How would you describe the future of food? For celebrity chef Matthew Kenney the key is a plant-based diet. Understanding Kenney’s experience as a chef, restaurateur, author and businessman it’s hard to disagree. Kenney has forged an international following with his fresh take on food, boasting over 10 restaurants and cafes across the globe.
In Australia for the launch of his latest dining experience, we were fortunate to sit down with the culinary great and enjoy a taste of his food philosophy at Salon De Co – Ovolo Brisbane’s fine dining offering. The cuisine of the evening reflected the menu at Ovolo’s Wooloomooloo restaurant, Alibi and was created in collaboration with their head chef, Michael Nicolaou. Luckily Nicolaou was flown up for the occasion, so we enjoyed the full experience.
The Salon De Co dining room certainly set the tone for evening and complimented the cuisine to come. A unique mix of heritage and contemporary, we found ourselves stealing glances at the beautiful, historic architectural details contrasted by quirky artwork and ornaments which adorned floor to ceiling shelves. We’ve had the pleasure of dining at this Brisbane destination once before and yet we still found new features to be fixated on in between courses.
Paired with vegan wines, we enjoyed seven courses of delectable meat-free dishes. Each plate was full of nourishing food, showcasing a mix of classical and innovative cooking techniques. Most memorable were the kimchi dumplings (we have a new found love for ginger foam), porcini cauliflower and strawberry hibiscus cheesecake.
Although Kenney’s Brisbane pop-up was a one night affair, you can still enjoy his plant-based menu at Alibi in Sydney. We recommend booking in soon though, the future of food won’t stay secret for long.
Salon De Co are serving some of these signature dishes available until the end of October 2018
Website: ovolohotels.com.au
Instagram: @ovolohotels
Facebook: /ovolohotels
Salon De Co: /salon-de-co
Alibi Bar: alibibar.com.au
