--- airs weeknights on SBS Food at 7.00pm. Heaven Leigh's Dumpling episode aired Friday, 15 October and is . Her Easy Desserts episode will air on Wednesday, 10 November. ---
It's not uncommon in the food industry to keep things in the family. A large chunk of Australia's produce comes from farmers who've been around for decades. This is no different for girlboss Heaven Leigh, who swiftly runs the modern plant-based iteration of her mother's traditional restaurant.
Bodhi Restaurants' doors re-opened late October, and while the business stayed relatively afloat through Sydney's second lockdown, Heaven's number one priority was the wellbeing of her staff. "I think it's part of the secret of why we've been around for so long - because we are so staff-focussed," Heaven begins with pride. "At the end of the day, your team is what makes you." During the first lockdown, Heaven organised food runs. "We would buy things wholesale and staff would come in and take what they need to have food on their tables. While I couldn't pay their rent, I made sure they didn't go hungry," Heaven recounts.
Happy staff, happy customers.
Heaven joins Adam, a fellow Malaysian foodie, in the Cook Up kitchen to share a dumpling recipe. She made her spinach and water chestnut dumplings, but if given the chance, she would've made Siew Mai’s and shiitake mushroom dumplings with truffle.
"It's always with great pride when I see Malaysians and Singaporeans being represented on such a great show and in the mainstream media. Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of Asians to look up to on television, so it’s important for kids and viewers to see this. I would also love to see more women leading shows and projects like this."
As an up-and-coming restauranteur, Heaven recalls how the industry was (and still is) very male-dominated. "I didn't have many mentors, and there wasn't much female leadership in this space. It was tough having to forge that path ourselves." In opening her own doors, Heaven was able to empower women at the helm. One of Bodhi's current kitchen captains became the very first female yum-cha head chef in Australia upon her promotion.
MAKE HEAVEN'S DUMPLINGS
Spinach and water chestnut dumplings
While she dominates the plant-based restaurant scene, Heaven initially wanted to go into documentary film making, citing a love for nature and storytelling. "I wanted to be David Attenborough (one of my childhood idols), or study and film tribal cultures, rituals and medicine." With her love for the environment and all living creatures on her sleeve, Heaven travelled through Europe, South America and Australia's own Alice Springs. She listened and learned from Indigenous communities - the O.G sustainable eaters - and studied how First Nations living informs the modern world.
However, after a family matter called her back home, she put this dream aside to carry on her family's food legacy. "For a few years, I held some resentment there around being in this industry. I felt like it had taken me away from my passions. But now, I can look at this experience [in a positive light]. I managed to find enjoyment in reconnecting with food and connecting people."
Food is life. It's literally life.
"Food is life. It's literally life," Heaven shares. "My grandparents grew up in the war - during the Japanese occupation of Malaysia. I don't remember ever hearing my grandmother say the words 'I love you', but she would say 'Eat!'. She would put the best pieces in front of me and feed me before she fed herself, so food was a love language."
Heaven ate out a lot in her 20's. She experimented with her food ethos at a time where modern was starting to overtake the old school. "We started very traditional - we were very Buddhist and Monk food focussed. We made dishes you would typically get at a temple. For me, my influences were a bit more modern, and I wanted to bring that to the table. I wanted to feed a wider demographic. I wanted to feed my peers and young people like myself." Heaven soon introduced South East Asian-inspired cocktails and street foods to the menu, allowing a contemporary, fun, and experimental evening experience for her family's business.
Through Bodhi Restaurant, and with legacies of knowledge, Heaven has opened so many doors for others with the same hearts on their sleeves. Her women-led yum-cha ethos is a welcome change from Australia's livestock-heavy food industry.
Will plant-based diets and dishes alternate the way we consume food and digest our homegrown produce? Heaven only knows.
Want to eat more plant-based?
Heaven suggests:
- Don’t be intimidated - its just food, so make sure you have fun with it!
- Don’t be extreme when you are starting and exploring plant-based cuisine. Start with simple swap-outs or things like meat-free Mondays. It's also good to note that meat-free doesn't necessarily mean healthy. Find what works for you!
- Try not to focus too much on carbs and faux meat products. Processed food is still processed food, so the rules around eating food as close to its natural state still stand, things like whole foods, nuts, grains, fruits, and vegetables.
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