Overview
There's a brand new plant-based eatery in town, and they're putting down roots in Bondi. Which should come as no surprise, really. Having opened this week on the likely location of Bondi Road, The Plant Gallery aims to dispel the notion that healthy cuisine can't also be delicious, serving up raw, nutritious food free from gluten, refined sugars and animal products. And while some of you out there might be sceptical, it actually looks pretty damn good.
The Plant Gallery kitchen is helmed by chef Juan Carlos, whose culinary career has taken him from his native Peru to Switzerland and now, finally, to Sydney. Everything on the menu is prepared at temperatures less than 48 degrees and made with ingredients including fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds. Start you day with banana pancakes served with agave and lime Thai basil syrup, chocolate sauce, fresh fruit and coconut Chantilly cream, or enjoy a Big Breakfast of smoked eggplant 'bacon', onion bread, marinated mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, mung beans in tomato salsa, turmeric sauce and baby spinach.
The options at lunch and dinner time are similarly varied, including a sweet onion pizza with a tomato base, nut cheese, caramelised onions, olives, sweet corn and coriander. A Caesar salad made with eggplant, coconut chips, cashew parmesan, paprika bread, nori and sliced avocado is also on the menu, along with a mushroom ceviche dish with lime juice, onion, coriander, ginger, chilli and corn.
On the off chance you're not already full to bursting, you can grab dessert in the form of the deconstructed Inca berry cheesecake with cashew cheese and orange nut crumble, or the lucuma mousse with chocolate crumble and special chocolate sauce. The drinks list, meanwhile, includes a number of different flavours of Kombucha and cashew milk, as well as fresh juices, smoothies, teas and non-alcoholic mocktails.
A number of the items on the menu can be made to go, while you can also purchase ingredients like Himalayan rock salts and coconut curry chips from their food gallery. The restaurant also plans to feature work by local artists with regular art shows in the near future.
The Plant Gallery can be found at 95 Bondi Road, Bondi. For more information and operating hours visit theplantgallery.com.au.