Bowled, not rolled: Poke the next It food trend

What are the It foods?

The fondness for food combining will continue: look out for naan pizza and banh mi bruschetta. Poke (say poh-kay) is a raw fish salad with rice and vegetables – think of it as sushi that's bowled, not rolled. It's Japanese-inspired, big in Hawaii and about to hit Melbourne in a major way. Check out the advance guard: Poked (www.poked.com.au) and the Poke Time food truck (http://www.poketime.com.au), which does versions with beef and chicken, and expect to see poke pop up at cafes all over town.

What am I going to be eating this year?

More vegetables and less meat. Driven by cost, environmental concerns and creative, celebratory approaches to vegetables, many chefs are turning away from meat, or at least using it more thoughtfully. Look to cafes like Higher Ground, where most dishes are vegetable and seafood-based, pumping vegan restaurants like Smith and Daughters, and fine dining restaurants such as Attica and Woodland House which ensure vegetarians feel like first-class diners.

Who's foodie and famous and coming to town?

Expect much hoo-ha for the World's 50 Best announcement of top restaurants, here in April for its first trip to the southern hemisphere. Melbourne Food and Wine has shifted the dates of its 25th festival to coincide and Fairfax is pitching in, too, making it a triple whammy of star chef events and tasty sideshow action. Big names include US chefs Grant Achatz and Wylie Dufresne, Peruvian powerhouse Gaston Acurio and cheeky Japanese master Zaiyu Hasegawa.