AUSTRALIAN GOOD FOOD GUIDE - Home of the Chef Hat Awards
Roy McVeigh
Born:
Carnarvon, WA.
History:
I didn’t walk into hospitality knowing I wanted to be a Chef — in fact, when I started, I was a bit of a mess. I had some struggles with drugs when I was younger and it was the structure of the kitchen that gave me direction and discipline. Honestly, the kitchen saved my life. I remember sitting in front of a career counsellor and saying I wanted to try a trade in hospitality. He suggested becoming a Chef and from the first day in trade school, I felt at home.
I discovered that I not only loved the craft but had a knack for it. I was completing assignments in a third of the time it took others and before long I graduated at the top of my class. Competitions followed and I started winning regularly, including Apprentice of the Year. Kitchens gave me focus, purpose and the drive to keep pushing myself further.
Sonora is the culmination of that journey. Mexican cuisine has always fascinated me — it’s one of the world’s great food cultures and is UNESCO World Heritage listed. What Australians have often done with it is not a true reflection of that heritage. Too often, it’s been reduced to stereotypes or fast food. With Sonora, I wanted to change that: to showcase Mexican cuisine as it really can be — layered, soulful and world-class.
At the same time, I’ve brought in what I’m personally passionate about: gardens, foraging, sustainability and working with quality Australian ingredients. Our style is Mexican at heart but reinterpreted through Australia’s landscape. We make tortillas fresh from dent or field corn whenever supply allows — without that, Sonora simply wouldn’t be what it is.
We slow-roast lamb neck barbacoa in banana leaves inside a custom-built pit and we surprise people with Wagyu tacos that keep them coming back.
Sometimes, it isn’t the Chef who decides the signature dishes — it’s the guests. At Sonora, that means our barramundi wings and octopus, which pre-date me but were too loved to take off. Instead, I evolved them into something special, refining them with technique and care.
For me, the kitchen isn’t just a workplace. It’s where I turned my life around, where I learned discipline and creativity and where I now tell stories through food. Sonora is my way of sharing those stories and showing that Mexican cuisine in Australia deserves its place on the world stage.
Have you always wanted to be a Chef?
Not at all — it found me. Once I stepped into the kitchen, I knew I belonged.
How would you define your style?
Mexican at heart, Australian ingredients — bold, seasonal and quality-driven.
What is your feature flavour these days?
No one knows this but we’re in the works of getting an AL pastor BBQ and Bar bocca Pit the only ones in Australia with a combination of charcoal, smoke and tender meat.
Obsessive-compulsive about?
Fresh, perfectly pressed tortillas.
Your greatest culinary influence:
The discipline of early kitchens and the heritage of Mexico itself.
What do you love about this business?
That it can transform lives — for the people cooking and for those who dine.
An ingredient you can’t live without?
Corn — specifically dent or field corn. It’s the backbone of the cuisine, even though sourcing it in Australia is a challenge.
Most ‘eyebrow-raising’ menu item?
Definitely the Wagyu. People don’t expect how well it eats, I have a steak that costs $120-$180 a plate that don't eat as well as this.
Signature dish:
At Sonora, the guests chose them: barramundi wings and octopus. They pre-dated me, but I’ve evolved them into something special.
What can diners expect at your restaurant and what makes the experience special?
A modern expression of Mexican cuisine: housemade tortillas, barbacoa lamb, Wagyu tacos, heritage corn and dishes rooted in tradition but evolved with Australian produce. Add to that one of Sydney’s best Tequila and mezcal selections and it becomes a complete sensory experience.
What is your go-to meal at home when you don’t feel like cooking?
I love sausages - go to is hot dogs.
Tell us something no one knows about you?
I can spend hours at markets hunting for unusual edible plants to bring back to Sonora’s Garden.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
Leading Sonora as one of Australia's most exciting restaurants, recognised for elevating modern Mexican cuisine in Australia.
Sonora
Nestled in the heart of Potts Point, Sonora on Bayswater Road redefines modern Mexican dining with an Australian twist. Helmed by Chef Roy McVeigh, the restaurant celebrates the vibrant flavours of Mexico while embracing locally sourced, seasonal ingredients - including fresh produce from Sonora's garden. Sustainability isn't just a buzzword here; it's a philosophy, from underutilised parts of plants to crafting dishes that highlight the unexpected beauty of Australian ingredients. The menu is a journey: hand-pressed corn tortillas, slow-roasted meat, creative vegetable dishes and a curated selection of Mexican spirits and craft cocktails. Every plate tells a story - think tacos like beef tongue with carrot, onion, coriander and pudding spice along with tequila and miso barramundi collars.
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