New Soho restaurant MA & The Seeds of Life, and raw food maestro Tina Barrat, promise to change your perceptions of vegan dining.
If the global pandemic has you thinking twice about your personal health, what you’re putting into your body, and the effect your choices have on the world around you, you’re in luck. Helmed by jeweller-turned-raw food advocate Tina Barrat, MA & The Seeds of Life is a culinary celebration of natural flavours, flavour-packed dishes, and cruelty-free dining.
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Located in the H18 Conet complex on Graham Street, the expansive new eatery is dressed in a muted palette of natural timber, grey stone, vibrant house plants, and delicate tatami-inspired sliding panels that acts as the perfect canvas on which Barrat’s contemporary vegan dishes are presented. Initially inspired by British chef Russel James and later certified by Elaina Love of the Pure Joy Culinary Academy, Barrat now capitalises on the success of her first gastronomic venture, Maya Cafe, with a bold new eatery that thrusts vegan dining to the forefront.
All ingredients in each dish are served raw; there’s no cooking at MA and instead, ingredients are soaked, sprouted, dehydrated at low temperatures, or gently warmed. This means that every dish is a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals – as food should be. The benefits of this kind of preparation include boosting the digestive system, supporting weight loss, and bolstering the immune system, not to mention the lifestyle’s impact on the planet and its many non-human residents.
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Look out for caviar made with chia seeds instead of sturgeon, sans-salmon carpaccio made with beetroot, and faux-pate made with porcini mushrooms and cashew nuts. There’s also giant, juicy Portobello mushroom burgers smothered in cashew truffle sauce, delectable vegetable soups, and zoodles (raw zucchini noodles) enriched with tantalising sauces, from tomato, caper, and black olive to pesto, pine nut, and arugula. For something sweet, check out the gluten and sugar-free desserts, which range from classic ‘Tinamisu’ with coffee, chocolate, and vanilla; cheesecakes made with fermented nut cheese; and tempting tortes made with low-carb ketogenic flour.
Dishes can be paired with an adventurous selection of organic and biodynamic wines, the majority of which are also vegan. There is also de-alcoholised wine, if you’re so inclined, and a range of boutique sakes on offer.
Just in case you need a little nudge in the right direction.
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