I had every plan of taking beautiful photographs at MADRE in Amsterdam for this newsletter, but somewhere between the table side guacamole and the artichoke tacos, I simply forgot. The food demanded my full attention. Spending the evening there with my daughter made it even more special.

Tucked away in Amsterdam’s Jordaan district, MADRE is a modern Mexican restaurant with one small detail: everything is 100% plant based. They don’t make a big fuss about it. There are no lectures, no compromises and certainly no feeling that you’re missing out. The restaurant simply serves beautiful food that happens to be vegan.

Dinner was one surprise after another. Fresh guacamole prepared for us at the table. Fried cauliflower with an unexpected white chocolate sauce that somehow worked perfectly. Artichoke tacos packed with flavour. And then came the 3D printed vegan “pork” tacos, a dish that sounds completely impossible until you taste it and realise that the future of food might actually be delicious.

What impressed me most wasn’t the technology or the fact that everything was vegan. It was the confidence. MADRE doesn’t try to imitate anything. It simply creates exciting, colourful food that makes you forget you’re eating plant based.

Over dinner, my daughter and I kept wondering whether a restaurant like this could work in Malaysia. I’m not entirely convinced the market is ready, but I would love to be proven wrong. A place where beautiful interiors, inventive food and good conversation come together without taking themselves too seriously. It feels very much like my dream restaurant.

I left with a camera roll full of terrible photographs, a very happy stomach and a lovely evening with my daughter. Come to think of it, that’s probably the best review a restaurant could hope for.