Plant-based dishes are front of mind for this renowned chef.

Embla head chef Dave Verheul says the future is filled with menus abundant in varied, nutritious vegetables. “I firmly believe it’s the way forward, we’re flipping around the way we eat protein, vegetables and grains,” he says. Coming from such a well-respected chef, it might be wise to watch this space. Dave’s first jobs out of university were at Gordon Ramsay’s Savoy Grill and Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in the UK. The latter of which, he says, was an especially eye-opening experience. “They were the number-one restaurant in the world, yet they were so personable. It changed the way I thought about what was possible in this industry.” Dave then worked at Sydney’s hatted Bentley restaurant, and Matterhorn in his native New Zealand, before settling in Melbourne. Now at the helm of Embla, Dave places premium vegetables in the spotlight, as he has done with the dish pictured. He sourced the fennel from Somerset Heritage Produce, which he chooses to work with for the superior quality. “The owner is passionate, the food is organic and they have excellent produce. Their fennel is perfect right now, the cool weather makes it really sweet,” he says. “In this recipe, the cream gives a bit of fat for the fennel to cook through, and chamomile, lemon and fennel are so fragrant and delicious together.”