The paleo (or caveman) diet has been en vogue for the past couple of years—in 2013 it was Google’s most searched-for weight-loss method—and now there are restaurants that cater specifically to paleo devotees. One such restaurant is Pure Taste, which tailors their menu to fit over 16 types of diets, including paleo.
For those who don’t know what the Paleolithic diet entails, let’s take a step back. The diet is essentially an atavistic version of Atkins: protein heavy, carb-light, and based on the food humans’ ancestors are believed to have eaten. Some dietitians have argued the idea that we can’t say with any certainty what man was eating eons ago. Others also refute the case that our digestive systems have failed to keep pace with our dietary vicissitudes. Whether you believe the hype or not, its dietary model is at least helpful in keeping on track with a health-conscious lifestyle.
Fast forward to the menu at Pure Taste. It consists of three main sections, each with six choices that are refreshed to reflect seasonal trends every eight weeks. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the menu is the number of acronyms. Staples like “V” for vegatarian and “GF” for gluten-free are of course listed, but the restaurant takes it one step further with codes such as NE, WAP, LC and W30.
My starter of green soup and chicken hearts was followed by the codes NE, W30 and NN. This combination indicates that the dish contains no eggs, is whole 30 compliant and includes no tree nuts or peanuts. My husband’s vegetable garden dish was flanked with the letters NE, V, VV, WAP and LC (no eggs, vegetarian, vegan, Weston A. Price-appropriate and low carb, respectively).
Both abbreviation-rich dishes were outstanding. There was an earthiness to my green soup, which positively oozed with chlorophyll-based goodness. The vegetable garden was a visual, as well as edible delight and came with a bed of dehydrated parsnip, beetroot and carrot crisps that formed the soil of the garden, along with a layer of green mousse grass.
Our main courses, sea bass with citrus fruits for me and curried cauliflower and mango for my husband, were replete with further health-assuring codes. The sea bass was accompanied by the most letters on the entire menu (eight in total), so I decided it would be a good choice, which it was. The fish was market fresh, and the zesty citrus flavors complemented it perfectly. For dessert, I thoroughly enjoyed my mango cream, made from a rich cashew cream rather than cows’ milk, and my husband relished his chocolate lava cake.
Even though the paleo concept may be considered a fad, the restaurant was packed when we visited, full of Notting Hill mums and their families, as well as a smattering of trendy couples. Pure Taste has a great vibe as well with light muzak, dim lighting and a bright waitstaff. The caveman theme is consistent here with pony and calf skins covering the menus and etched, wooden-tribal-style shields throughout. Whether or not the popularity of the paleo diet endures, I have no doubt this restaurant will.
