Food Theatre puts on a plant-based show worthy of an encore

On a crisp Thursday evening, when there's still enough light to see our life choices, my friends and I find ourselves facing an old problem at a grungy, just-opened restaurant. We've ordered too much food. An amount so comical it threatens every empty surface of our fold-out table on the sidewalk. 

We are at Food Theatre, Marrickville's latest plant-based street food haunt. The staff is kind about our misjudgment. They don't laugh as the fifth dish lands between the four of us. They show compassion as the sixth arrives.

This is important, given the final main – a "Volcano Bowl" – is a sturdy stew of rosemary garlic and lentil on basmati rice. Served with a plump wedge of sweet potato, it's bucolic and a death knell to over-confident eaters. 

But we aren't the only ones dealing with the aftermath of our enthusiasm. All around, diners are busily tackling giant plates of beetroot carpaccio, flaky bourek and quiches at the tiny, al-fresco joint. 

Owners Lee and Shay Orbach's experience at bold, hearty plant-based cooking plays a part in the menu's appeal. Australian-born Lee trained as a raw food chef in Australia and the US, before working at veg-forward eateries in Tel Aviv, where her family came from.

There, she met her husband Shay, who specialises in pastries and dreams of opening an eatery that celebrates food from his Romanian heritage. The pair founded Food Theatre in 2019 as a plant-based commercial kitchen and a regular stall holder at various Sydney food markets. 

When COVID hit, and the markets became a less reliable source of income, the Orbachs decided to transform their business. "We had a shop front in our commercial kitchen that we weren't using. So we thought, 'Why not take the opportunity and open up?" says Lee. 

What transpired was a vibrant, down-to-earth eatery that spills out on a quiet stretch of the Victoria Road footpath. Inside, an oversized chalkboard spells out the day's menu. The line-up is all-vegan, Middle-Eastern street food, with a slight Balkan twist. Just like the real deal in Tel Aviv, Lee explains most dishes have cosmopolitan influences.

For example, a golden, spirally mushroom Burek has roots in Turkey, and is served with a trio of tahini, zesty tomato puree and chilli on the side; while its house-made apple strudel is a nod to Austro-Hungarian Europe. 

But what all dishes have in common is a commitment to the "simple and flavourful", and the couple work hard to bring out the essence of each in-season produce. You'll see this in a dish like the beetroot carpaccio, where the ruby globes are roasted to the point where the skin is crisp, and the flesh turns tender. At this point, the beetroot is sliced thin and treated with the same reverence as carefully-aged, prized cuts of beef. 

"There's no fancy things around [the carpaccio]. It's lemon juice, olive oil, salt and a little bit of chilli – and that's our approach to all of our the food," says Lee. There are, of course, also lashings of house-made cashew labneh – something you'll feel tempted to stock up on after the meal. 

Seasonal vegie quiches are made with cashew cheese, almond meal, organic buckwheat flour  and a touch of maple syrup. We opt for the caramelised onion and zucchini version, and fight over the last bites.

It's tempting to tag on a sweet potato to your order, and feel vindicated by your decision when the soft, sugary spud arrives. Though from experience, that rush is soft-lived, because you'll soon realise, with your stomach full and your eyes still wide, that the chocolate and raspberry mousse and tahini cookies will have to wait until next time.

The low-down

Food Theatre

Main attraction: A vibrant, down-to-earth eatery that specialises in plant-based street food with a Middle Eastern twist. 

Must-try dish: The beetroot carpaccio — the sweet, slow-roasted globe is sliced thin and treated with the same reverence as carefully-aged, prized cuts of beef.

Insta-worthy dish: Get a shot of the huge spread you'll find yourself ordering. The menu is tempting and affordable. Just prepare for takeaway aftermaths. 

Drinks: BYO wine (no corkage); Cinna mint tea $4.