yellow

for a seasoned food taster and chef for the past 6 or 7 years, there are very few restaurants, cafes or bars around the globe which intrigue me. i believe all food institutions should have a solid foundation in food preparation, an ethical and sustainable procurement of ingredients, an innovative and progressive menu, as well as a personable dining experience regardless of size and reputation.

yellow is one of a handful of restaurants in sydney (sadly but factually) which impresses me greatly. for a predominantly carnivore like me, visiting a vegetarian fine-dining restaurant and trying a 7-course degustationmenuis a gamble. but this gamble paid off marvelously.

situated in the historic yellow house building in potts point, the namesake restaurant is sleek and beautiful with its dimly-lit interior, wooden flooring and comfortable sofas.

the delightful gastronomic adventure begins with a mild avocado with pine nuts and native lime and the awesome zucchini topped with sunflower seeds and quinoa. the multiple layers and texture that comes with every bite of the zucchini, sunflower and quinoa is further enhanced by contrasting but complimentary flavours of the green juniper. the thick and silky potato purée adds to the overall taste in a sophisticated fashion.

the eggplant is prepared in similar and meticulous manner too. covered with black garlic and dunked in the therapeutic ginger broth, the variated texture ensures that the nondescript eggplant become one of the highlights of the course. (i really liked how the chefs focus on the olfactory receptors!)

several points to note too: some of the dishes were served scalding hot and the kitchen needs to know that.

the starchy main courses, the heirloom potatoes and forbidden rice, were impressive too. topped wth chestnut purée and mixed pepperberries, the heirloom potatoes surprises me with an explosion of spices and flavours. the forbidden rice (essentially just a fancier name for black rice) combines flawlessly with the smoked yoghurt and yellow beans to deliver the ultimate alternative to rice dishes. however, it will be better if the chefs could add layers and textures to the rice just like the previous few courses.

the desserts were eye-opening for me because i did not know certain vegetables can be transformed into sweet (not too sweet) and delightful treasures. the mixture of shaved persimmon and flaky almonds were fragrant and delightful but could be further improved with a chewy or rubbery ingredient to break the monotony of chewing on the tiresome almond nuts. last but not least, the black licorice covered with a generous layer of fennel curd and raspberries, gave the degustation course a wonderful conclusion. mildly sweet, chewy and creamy, the dessert extends the width of our tastebuds through this exotic combination of ingredients.

in conclusion, yellow is a memorable gastronomic experience which perks me up after a series of forgettable and disappointing meals in the past few months.

if you haven't tried yellow, you should.

two of us went to yellow for dinner on a tuesday night. i had the slow cooked lamb shoulder with cawliflower three ways and my friend had the skirt steak. the lamb was juicy and tasty. it went really well with the creamy puréed and fried cawliflower. my friend enjoyed her main too. the side dish of broccolini with pepitas was disappointing though as the pepitas were almost burnt and the broccoli underseasoned. the restaurant manager that night was very knowledgeable and knew themenuextremely well. she gave us very accurate descriptions of the dishes on the menu. unfortunately none of the desserts on themenuexcited us (there should be some work on them) so we walked to messina for the final treat.

on a completely random thursday, a last minute decision saw me with a table for two at the reputable yellow restaurant in potts point.  the restaurant has gained attention with its decision go vegetarian and vegan only (*gasp*) for its night time menu. rest assured the breakfast and lunchmenuhave hints of animal flesh including housemade bacon.  however for diners, this is one destination that you can indulge in fantastical vegetarian dishes without judgement.

staff were gorgeous, the vibe was great but the food needed some work. some dishes were delicious where as some were underwhelming. sadly the food was on the oilier side making it hard to eat. the asparagus course was delicious though so not all bad. desserts were lovely and deliciously humble. only the savoury part of the meal was a bit of a let down. with that being said, this place definitely deserves a go. vegetarians will appreciate the respect and consideration put into the plant basedmenualong with its reasonable price.

i gave it 3/5 but that feels harsh.

long story short- great ambiance, awesome staff, some dishes underwhelming and some where great, desserts were lovely.

vegan tastingmenu: 😍 amazing
service : 😍 amazing

if you’re looking at themenuand finding it difficult to choose a dish to try then i highly recommend yellow’s tasting menu. it made the hard decisions for us and everything was magnificent. the tastingmenucomes as a five-course or seven-course degustation. the food was full of flavour and plated so beautifully. dessert was basically to die for. service from the staff members was exceptional from start to finish. worth every penny in my opinion.

we started off with some bread and yummy nutty butter, along with small turnips coated in a sesame coating. the bread was warm and soft and paired beautifully with the butter. i expected the turnips to be a little bitter, but they were deliciously sweet and crunchy. the strong roasted sesame flavour was powerful and complimented the mild bitterness and watery taste of the turnips. it's a little awkward that i am realising now that this was actually an addition to our tasting menu!

next up, and the actual start to the menu, the 'jersey milk curd + cucumber + spring herbs'. the curd was delicious and soft and very mild in flavour. the cucumber portion was essentially a soup coating the curd which added a strong and fresh flavour, alongside the sharp herbs. it was a really beautiful combination of rich and creamy with the curd, fresh and slightly bitter from the cucumber and sharp with the herbs. definitely a beautiful summery start to our dinner.

