The words butter, chicken and vegan aren't usually found in the same sentence, but Sydney's growing fascination with plant-based and vegan food is mapping new food turf.
Demand for vegan options at Darlinghurst veteran Malabar restaurant has grown so strong, owner-chef Mohammed Sali has turned butter chicken on its previously carnivorous head.
"Special dietary requests are commonplace, and most of them are relatively easy to do," Sali says.
"But when I received a request for dairy-free and no-chicken butter chicken, I thought we had hit the limit for what is possible.
"The sauce was a little easier, but getting the texture right [for the chicken substitute] was hard – but we got there with mushrooms, flour and plant-based protein."
In the spirit of the creation of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! nearly 40 years ago, he has produced the butter- and chicken-free butter chicken.
"I can't believe how popular it's become, people are calling ahead and checking we haven't sold out for the day."
Sali has a new dish in his sights. "I'm working on a vegan lamb," the chef says.
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