MISSION, MANTRA & METHOD

RAW LAB has a clear set of goals and a clear culinary ethic. you might recognize them as novel. IT MAY NOT BE WHAT YOU THINK IT IS. theSE LANES, GUIDELINES OR PHILOSOPHIES may be a fit for you or your circumstances ON ANY GIVEN EVENING. OR they may not be. To be clear on what we are trying to do (and not do) we submit the following.

MISSION WHAT IS IS / ISNT IS IT FOR YOU A-TYPICAL POLICIES VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING DISCOVERY

MISSION

We seek to #RaiseTheRawBar such that all might #SeasTheBay.

We seek to provide a product, service and experience that serves as a RISING TIDE for consumers, producers, distributors and suppliers. Our methodologies for this are illustrated below.

Y.J. Cousteau famously wrote: “We protect what we love.” He was right. Like him, we love the ocean, bay, marsh, river…all aquatic and marine habitats and creatures. We LOVE them, in a religious, fanatical and passionate way. We also love how these habitats have nurtured humanity in every way. Our history, culture, cuisine and economy has been NURTURED through these ecological zones since Homo Sapiens first saw the tide go out.

So, we have dedicated our lives to the protection, preservation and restoration of these habitats through extraordinary culinary / hospitality experiences that build value in the bounty of these foods, habitats and the people that work on/in them to produce and support them, without limits.

MISSION WHAT IS IS / ISNT IS IT FOR YOU A-TYPICAL POLICIES VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING DISCOVERY

MANTRA

“DISCOVERY, FUN & LEARNING is the DELTA between EATING and DINING”.

- Kevin Joseph, Owner & Founder @ RAW LAB

We all “eat” at the $50 or 100 price point. Seldom is there a real WOW at that price point in either food, service, atmosphere or experience. And that’s ok. Not every meal should be a dining experience. But when that’s that you want, it has to deliver some WOW moments…or its simply not worth it.

To make money in the restaurant game at $100 a head it MUST be high volume and turning those tables is of utmost importance. We’re not into that. So we created an immersive experience that is worth A LOT more than $100 to some people.

You can get wonderful, amazing, great moments at $100 a head from RAW BARS in seafood restaurants. Sure. But how many WOW moments can you recall? We mean, life changing “never seen that before” kinds of moments. Real epiphanies…etc.

For 1000 reasons, we haven’t? And we’ve been looking high and low for 14 years! Truth is, Raw Bar service and fare has not changed much over the past 150 years. Generally, this is because the physical set up of a raw bar in a restaurant does deliver on the value that Raw Bar food & experiences CAN BE! You are almost always separated from the Chef / Shucker who knows about the food and a waiter is your intermediary. Is that not inferior to seeing it all happening in front of you, getting great answers to your questions, seeing things you’ve never seen before?

So we removed the RAW BAR from the seafood, restaurant…and eliminated the restaurant. We need 1/100th of the staff do do 100x more with RAW BAR because we are focused on it exclusively. And we have removed the barriers to discovery.

We’ve honed operations and improved the experience. The owner, Operator IS the waitstaff, kitchen crew, bar team and management. And DJ! The most important benefit of all of this is an extraordinary authenticity and authority on hospitality & raw bar product, service & experience.

This ultra-focused approach to hospitality, expensive and delicate foods allows and social experiment has distinguished us as we’ve proven the model.

MISSION WHAT IS IS / ISNT IS IT FOR YOU A-TYPICAL POLICIES VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING DISCOVERY

METHOD

We have two culinary ethics or philosophies. They are primarily driven by these 4 factors:

  1. our values, how we eat and what we love

  2. our relentless study / exploration of seafood, marine biology and nutrition over the past 15 years

  3. 50 years of hospitality experience and a deep dive into how seafood is sourced, served and understood

  4. our space, 242 sf of dining / prep / plating space serving up to 12 guests 12 courses.

TWO CULINARY ETHICS

#1: MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS.

Not sushi or sashimi. Not “Seafood”. This culinary ethic is informed by a host of values, science and preferences. It is the result of decades of trial & error, research, travel and more. It excludes some very popular fish species which we feel are not safe or healthy to eat anymore due to high levels of heavy metals and the toxins that micro-plastic decomposition creates in the largest concentrations in the largest fish. This isnt opinion, this has been measured and demonstrated to be true. Its materially true that a 50 or 500 pound fish (particularly apex predators like Tuna, Mahi, Swordfish…etc) contain many magnitudes more of these toxins than oysters, shrimp, crab, lobster or small fin fish. That’s an issue that can affect your health. Many fisheries for large fin fish are filthy in other ways too (as are some, but not all aquaculture practices). Most pelagic apex predators are being fished to the brink of collapse. And the industrial fishing methods employed are subjecting humans to a kind of slave labor.

