There are certain cities where the food is so decadent – that it is difficult to come up with something innovative that draws notice from locals and travelers alike. Charleston, South Carolina is one of those cities with a reputation for its cuisine and talented chefs. Kevin Joseph, founder and CEO of Empire Oyster and NYC’s Oyster Week, has officially opened one of Charleston’s hottest restaurants – Raw Lab.
Raw Lab is in Charleston’s historic downtown market and offers the worlds only Omakase Style Raw Bar Experience. Kevin remarks, “I feel incredibly blessed and grateful to have found a way to make a living while living on purpose right here in Charleston. I am excited to provide an opportunity for my guests to consume food that is whole, live, raw, and bioavailable - and to inspire them to think differently about the food that they eat.” Joseph is more than just the idea behind the concept - he is the chef, server, and the ultimate guide to his nine course decadent meals complete with wine pairings.
The restaurant offers an intimate dining experience with only 12 seats available nightly with one seating at 6:30pm. The menu will expand far beyond oysters to include uni, caviar, a local shrimp ceviche and Willipa Bay scallops. Raw Lab will offer Marine Cuisine [a term that Joseph coined himself] which represents a culinary ethic and style which features smaller and lesser-known species to provide enhanced options for chefs and consumers. Joseph adds, “When this is done well, it creates opportunities to reduce costs and make serving and eating fish more affordable and healthier. This is Seafood Version 3.0”.
“I am here to ‘Raise the Raw Bar’ by creating ways to be of value to all stakeholders in oysters and seafood - Growers, Distributors, Restaurants, Chefs, Shuckers, Servers and Consumers,” Kevin says. With a profound understanding and experience with aquaculture and the oyster business, his plan is to elevate seafood.
With a passion for gourmet, Joseph does not see Raw Lab as the final stop for him in his creations. He imagines a time in the future when he can relocate his boat - The “RAW BARge” - to Charleston for the summer season, and to Palm Beach for the winter season. Here, he could provide his clientele with an epicurean experience, right where the foods they are enjoying were caught or grown.
Until Raw Barge sets sail, you can visit Raw Lab which is currently open Wednesday through Saturday. Reservations can only be made online.
https://www.empireoyster.com/rawlab
