• 5
• Food as art

The lab part of the name is appropriate in that it is indicative of the experimentation taking place here but to me the creativity on the (bamboo) plates is more art than science. The owner/chef Maddalena is an artist with flavours and textures. We were fortunate to be there on the restaurants 2nd anniversary when she did a special menu that included her vegan version of crab cakes and ceviche. They were amazing. The ceviche tasted and had the mouth feel of fish/scallop ceviche (heart of palm standing in for the scallops) and the crab cakes nailed it. This is not tofu fakery ('tofurkey'?, tofu burgers? really?) but a mixing of plants and spices to create flavours and textures of foods I used to eat but now either can't (allergies) or won't (as AnaLuna's motto says: animals are our friends, and we don't eat our friends). They even accommodated my sesame allergy (although a word to the wise, if you are sesame sensitive and visiting a Spanish country, both sésamo and ajonjoli are sesame, the first seems to apply to the larger black seeds and the second to the smaller white ones; something bitter experience in Spanish countries has taught me). It is not cheap, (primarily in comparison to other restaurants in the local area) but I'd argue that it is not that expensive either, both for what you get and for what we are used to paying at home for food of a similar type (but far inferior quality, creativity and remarkably, quantity). The Chinese selection (four courses, eaten on a different night) left us stuffed. This is good food. This is remarkable food. Go there if you like good creative food. You need not be vegan to appreciate what is going on here but if you are, it is wonderful to discover what can be done with plants.