Pepper-painted shiitake mushrooms with juniper and pine. Tofu with collard greens, radish and cumin. Pickled beets served on a corn tostada with a seed crumble and horseradish aioli. These are just a few of the perfectly executed plant-based dishes that light up the @ElevenMadisonPark feed and helped it land the No. 1 spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2017. 

But in news just in, Australian fans of the New York-based restaurant must no longer enjoy chef Daniel Humm’s culinary prowess vicariously via his Instagram feed.  The three-Michelin-starred chef and his team will helm the kitchen at Aria alongside Matt Moran and chef Thomas Gorringe over a two-week residency as part of the inaugural Vivid Food program.  Humm says he and his team are thrilled to be participating in Vivid Sydney and “bringing Eleven Madison Park to the iconic Aria restaurant”.

“This year’s theme of ‘Naturally’ closely resonates with our core values and journey as a restaurant. We’re excited to delve into NSW’s fresh and local ingredients to bring a creative, beautiful menu to life with chef Matt and his team,” he says.

Lights, camera, action
Vivid Festival director Gill Minervini believes the food prepared by the visionary vegan chef will be one of the highlights of the eclectic Vivid Sydney shebang.  “I am really looking forward to the Daniel Humm experience. I’m a vegetarian and I just know it’s going to be next level,” says Minervini.

“Working on this festival since 2021 has shown me that the international profile of Vivid Sydney is quite extraordinary. It’s the biggest festival in Australia and one of the biggest in the world. And whether it’s actress Jennifer Coolidge [star of The White Lotus] or chef Daniel Humm, there are these fabulous high-profile creative people who want to be part of it,” says Minervini, who has had a hand in creating some of Australia’s best festivals (Dark Mofo, Art & About Sydney and the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras). 

Related story: Jennifer Coolidge and Mike White are heading to Vivid Sydney and tickets are on sale now

Lighting up the night
Minervini says the Eleven Madison Park dinners at Aria from June 6-17 will be one of the best places to admire the Vivid Sydney l Light, Music, Food & Ideas Festival. “Aria is in the dress circle. You’ll be looking out the window at that dress circle whether it’s artworks by the late John Olsen projected onto Sydney Opera House, a projection by First Nations artist Maree Clarke called Barerarerungar on the MCA, or the fairy wonderland lighting up in the bridge. It’s going to be a very special experience and one that is truly out of the box,” she says. “What’s outside the window will be the dominant feature, but the food and ambience will speak for itself,” she says.

NSW produce in the limelight
The Vivid Residence will see Humm’s classic French technique and plant-based approach to fine dining come to life with a bespoke five-course lunch menu ($395), and nine-course degustation for the dinners ($550 per person), with the option of a wine pairing. 

“This year’s festival theme is Vivid Sydney, Naturally, and we have tried with our roster of international chefs to show what people at the cutting edge of contemporary dining are doing. I was interested in people who are responding to the environment,” Minervini says. Minervini says adding Food as the fourth Vivid Sydney pillar was a bit of a no-brainer as she wanted to further amplify the food scene and culture in the NSW capital.

She says the Vivid Food Program will also include residencies with award-winning LA chef Jeremy Fox, two-Michelin-starred chef Rishi Naleendra, of Singapore and Mmabatho Molefe, from Cape Town.

Stories brought to life, Naturally
The Vivid Chef Series will also provide opportunities to toast the city’s new culinary vanguard during Vivid Sydney at events that range from low-key sausage sizzles to high-end Merivale dinners. 

“Expect a bit of theatre and drama to shine through under the Food pillar part of the program, particularly at the Vivid Fire Kitchen at the Cutaway in Barangaroo. There will be all this amazing food, fire sculptures, huge fire pits and immersive light and sound experiences that really speak to the natural environment,” she says.

“We’ve tried to maintain the narrative of Vivid Sydney, Naturally throughout the whole program. Vivid Food celebrates incredible stories of chefs moving toward plant-based dining, sourcing their food locally and giving back to the community. We tried to shine a light on chefs who are looking at the world we live in and how we can care for it better and live our lives in harmony.”

Vivid Residence
When: June 6-17
Where: Aria Restaurant, 1 Macquarie St, Sydney.
Cost: Five-course lunch ($395); Nine-course degustation dinner ($550 per person). For more information about the Vivid Sydney, Naturally program and to peruse the ticketed and non-ticketed food events, visit vividsydney.com

Related story: The Vivid Sydney program has been announced and it’s going to be lit