3 Forks-Lab is
first and foremost, a gastronomic outfit. That means, unlike the average, say, management consultant, we have skin in the gastronomic game. We never waver from our commitment to create food that is gustatorily and aesthetically tasteful and memorable, at a time when there is all the incentive in the world to produce fodder that is garish and forgettable.
Clients that commission our services can expect their brands, menu items and restaurant concepts to receive the kind of thoughtful treatment that comes with working at the cutting edge of gastronomy while being steeped in its rich tradition. At the same time, the intimate knowledge of business realities, this being our second decade in the business, gives us a healthy respect for our client’s bottom line. The longevity of our creative products — not to mention the longevity of our operation itself — bespeaks both our uncompromising dedication to the craft and our pragmatism.
Our tecto-sensory approach is informed by the idea that the dining experience transcends the plate. It is only appropriate, then, that our work is highly collaborative. Our team includes designers, photographers, copywriters, DJ’s, musicians, artists, ceramists and other creatives, all conducted by chef Petros Andrianou. Each culinary concept carries the imprint of this creative diversity.
TECTO-SENSORY CUISINE ORIGIN
3 Forks Lab aspires to carve out its own gastronomic niche. We are constantly searching for ways to extract the most out of every ingredient — to make food an engrossing, multi-sensory experience. Although we are forward-looking in our approach, we are deeply respectful of culinary tradition and rather averse to culinary fads, an unfortunate byproduct of the contemporary media landscape. The parallel search for originality and authenticity has led us to look outside of our own field for inspiration.
‘Tecto-sensory’ cuisine is the fruit of those labours. The term — our own coinage — refers to the import of aesthetic principles from architecture into gastronomy. There are several reasons for which architecture is our ideal creative bedfellow. Gastronomy and architecture are naturally symbiotic art forms, since they spring from two of the most basic human needs: food and shelter. At its best, architecture exploits texture and light in a manner that is pleasing to the senses and in harmony with the natural environment; it is also highly flexible and endlessly innovative in its use of raw materials.
Tecto-sensory cuisine lets the vessel (the housing) partly determine the direction of a dish. We typically feature humble, everyday ingredients in the ‘leading’ role, while standout ingredients take a ‘supporting’ role — a reversal of common practice. Denying ourselves the attention-grabbing force of extravagant ingredients means we rely solely on technique to give our dishes gustatory, visual and emotional impact. This is akin to building a cathedral with straw. The task becomes less daunting with Mother Nature’s helping hand — her diversity already contains all the answers.