If you've kept up on social media, you've probably noticed all the hype about Europe's new "all avocado" restaurant, The Avocado Show . Their beautiful and creative avocado dishes, posted on their Instagram page prior to their opening, has been teasing us for way too long. Well, I am pleased to announce that they have officially opened and I was able to indulge myself in the full avocado experience.
Before I get into the juicy details of the dishes, here are some fun facts you should get to know first: they use around 300 avocados a day, with at least 1/2 of an avocado in each dish and they import the avocados by a company called Natures Pride that is known to provide fair-trade, organic produce.
Many of their recipes are actually borrowed from a woman named Colette Dike, who is a food photographer and the author of two cookbooks. For mouthwatering, mainly avocado-themed dishes, you have to check out her Instagram @fooddeco. The aim of the restaurant, therefore, was to make similar dishes that not only look amazing, but also taste superb.
Now enough of that...it's time to get into the best part! After waiting in line for around 30 minutes, we finally were able to get into the restaurant. Since it just opened a mere two weeks ago, the interior design is still quite simple. Either way, the kitchen was in full swing and I couldn't wait to try almost every dish on their menu.
Main Courses
To begin, I have to say that I was very impressed with the execution of every dish. You could just tell that these dishes were basically made for Instagram (and could also tell by the amount of people obsessively taking pictures of their food). Their ideas, like the "Avocado Bun Burger" were definitely creative and something I have never seen before.
Besides a presentation worthy of a Michelin-like restaurant, the taste of each dish may not have always stacked up with the expectations. The avocado is quite neutral in flavour and this is definitely highlighted in the food. It would be worth to experiment with different spices and discovering what could elevate those avocado flavours.
Some dishes are very straightforward in the sense that I could make them at home, such as the avocado toast. We might not always have an Instagrammable flower on top of our breads, but creating your own avocado rose might be easier than you think.
Out of the simpler dishes, the hummus-stuffed avocado is definitely worth it, and if you want to strive for something a little different, then the poké bowl and bun burger may be more up your alley.
#SpoonTip: Although there is not a picture of it, the CAT sandwich with truffle mayo and chicken avocado is easily my favourite dish on the menu.
Desserts
The desserts were probably the highlight of the whole experience. We ordered avocado sorbet (bottom right), which may sound strange but surprised me with its rich creamy texture. The date cake (bottom left), and banana-avocado mousse (top right) were equally delicious and definitely made me want to experiment with avocado-based desserts at home.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at The Avocado Show, although I am not sure if I would make going there a regular thing. It's definitely a unique concept and perhaps exciting when you have people visiting, but I could make an avocado toast at home that is just as tasty and for a much cheaper price. Needless to say, it's worth returning for some of the more unconventional avocado mains and the sweeter portions on the menu.
According to their manager, they will be opening up for dinner soon, and even breakfast in the distant future, and we all know nothing looks better than that first cut of a freshly-poached egg on an avocado-slathered toast. So if you're avocado-obsessed or are looking for an Instagram-posting opportunity, this avocado restaurant would definitely be the place for you.