Enjoyed my lunch at SAF Curtain Road
I'm a long way from being a vegan, or even a vegetarian, but I enjoyed my visit to SAF, the vegan / raw food restaurant which has opened in Curtain Road in the increasingly vibrant Old Street / Shoreditch area.
I had the "signature" Beetroot ravioli to start, the "cheese" being made from cashew nuts which are soaked and then blended and to which a culture is added The beetroot is finely sliced and marinated and it is served with shaved asparagus and figs. Deliciious. The main course was less successful - I chose the "SAF bowl" conatining avocado, shitake, parsnip rice etc - nothing wrong with it, I just found it a little bland To finish I had the chocolate ganache tart with a drunken cherry sorbet and a tiny berry compote - very intense flavours that complemented each other very well. I also had a non alcoholic botanical cocktail of blueberry, apple, and cucumber (although there is a fairly extensive wine and cocktail list too) . Service was very good and informed and I felt quite comfortable dining alone. The bill came to around £26 including 12.5% service already added.
Chad Sarno was cooking (probably not the correct term for this kind of food) in the open kitchen and I had a quick word with him as I was leaving.
It feels like it's the kind of place that will become pretty trendy, pretty quickly so I'm glad I tried it now. Worth investigating if you're in the mood for a different kind of food and dining experience.
Has anyone been there for dinner? How was it?
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I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest. I felt they could have pushed things a bit more and I really missed the dairy in the pudding. It was expensive too. But I suppose it's good to have a variety of places and London is a bit short on vegan joints. I suppose it's a nice enough place to have a drink.
