Vintaged Bar + Grill at the Hilton in Brisbane has launched a new vegan menu with dishes including a truffled white polenta with exotic mushroom, and apple and rhubarb crumble.
Chef Hueman Lam said the menu is not about following trends.
“This menu lends itself to our commitment to fresh, seasonal produce while at the same time serving a strong demand for these dishes,” said Lam.
“Initial feedback has been positive and it’s great to be able to broaden Vintaged’s appeal. It might seem counterintuitive, but consumer demand crossed with a natural tie in with our overall approach and ethos within the team, means this new menu really works.”
The vegan dishes were launched alongside a new grill menu as well as a new burger menu for the bar. The new grill menu features wagyu scotch fillet, kangaroo loin fillet, pork tomahawk, Moreton Bay bugs and Mooloolaba king prawns, while the burger list includes a voodoo bacon burger with wagyu, a pork belly burger with apple and cabbage slaw, and a vegan burger with slow cooked mushroom.
With more Australian diners becoming interested in vegan options, either as a long-term commitment or just as an occasional meal, other venues are also looking to create plant-based menus.
Melbourne’s Matcha Mylkbar has capitalised on the matcha trend, with head chef Lachlan Timms and his team modelling their plant-based menu on the local diets of Okinawa. The entirely vegan caf serves matcha in a variety of forms, as well as Kombucha, beetroot lattes, and mushroom lattes, and their patented vegan eggs, which mimic the texture, yolk, and nutritional value of conventional eggs.
Silvereye, in Sydney’s Central Park precinct, is also getting on-board, creating bi-monthly vegan dinners that will launch on 26 April.
Silvereye executive chef, Sam Miller, will put together a 12 course vegan menu, including five snacks, five savoury courses and two desserts, with wine and non-alcoholic pairing by sommelier James Audas also available.
