Are you a vegan who hates missing out on fine dining? Then today is your lucky day. Otto Ristorante has been serving some of Sydney’s best Italian food for some time now (attracting an A-list clientele along the way), and now they’ve launched their first complete vegan menu to compliment their stellar traditional dishes – cue foodie freak-out.
While the humble bowl of pasta is not usually associated with veganism (parmesan, we’re looking at you!), Otto’s bucks the trend, redefining stereotypes and offering diners sophisticated (and downright tasty) plant-based Italian options. From a delicate fig, saba, raddicchio and pine nut salad to handmade orecchiette swimming in a delectable napolitana sauce, the vegan menu is a riot of texture and flavour.
“The full vegan degustation menu started after one of our regular diners asked if we could prepare a vegan menu for her one evening. She absolutely loved it and kept coming back with friends, which challenged us to keep creating new dishes. We also noticed a big influx of requests for vegan dishes and wines. So I felt it necessary to put a vegan, vegetarian and full degustation menu together…The vegetarian menu was a natural step forward for us as our philosophy is working with seasonal and fresh products, allowing the produce to speak for itself,” says head Chef Richard Ptacnik.
And I know what you’re thinking, an Italian meal with a glass (or two) of vino is a match made in heaven. That’s why Otto have consulted with Master of Wine, Ned Goodwin, for a matching vegan-friendly wine list.
“The current interest in minimal interventionism in wine, be it sustainable, organic or fully fledged biodynamic viticulture, has spurred a legion of wines that see neither fining nor filtration. The lack of animal-derived products in their processing means that they are vegan-friendly, sharing a healthful transparency and freshness that parlays effortless with both the vegan philosophy and food preparation,” explains Ned.
But even if you’re not a vegan, it’s not as scary as many assume. Being vegan is no longer a trend, but a way of life. In the last 6 months alone Zomato Australia has seen ‘vegan’ searched over 75,000 times, and as high as 1,100 times in a single day.
So, vegan or not, mark our words Otto is going to become your go-to Sydney destination.
