Not many can carry off the “rock star chef” label but Melbourne-based Shannon Martinez has certainly earned that stripe. It’s not just her excellent sense of style or raucous sense of humour wrapped around a sharp wit. Above all this, it’s that she’s managed to nail a manoeuvre that has a dizzying degree of difficulty: creating food loved by vegans and non-vegans alike.
Martinez has popularised plant-based eating in Australia with her popular Melbourne venues Smith & Daughters and Smith & Deli, as well as her mega-selling vegan cookbooks and regular TV appearances. Her method when creating a new recipe is to first cook the traditional version and then adjust and tweak flavours until the vegan recipe is as close as it can possibly be to the original. As the surprised look on many a hard-core carnivore’s faces when they taste Martinez’s plant-based meatballs or calamari or risotto alla Milanese attests, her palate is one of the finest around.
Now, Sydneysiders can experience her exceptional plant-based fare in the newly revamped Alibi Bar & Dining at Ovolo Woolloomooloo, located on the historic Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf.
Already the executive chef at Ovolo South Yarra’s Lona Misa, Martinez has teamed up with the Ovolo team once again to bring her game-changing approach to vegan cooking to the Harbour City with a menu that heavily draws on her Spanish heritage.
“I’m thrilled to be part of Alibi’s new direction. This [is] my first project in Sydney, and I look forward to bringing a taste of plant-based Latin cuisine to the bay side and giving Sydneysiders their own version of Smith & Daughters,” Martinez said in a statement.
Expect dishes such as a traditional Spanish tortilla with no-egg aioli ($6) and the standout cacio e pepe ($25). Alongside the chef’s famed vegan labneh, yoghurts and cheeses. Other highlights are Padrón pepper and parmesan croquettes ($6), slow-braised meatballs ($36) and chamomile spaghettini with summer squash, saffron and ricotta ($27). For dessert, you can’t look past Smith & Daughter’s tiramisù ($18) or quince-filled doughnuts ($15).
Alibi’s drinks also take inspiration from the Mediterranean, with signature cocktails – including non-alcoholic concoctions – and a wine list that champions Australian winemakers using Mediterranean grape varieties. A largely local selection of craft beers, girders and seltzers are also on offer.
Smith & Daughter’s tiramisù
As for the restaurant’s revamp, the interiors were led by Luchetti Krelle and now boast a central glasshouse structure that creates an indoor-alfresco dining experience, complete with plush furniture and lush greenery.
Alibi Bar & Dining
Ovolo Woolloomooloo
6 Cowper Wharf Road Roadway, Sydney NSW
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