“It’s the dish we give people who think they don’t like eggplant,” the waitress says. “It always converts the nay-sayers.”

And so it does. Braised into gooey submission, thick eggplant steaks are served with a cumin marinade and chermoula, which provides a delicate chilli tickle. Crunchy quinoa crisps stand to attention, a few daubs of smoky labne alongside. It’s lick-the-plate good, and even though We didn’t need converting, we’re sold.

Welcome to Transformer, where it’s not just the eggplant-phobic this plant-based restaurant is winning over, but all sorts of meat lovers, too.

While owners Laki Papadopoulos and Mark Price’s two-decades-young Veggie Bar is still packing them in on Brunswick Street just around the corner, in this stylishly transformed one-time electrical station, chef Bryce Edwards is reimagining what modern vegetarian cooking looks like. And it is all grown up indeed.

You might start with a Ayurvedic elixir shot of ginger, turmeric and tamarind to get things going – or just a Coburg lager, before getting stuck in to a procession of plates that add bold flavours – gochujang and guajillo salsa, finger limes and saltbush, to a United Nations of sophisticated and experimental influences.

King oyster mushrooms, branded by the grill and dusted with porcini salt, are an umami hit that would knock out any wagyu steak; a smoked tomato tartare with crunchy taro chips is the meat-free Monday take on the classic, and I’d happily eat it any day; while excellent haloumi dressed with pomegranate and pistachios and drizzled with date molasses is an artful rendition of a favourite.

Bright-eyed service is welcoming and adept at keeping the always-full dining room humming, a space filled with eggplant lovers dining in solidarity.

Must-eat dish: Cumin-braised eggplant
Instagram: @transformerfitzroy