Restaurant Review: A Bandra food lab that's high on experiments

Avacado Taritine

La Folie Lab
Food Delicious
Service Quick
Ambiance Interesting

When we walked in to the La Folie Lab on Bandra's Hill Road at 11.30 am, we felt as though we were on the sets of a reality cooking show where chefs battle it out for the title. A guest who was seated on a bar stool facing the large open kitchen, looked amused as two chefs went about putting together exotic ingredients on a platter, and finally, presented him a decadent spread.

Chefs working in the live kitchen

Tickled with curiosity, we were keen to know more. We spotted little double glass beakers that served coffee - it's easy to handle. The open kitchen was neat, with trays of bread lining the inside drawers. The top shelves stocked cookbooks and plants. Bright yellow bar stools gave the space a casual vibe.

Patrons enjoy a view of the live kitchen from close proximity. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar

Trays filled with éclairs and other desserts made an entry at noon, and were quickly set up in the glass display area. The ‘kid-in-a-candy-shop' imagery was complete. The chef offered to make us the Salmon Tartine (Rs 440) and rushed out to the ‘living wall', where the team grows its herbs. We watched in awe as the bright pink salmon was brought out. "This salmon is cured using beetroot and salt. This gives it the bright colour and the taste," the cusine chef explalined.

Salmon Tartine

One by one, the cucumber, onions, capers, wasabi dressing and salmon came together on a freshly baked, crunchy sourdough baguette. We loved every bite. Next was the Avacado Taritine (Rs 340). "When you work in an open kitchen, you interact with clients. You have to be presentable and at the same time, make no mistakes. You are being watched," the chef told us while he put the avocado, red pepper hummus, flax seeds, alfalfa sprouts, coriander pesto together and added a tiny syringe of basil and tomato gel, enabling us to use only as much of the sauce as we wanted.

Avacado Taritine

The menu offers many breakfast options like Omlettes (Rs 190), Brioche French Toast (Rs 210), Eggs Benedict (Rs 240) along with a selection of coffee and tea. The plated desserts are available only in the evenings. The Infinite Caramel Sea Salt Shake (Rs 190) was regular. However, one bite of the Infinite Caramel Eclair (Rs 130) made us stop in between the conversation we were having and guaranteed our return to this space.