the 'butternut pumpkin + miso butter + saltbush' was probably the most stand-out item for us on the menu. we even asked how in the world they made it, because we were making all the yummy noises. i even overheard the table next to us comment that they wanted whatever the hell we were having because of how much we clearly enjoyed it. the pumpkin was soft, and just packed with buttery miso flavour. there was delicious crispy curry leaves served over the pumpkin, a beautiful smooth hollandaise made with more pumpkin, and a japanese style tomato spice powder. trust me you want this - regardless of whichmenuyou opt for :p

next came the 'forbidden rice + aromatic sauce + smoked yogurt' which came alongside some char-grilled cabbage. unfortunately this was the only let down in terms of the menu. we found the flavours a little overpowering. the smoked yogurt was delicious, however it was that smokiness that really took over the already smokey flavour of the rice. i felt like some freshness to cut the flavours would have worked wonders.

okay finally let's talk about dessert - which i really loved. this was the 'mandarin + coconut + toasted almond', which was a beautiful combination of gelato, fruit, the coconut and almond. there was smooth textures, crunchy, sour flavour, sweetness and amazing nuttiness. there were little icy bits and little warm bits - honestly i cannot explain it. there was a lot happening, yet all the tastes were so subtle. i definitely recommend this dessert if you are a fan of citrus fruits!

let me circle back to the small portions - the portions are actually substantial! we struggled to finish off everything, and we really needed to get up and walk around for the food to settle down. skip your lunch for the 5 course menu, and just don't eat for the whole day for the 7 course in my opinion.

let's rate this marvellous place

service: 10/10

the waitstaff is exceptionally friendly, and made jokes while we dined also. nothing inappropriate ofc, just fun banter. i appreciated how quickly our food came to us, and the small explanations of everything we were eating was so appreciated.

ambiance: 10/10

the motifs were warm, and i really loved the exposed brick walls. the dim romantic lighting honestly makes it a perfect intimate dinner spot :)

menu: 8/10

i think there are a lot of non-traditional combinations on the menu, which can make it a little difficult for some customers. it's still a beautifully arranged selection however.

value for money: 9/10

we left the restaurant feeling exceptionally full. the 5 course tasting menu, at $75 was tough to finish up!

the food: 9/10

one point off for the one item we didnt enjoy, and it's only one point because the rest was honestly so phenomenal.

overall: 9.2/10 seriously, get yourself here for amazing vegetarian food.

yellow in potts point manages to showcase how delicious vegetarian food can be in a fine dining setting. we tried the five course tastingmenuand it was a wonderful play on flavours and textures throughout. we started with a little appetiser to warm up our taste buds: peruvian potato chip with black garlic sauce and szechuan pepper salt​.

we have been here for breakfast in the past and themenuwas exquisite. decided to try lunch and whilst the lack there of meat dishes, this place did not disappoint with their interpretation of flavours with vegetarian designed dishes.

good place for vegetarian eats. great service and lovely atmosphere.
great for a first date as it has quite an extensivemenuand has a romantic ambience.
definitely rate this place and would go back again.

we loved the new vegetarianmenu- there were 3 of us. some of the sauces were used across a few meals, however. the service was very good, but for a restaurant that charges $100 up per person, they could really replace a broken toilet seat, don't you think? i think our bums are worth it, yellow.

disappointed that the breakfastmenuwasn't vegetarian, after hearing so many good things about the vegetarian dinner. felt like there were limited vegetarian options for breakfast, especially, if you're hungry. they are, however, willing to charge you extra for substitutions of the meat products in the breakfast meals, despite not using the meat. so kind. note that while cards are welcomed, they do charge 1.5% surcharge on all cards, not just credit cards - claiming this is a pass on fee from banks.
food wise - interesting menu, modern decor, adequate service (longer waits for order, table clean and payment than i'd expect with 5 staff members milling around, not too personable either. but adequate.)
had the baked eggs with cauliflower - rich and salty, good textures, and unique flavours especially with the cauliflower having being pickled.
coffee well made.

yellow was even better than i expected for a vegetarian and vegan night time dining menu. we had an excellent set of share plates with each one different and unique with focus vegetable complimented by the likes of seaweed, mushroom, herbs, coconut, buttermilk and yoghurt. yellow's chef has taken created a sublime non-meatmenuthat would even satisfy a carnivore. worth it, absolutely worth it. 10/10

inside yellow house, the building that once housed sydney’s most avant-garde artists' collective, brent savage and nick hildebrandt have recently relaunched their one-hatted bistro as an entirely vegetarian affair. drawing upon his personal experiences of dining with a vegetarian wife, savage has created an imaginativemenuthat should have your vegetarian friends cooing with delight. what’s perhaps even more surprising, is that confirmed carnivores in your party will be hard pressed not to love these dishes too. a pretty water garden of pea mousse and pickled daikon ($24), dotted with fresh peas and nasturtium leaves, is given umami using burnt buttermilk crumbs. this savoury (dare i say: meaty) middle is so often lacking in vegetarian dishes, but present in spades here

excellent restaurant for both brunch and dinner. at brunch, order the liquorice bread as an extra - it is so amazing and better than what you would imagine. get in early on weekends for an outdoors table. very exciting brunchmenu- more interesting than the usual fare.

it’s been hot news since the beans were spilled that yellow at potts point was turning vegetarian on the 17th february. it’s a bold move for one of australia’s top restaurants to ditch meat and go down the herbivore path. though they haven’t gone the complete vegetarian route. the weekend breakfast/brunchmenustill offers dishes to satisfy hungry carnivores.