THIS ISNT THEORY, THIS IS FACT! We hate that the facts are habitats that produce seafood and the creatures in them ar being destroyed by toxins and mismanagement. While it is the fact, we can work to change these things. As we do, its good to keep some toxins our of our bodies. So, here’s some science to help you understand the issue. Tip of the iceberg. To learn more Google some of these terms:

Biological Magnification in Fish, Microplastics in Fish, Tuna Fishing Practices.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that MARINE CUISINE offers your best choices in safer, healthier. more responsible, more sustainable fish through well managed fisheries and best practices in aquaculture.

#2: WHOLE, RAW & LIVE / BIO-AVAILABLE

We want to feed you like we eat. Nothing processed. Nothing fake. No additives, preservatives. LOADS of the good bacteria our bodies evolved to need, want, use and thrive with. Thats what this ethic means:

WHOLE: Eating the entire animal, as much as possible. Oysters, clams, mussles are a good example of this.

RAW: Not cooked or heated. Like a salad, ceviche, crudo, caviar, oyster on the half-shell…etc.

LIVE / BIO-AVAILABLE: Contains living organism (bacteria) that are beneficial or even essential to our digestion, nutrient absorption, immune system, metabolic function and/or metabolism. This does NOT mean we serve things still flapping around on the plate. It means we handle food in a way that has allowed homo-sapiens to survive and thrive on this planet while other species of the homo-genus are extinct. Learn more about that story here

STYLE

Much of what we do and how we do it is driven by the two lanes explored above. But also, there are service styles we employ (Omakase, for example) and there are ways this all works that are really the result of our space: 242 square feet without an oven, fryer or grill.

Theater and education are cornerstones of the value proposition and our guests find value in our way of busting myths and becoming more informed without being made to feel like they are uninformed. They like hearing answers to the many questions posed to the chef who is present throughout. The result is a kind of Edu-Tainment that commonly surpases the value proposition of traditional dining experiences as our guests learn much about oysters, caviar and other seafoods. They'll garner a greater appreciation of the metrics of quality for each and be more able to understand and order them to suit their preferences as they dine elsewhere or source product for enjoyment at home. Through our intimate, detailed and meticulous model we are able to #RaiseTheRawBar which allows our guests to #SeasTheBay.

Often our guests are as interested in WHY we are serving what we do as what we are serving. They notice, ask about and are interested in our unique set of culinary ethics. There are two lanes we operate in and they are different from the typical "Farm to Table" or "local" or "French". Our structure is built around new culinary ethics that curious consumers are interested to learn more about. The first is Marine Cuisine. The second is Whole, Live, Raw & Bioavailable (WLRB). Marine Cuisine limits us to using species / product that is "vanguard best practices in aquaculture or fishing" which results in the safest, healthiest, most sustainable and most responsible ("smartest") choices.  WLRB means we strive to keep everything as full of beneficial bacteria as possible for maximum benefits from pro-biotics, anit-oxidants and optimal nutritional value and uptake. Many of our guests are well versed in wellness and bleeding edge nutritional principles. Others are keenly interested in learning more.

Our strongest advocates have always been those who easily spot and navigate around gimmicks. Our guests know that the opposite of gimmick is authenticity. Understanding how rare that is, they are keen to express their appreciation of the purpose and passion of the Chef, Owner & Master Mermmelier, Kevin Joseph. In the end our guests can see that descriptive terms like "world-class" and "top-shelf" can be applied to much more than just food, service and atmosphere and that RAW LAB's shine comes not from glitter but from gold.

VALUE PROPOSITIONS

  • EARTH’S ONLY OMAKASE-STYLE RAW BAR EXPERIENCE. Omakase is an ancient Japanese service style typically applied to Sushi or Kaiseki. It means “to entrust” and in this service style the guest trusts the chef to serve the best possible product available, at that time. The guest does not order, there is no published or printed menu and it is typically prixe fixe. We have applied this ancient service style to a New American Raw Bar offering. So, we are not an Omakase Sushi or Kaiseki offering. Michelin’s Definition of Omakase can be found here

  • A MASTER CLASS IN OYSTERS follows an amuse bouche. Here we experiment with various treatments, toppings and dressings on a single oyster variety. The oyster is the “control”. The experiment is “which accoutrement do you prefer”. We explore classic wine pairings with oysters and we discuss the proper way to eat ultra-premium oysters, elegantly dressed. Its a fun and unpretentious presentation and exploration of oysters not unlike what you’d experience and learn about wine from a Sommelier in an professional wine tasting experience.

  • A MASTER CLASS IN CAVIAR follows our oyster service. In it we enjoy caviar as professionals in the field have for 1000 years…with caviar bumps…that is, consumed off the back of your hand with ZERO accoutrement, EVER! We feature STERLING CAVIAR, farmed and crafted in California and this ultra-premiuim American Caviar is best enjoyed this way (like all fine caviar). You will be transformed and learn something you’ll benefit from forever. Our process is called “The Ride” and it allows us to take you on a guided 45 - 120 second roller-coaster ride of flavor and sensation that will transform how you think and feel about caviar forever. As an appreciation for fine caviar is similar to that of oysters or fine wine, similar processes are used. The result is often “mind-blowing”.

