Greenhouse by Joost has turned up in Sydney with some heavyweight publicity.
No surprise – its attention-seeking cleverness justifies all the high-exposure coverage. This shipping-container-turned-pop-up-eco-cafe has inventively reworked everything from jam jars (as lighting and drinking glasses), and conveyor belts (as flooring) and its inspired sustainability has you continually playing a game of “guess-what-this-was-before”? (Before: table; after: toilet door.) It’s “clad” in a vertical garden of potted strawberries and there’s a big focus on composting waste, minimising water use and relying on recyclable materials (the staff uniforms are even sourced from op shops).
For a project that makes a high-profile deal about sustainability, it would be awesome if there was more than just one take-it-or-leave-it dinner option for vegetarians. And yes, that dish is only – heart sink – a salad. Luckily though, it is a pretty damn fine salad – carrots and beetroot, roasted-through and flavour-glazed, with some pistachio crunch and generous smears of goat’s cheese for extra savoury flourish. (If only it could be upsized into a bigger portion!)
The dessert is a Watermelon Jelly with a bracing rose-berry yogurt (so bracing that you may be grateful for the naturally occurring sugars in the fruit). 
Joost Bakker’s pop-up cafe (headed by Perth’s Greenhouse‘s acclaimed head chef Matt Stone, who can be seen working both the kitchen and floor in Sydney) is only around until the end of March. Make sure to check it out (especially as the rooftop bar will soon open) before it leaves for Milan.
Greenhouse By Joost, Campbells Cove, greenhousebyjoost.com
I dunno about eating inside a dark shipping container!
It’s not too bad when you have views out to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge! Plus, candles are always nice.
don’t forget the fried spiced cauliflower as a side, their really tasty. also there’s the fig, walnut and goats curd salad plus corn on the cob. the dessert is vegetarian too. actually there’s only 3 mains of fish, beef or vege so 1 out of 3 is pretty good 🙂 and don’t forget the wine and juices are also vego hehe
Hey Simon, thanks for the rundown. You seem a lot more helpful than the person who ran me through the menu. Only three mains were relayed to me, all of them containing meat. When I said I was a vegetarian, I was told I could have the carrot salad.
I don’t know how big the fig salad is, but if it’s as small as the carrot salad is, I wouldn’t call it a main as I was still plenty hungry afterwards.
The place does a nice effort with the sustainability but it’s generally less resource-intensive to grow vegetables than meat, so it’s surprising that I was only given one choice last night, a very small salad at that.
Anyway, will go back and see what the breakfast/lunch options are, hopefully a tad more vego-friendly.
This place looks incredible… I was involved in the pop-up restaurant scene in London but haven’t dabbled since I came back. I love the shipping container!
This looks great. I’m heading there on Friday night- can’t wait!
Hi there
It is a pity you were not offered the cumin corn as it was the highlight of my visit. I really enjoyed the experience but didn’t like having no menu and no idea of prices.
Lovely blog.
Thanks for the nice comments, guys. Zoedelicious – ah, I wish I had been told about corn instead of being given no-option carrot salad! Thanks for the tip-off. I agree, it’d be great to be able to see a menu & corresponding prices, too – even though the whole set-up itself is a nice, one-of-a-kind experience.
this place looks cute… someone’s got a good eye for design and food!