Location: 14 East Street, Brighton, BN1 1HP
Overview: “Aloka offers some of the most creative, exciting and flavour-packed food I’ve had in a long time. Whereas it’s ‘botanical living cuisine’ once felt like a novelty act, Aloka now has a new chef, new menu and has finally established itself as one of Brighton’s finest – which coming from a fervent meat eater says a lot!”
It's been about a year since I last ate at Aloka, a restaurant in Brighton's South Laines which serves an exhilarating brand of botanical living cuisine -in layman's terms, food which is still ‘alive’, or has not been cooked beyond 48 degrees C. Since my last visit much has changed. There’s a new award-winning head chef Arnaud Hauchon, a fresh new menu and most noticeably there’s a more ambient and relaxed atmosphere.
On my last visit the food completely challenged many of my perceptions of what food can be, blowing me away with its technical brilliance and kaleidoscopic flavour combinations - but for all its jiggery-pokery, it failed to tempt this fervent carnivore back for more.
Sitting looking down from the window on to a bustling East Street, modelodic chill-out music starts to wash over me, I begin to fall under Aloka's spell. As a nearby table pays its bill, they shower the waitress with superlatives about the food they had just experienced, and as I peruse the menu which reads like 'Blumenthal does vegan', I hope that I feel similar satisfaction in three-courses’ time.
With my order placed a melon Amuse-Bouche arrives, with finely chopped honeydew melon topped with iced water melon combined with some Aloka magic, which served as a real palette exciter.
Shortly after my starter of Oven Baked Fresh Fig& Grilled Aubergine Rolls (£7.50 - the most expensive starter) arrives. Three attractively presented rolls on a slate, framed by sticky balsamic and fig reduction and grilled chestnuts. The smell alone was amazing – zaatar spices, sweet, fruity, fragrant - like toffee apples, bonfire night and Christmas rolled into one. The rolls were simply divine - bursting with the sweetness of the figs and the woodyness of the oyster and girolle mushrooms, with range of different flavours and textures which made eating this dish a real pleasure.
The service is always first-rate here - with knowledgeable and friendly staff. Following the waitresses mouth-watering description I decided to go for the Global Curry with Regional Accompaniments (£11.90) a main course which changes regularly. Meat based curries tend to be fairly formulaic; rice, naan, meat sauce, so to a raw food curry is a leap into the unknown for me.
The dish is beautifully presented - with points of interested across the plate from the banana leaf wrapped curried cauliflower, satay sauce, jerk seasoned vegan kebab plus various colorful accoutrement. The rice was also full of spice, texture and flavours - at times a little too intense for my liking, but with lime slices, satay sauce and other distractions on hand, the fire could be easily quelled. To be honest, this might be the most interesting curry I've ever experienced – totally exciting and delicious.
Mint Choc Cheesecake for dessert, a firm favourite with customers I'm told - and with good reason. Forget the fact that it’s got no cream, butter or eggs in it - it tastes fantastic, just slightly less sweet and sinful than the real thing. Apparently each cheesecake is made with other 1kg of cashew nuts, which get creamed to create the cheese-effect.
With the meal finished I’m left to reflect on what’s been a real treat. As a fervent meat eater, I find it hard to choose vegetarian restaurants over ones serving meat or fish, but having just experience one of the best meals I’ve had in ages, maybe its time to reconsider some basic principles.
Raw botanical cuisine might sound like some ridiculous hippie nonsense – but if the food really does deliver enhanced health and nutritional benefits, then this surely has to be the most simple and delicious way over being good that there is?
Summary
Aloka has come along way in the last 12 months, from offering technically amazing but somewhat esoteric food to providing delicious, much loved dishes cooked with bags of soul, passion and most importantly flavour. Don't get me wrong, the food at Aloka comes very much from a fine dining mindset, but what's changed is that it no longer feels like a novelty act, trying to stand out from the crowd.
While the raw botanical cuisine thing might appeal to some, the fact is that Aloka stands up in its own right as one of Brighton's most exciting places to eat - so whether carnivore, veggie or raw foodist, a dinner at Aloka is almost certain to be one of the most memorable and delicious dinners you'll have for a long time.
For reservations contact 01273 823178, or visit http://www.aloka.aura-soma.net/
DS was invited to review this restaurant by Aloka.