«Every action has an equal and opposite reaction» is a vulgar interpretation of Newton’s third law, learned back in school. While being against any extremes, sporadically, I tend to self-indulge, allowing the rare hedonistic urge to take over. As I stepped onto the ascetic path of veganism, I was and still am an avid supporter of a belief that «the best way to get rid of a temptation is to yield it…». If you can’t, but really want to — not only you can, but you should.

So I gave in, big time. This I will remember, and the stories I will tell…

Farm-to-table restaurant LavkaLavka (yes, the chain stores that share this same name are a part of the brand), positions itself as a «new Russian cuisine», using only local and seasonal produce. All-fresh, organic, certified. Just how I like it.

There was everything. F*ckload, and a bit more. My vegan aspirations vanished along with the first glass of a full-bodied, Russian red, Krasnostop wine. In a simple and playful dance, it hopped above many French/Italian equivalents.

Then I fell into a kaleidoscope of appetizers: cheese varieties, veggies, sea food, pâté, caramelized pine cones (quite good!!!), and so on. Tomato tartare with kale chips and vanilla goat cheese; burrata with beet mousse; Kamchatka king crab with ricotta and pear; spelt bread with salt and home-pressed oil; sbiten/vzvar/kissel/nalewka (all sorts of liquors and decoctions). This type of feast is what fairy tales are made of. Skatert-Samobranka or magic tablecloth in action. A vast selection, splendid in all its multitude of potential scenarios.

For mains, we ordered to share duck and chicken breasts, a burger, and venison.  Regardless of my, evidently loose vegan moral, and shaky gastronomical principles, at this point it was obvious, that a lengthy abstinence from meat, inevitably, affects the taste buds. In other words, there was no way the meat and the poultry were getting in. At all. None the less, it didn’t stop me from praising highly the quality of the ingredients and the skills of the chefs. With pleasure, I gulped down the side of the duck dish (strawberries with cucumber, herbs, wheat sprouts and poppy seeds), and watched my fellow diners, greedily devour the juicy meats, in silence. It is a good sign.

Then came desserts: beetroot panna cotta, pastry tubes stuffed with pumpkin cream and pine nuts, and a chocolate extravaganza with truffle oil. We polished it all with juniper samogon (moonshine).

The vegan is happy.