From its very first Narnia-esque moment of entering the rundown MC Motors frontage on a grubby Dalston side street to once inside being transported to an edgily buzzed playground of sensory delights, Saturday night's Towards a Fluid State food and drink festival offered punters more than a clinical Taste of anything and rather an intoxicatingly 'What if?' atmosphere. Harpists, stegosaurus-like bin liner mummies, eerily cheery mannequins and more formed a weird backdrop for sampling top notch booze and bites. If Joseph Beuys had done food and drink festivals, they might have resembled this (well, minus any of his coyote friends).
Among the tasty stuff on offer, we're pleased to report our faves were served by participating London restaurants. Beetroot cannelloni with cashew herb ricotta from vegan/raw food resto Saf (alongside a glass of Austrian Burgenland Pinot Noir) was yummmmy while Japanese restaurant Tsuru's black sesame mochi ice (with a warming shot of Akashi-Tai Genmai aged sake) raised our eyebrows with giddy satisfaction.
As pondered in our preview, we fancied seeing if TAFS's organizers had the umpf pull off a full-on festival. We certainly were intrigued by and pleased with our visit. Good show. Encore!