  • PRIVATE CHEF’S TABLE / TEST KITCHEN “DINNER”. Following the 60-90 minute …dinner beg ins after the 4 courses that make up the introduction. Another 5- 6 courses are now presented. You will dine with only 11 others.

  • Our room is private, discreet and seats only 12 guests in one seating. Every dish is made within 5’ of every seat. You see EVERYTHING as it is being made. Everything is made or plated a la minute.

  • DISCREET! Nobody can see in or out of the room. Nobody can enter the room during service other than the guests.

  • AN EXTRAORDINARY WINE PAIRING OPPORTUNITY. We pair each course with a different wine. Up to 14 wines are featured with each seating. We feature lesser known varieties which are becoming recognized as outstanding seafood wines. So, as you dine you learn about which seafood wines you prefer, all of which are available “to go”. Our strategy with wine is not to serve you a few full glasses of AMAZING wine, rather it is to serve you many small pours of good & great wine such that you might discover a new brand or varietal you love…and perhaps, take a bottle or two of it home with you so you dont have to go searching for it online or all over trown. Its a flight of 12 - 14 wines on offer. And you’ll be more informed for when you enjoy seafood elsewhere.

  • A CHANCE TO DINE WITH A MASTER MERMMELIER. A Mermmelier is “a master of seafood”. As a Sommelier is to wine, a Mermmelier is to oysters and seafood, especially raw bar. RAW LAB’s oyster service is a master class in “ostreology”. The caviar service is superb as well. In this hour or so any given guest (yes, even the best fed and well traveled gourmand and epicurean) has a real opportunity to see, taste, experience and discover several things for the first time.

  • EXPERIENCE 20 + POINTS OF DISCOVERY. Discovery is the quintessence of value in fine dining. You’ll see, feel, smell, taste and enjoy at least 15 products, processes, accoutrements and tools you never have before. Enchantment is guaranteed. You will NOT be lectured, you will be edu-tained. The service is a performance executed in a custom designed and built space and guests are encouraged to ask questions or make comments for the benefit of all present. You will experience Oysters & Caviar as you never have before, guaranteed, as the experience begins with a Masterclass in both. There are at least 10 points of discovery in that part of the event for most diners. We can honestly say now, after 2 years of operations, that the first 90 minutes of your time at RAW LAB will change your life for the better, forever.

  • SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, adventurous, exciting, sexy, smart & cool. Dining here is dining at the bleeding edge of sustainable, healthy, responsible, creative and quality.

  • PROVEN, MATHEMATICALLY, TO BE A 5 STAR EXPERIENCE as per our rating on YELP, Open Table & RESY…and even Google, where people who have never been can (and have) posted negative reviews. The data since we opened in Feb 2022 clearly proves this point. As of March 23, 2023 we have done the numbers and the math and all of this is independently verifiable, by you.

    • 344 reviews on 4 platforms

    • 333 Five Star reviews

    • 11 reviews below 5 Star

    • 97% of reviews are 5 Star and 3% of reviews are 4 Star or less.

      • NOTE: As of Feb 25, 2024 we still maintain a 4.9 Star rating on RESY.

      • Typically the few who have given us less than 5 star were NOT in the right place for the right reasons. Clearly we do EVERYTHING we can to dissuade those people from coming because it is NOT for them. Sometimes the fail to get the message.

  • A ELITE & EPIC RAW BAR OFFERING not (just) an oyster bar. There simply is NOTHING like it on Earth. Nor has there ever been. We feature a lot more than just typical raw bar fare. We use rare & exotic products prepared and presented in inventive ways. Things like top quality caviar, crab, shrimp, salmon, scallops, lobster and more in fun, creative, colorful, delicious and healthy ways.

  • An EXPERIMENT IN MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS. A healthy, delicious, colorful meal, that is safer, healthier and SMARTER than “Seafood”.

  • AN INCREDIBLE COLLECTION OF MEZCAL, TEQUILA & JAPANESE WHISKY. Perhaps the finest in Charleston.

  • ONLY ONE SEATING PER NIGHT, each Thurs, Fri & Sat nights. We start at 6:30pm. Service takes about 3.5 hours. Guests are NEVER rushed out because we need the seats for the next seating.

  • A SALON / COMMUNITY TABLE / BAR / CHEF’S TABLE where all guests sit together at one large U shaped bar. It creates a salon like atmosphere where interesting and interested foodies, gourmands and epicureans share with and learn from one another. In fact, we consider it to be a “Salon de Marine Cuisine” In fact, we are presenting a Salon in the oldest, truest sense of the term: SALON ON WIKIPEDIA

  • At RAW LAB, guests are (1) hosted by a master (2) a process of discovery is executed where all guests can engage with each other and each element of the experience together, in real time, a complex and rewarding topics are explored (Marine Cuisine, DelicaSEAS, best/vanguard practices in aquaculture / fishing…etc), (3) opinions are shared and (4) relationships are created.

  • AN EXPERIENCE, where whole, live, raw and bioavailable dishes are served, explained, enjoyed and discussed.

  • AN ESCAPE! The food, music, decor, lighting and service are all, purposely, “unfamiliar”, safe, comfortable and interesting.