a big focus on vegetables. Owners Brent Savage and Nick Hildebrandt, who also run Bentley and Monopole, have long had a reputation for taking care of their vego diners, in all venues, with loads of options.
Savage said, “I’ve always loved cooking with vegetables and having a solely vegetable driven menu gives me the opportunity to focus on interesting and heirloom varietals, grown by local suppliers. By treating vegetables with the same consideration as protein we hope to show that vegetarian dishes are just as delicious as any other menu item."
Yellow’s menu will keep its share-ability, but veggies will get more love and creative treatment than ever before. Dishes to look forward to include yellow beans, pickled brassica and maple; raw radish, Japanese turnips and fennel butter; kohlrabi, fermented apple and enoki mushroom; salted carrot, quinoa and kale; and parsnip pappardelle with yolk and pine mushrooms. On the dessert list, you’ll find fennel pollen ice cream and plum broth, as well as citrus curd, carrot sorbet and brown butter.
And you can rest assured that cruelty to fruit and veggies is being kept to a minimum. Rather than going through long, arduous flights or truck rides, they’re being grown and picked as close to diners’ plates as possible. Savage has close relationships with several local producers, including First Farm Organics in the Blue Mountains, who supply brassica leaves, turnips and squash, as well as Champion Organics, who take care of while beetroots, herbs and mustard flowers. Meanwhile, Zavaglia Produce is delivering all the Mexican cucumbers, heirloom zucchini and padron peppers, and Epicurean Harvest is responsible for the almighty radishes.
There is one proviso on the all-vegetarian move — the brunch menu will remain the same with grilled licorice bread and poached eggs with charred corn and ham hock consommé still on the menu.
You can get your vegetarian on at Yellow seven nights a week and from 8am on weekends. You’ll find it at 57-59 Macleay Street, Potts Point.