Lona Misa

Lona Misa Ovolo South Yarra

MELBOURNE

Words: Eleanor Howard Photography: © Courtesy of Ovolo Hotels

IN A BITE Owner / Operator: Ovolo Hotels Menu / Graphic Design: The Reactor Head Chef: Isa Raku F&B Manager: Jaqui Rosenstengel Bar Manager: Jordan Tredinnick Restaurant Manager: Sarah Hannaford www.ovolohotels.com

Catering to the growing popularity of veganism in Australia, renowned Melbourne-based chefs Shannon Martinez and Ian Curley have partnered with Ovolo Hotels to open Lona Misa, South Yarra’s first and only plant-based restaurant. Set within the retro-chic Ovolo South Yarra, the 90-cover venue offers a lively Latin dining experience with a focus on local produce and fresh ingredients.

Described as a rebellious renaissance from root to stem, the all-day restaurant leverages both chefs’ farm-to-table experience whilst paying homage to Martinez’s Latin heritage through dishes such as oyster mushroom ceviche, Chille Relleno En Nogada and queso con chorizo using a soy-based meat. As a pioneer of Melbourne’s vegan dining scene, Martinez brings her personally developed techniques to the table, transforming flour into chicharrónes and soy into chicken. In a further bid to stand out, Lona Misa is the only plant-based restaurant to serve fare cooked on a Josper.

“Lona Misa is bougie vegan dining,” explains Martinez. “Whilst the menu might be vegan and vegetarian, the dishes are still delicious as ever, replicating meat-based flavour profiles through texture and taste.”

Designed by Sydney-based firm Luchetti Krelle, the scheme sees elements that are familiar in form yet delivered with a rebellious twist; Renaissance-style art hangs on the walls for example, overlaid with graffiti telling diners to ‘put it in your mouth’. The venue acts as a casual café by day before transforming into a restaurant and wine bar at night, serving drinks that celebrate the liveliness of La Bamba, from kombucha on-tap and native G&T’s to cocktails such as the venue’s own take on a Piña Colada. A Latin-inspired score curated by Andrew Lewis adds to the lively atmosphere.

“Take what you know about vegan and vegetarian dining, and think vibrant, loud and unapologetic,” concludes Vince Lombino, Creative F&B Director at Ovolo Hotels. “That’s Lona Misa.”