The Plant Gallery

As a raw vegan, Peruvian-inspired restaurant that strives for carbon neutrality and zero waste, you could say The Plant Gallery is fairly niche. Yet owner David Ortega plans to take his specialised vision even further. He is cultivating a garden on the small patch out the back of the restaurant with the hope of relaunching as fully organic and, while he's at it, he thinks he might even make the place kosher. In fact, he says, he's already in talks with the local rabbis.

It's quite a feat for someone so new to the restaurant business.

After inheriting some money and taking time off from his job teaching English to international students, Ortega lived and travelled in South America. It was there, in the mountains of Peru in 2014, he reconnected with Juan Carlos, a Swiss-trained chef he had met while travelling a decade earlier and who had converted to the raw vegan lifestyle. Ortega says he was so dazzled by Carlos's approach to food that he convinced his friend to open a restaurant with him back in Bondi where he grew up.

The Plant Gallery opened its doors in January and Ortega hopes it will change the reputation raw vegan food has as a diet of carrot and celery sticks.

Admittedly, the thought "I hope I don't leave hungry" does cross my mind as I peruse the plant-based menu. The restaurant also eschews grains and legumes (unless sprouted) and processed sugars. But there are plenty of familiar, albeit modified, dishes to choose from, such as pizza, spaghetti, curry, nachos and caesar salad.

We start with the gazpacho, a shot of tomato-based soup with smoked paprika, which packs a serious flavour punch and is a good precursor of what's to come. We also nibble on kale chips, which I am delighted to discover taste like Twisties when coated in a curry-flavoured batter.

The look of the restaurant reflects its healthy living ethos, with its high ceiling, white walls, hanging garden and beautiful wooden furniture, built by new French chef Raphael Kiepura, who recently took over from Carlos. Ortega laughs when I say it looks like an art gallery, because that's what it was when he bought it. He plans to continue the tradition in a small way by exhibiting local artists on the walls.

As the food doesn't need to be cooked, we don't wait long. We share two entrees and a main between two people.

The base of the sweet onion pizza is made out of compacted sesame seeds and is topped with rich nut cheese, a peppery tomato sauce, olives and sweet corn. It hardly resembles a pizza but, as long as you don't have your heart set on a doughy, cheesy slice, it's a nice dish. The nachos is very similar to the pizza, only fresher and more tangy with the addition of red onion, coriander and guacamole. The "chips" are much the same as the pizza base only slightly more wafery, served with nut cheese, corn and a similar peppery sauce. Next time I'll try something with a different flavour palette like the cauliflower nori roll.

Our chosen main is spaghetti, which I have reservations about, as pasta made from zucchini has never struck me as particularly appetising. My doubts are quickly squashed, as this spaghetti has a consistency remarkably similar to the real thing, with a rich cashew and yellow chilli sauce. On the top are shards of faux parmesan, which also prove to be a convincing substitute. The dish magically does not taste nearly as healthy as it is, and makes me want to come back for more.

While the portions are generous, the food sits lightly so there is no doubt about our decision to order dessert. We go for the unusually named "Suspiro A La Limena", which translates as "the sigh of a woman from Lima". It is served like an ice-cream sundae with a mousse-like caramel base made of date and cinnamon, and a coconut whipped cream with the consistency of foam. The caramel alone is super rich and sticky but becomes creamy and more delicate with the coconut cream.

The Plant Gallery is true to its philosophy of making healthy food without sacrificing flavour, and makes it easy to forget you are eating an entirely plant-based meal. It will satisfy vegans and non-vegans alike, which Ortega, who is not a vegan, says is the point.

THE PICKS

Gazpacho shot, zucchini spaghetti, Peruvian dessert

THE LOOK

Like an art gallery, cool and understated

THE SERVICE

Enthusiastic and unpretentious