Lasai is a modern and elegant Basque-inspired restaurant headed up by Chef Rafa Costa e Silva. It features local ingredients, and one of the most exceptional interpretations of vegetable dishes I’ve ever tried. Don’t believe me? See for yourself!

When we first arrived, we were ushered to the rooftop bar which was lit with fairy lights and where we enjoyed our drinks before our meal. It was lovely and romantic, and we had such a great time, we forgot to take photos of it. But be sure to check it out when you’re there.

When we were seated, they served up these colourful morsels of what I presumed to be amuse bouche. Let’s go clockwise from the top left — Herb Sandwich, Green Tomato with Pickle, Okra Pancake, Pumpkin Cauliflower.

I absolutely loved how much effort went into each delicious bite-sized morsel. The textures and flavours in each one were so distinctive I was surprised at how much I enjoyed them. And we were just getting started.

Our next appetiser — Carrot Leaf Bun with Carrot and Carrot Powder

All parts of a carrot turned into this unique creation. I’d never had a carrot leaf bun, nor enjoyed carrots very much. But this combination of textures offered a whole other dimension to carrots apart from that raw sweetness we are all so used to. I was intrigued.

Then, a little reprieve from the veggies with this soft, tender Octopus with Leaf.

The octopus was cooked perfectly and finished with a savoury herb dressing that wasn’t overwhelming. Together with a fresh leaf, it went down easy and again, the vegetable almost stole the show.

And as if we weren’t surprised enough by how versatile vegetable dishes could be, we were thrown yet again by this deceptively simple looking Daikon Radish.

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