Mediterranean muse

Chef Talib Hudda finds a new home for his culinary art, without losing his old capacity to surprise, Mike Peters discovers.

Food historians say the exotic-sounding fassolatha has been around since ancient Greek times, but it's probably never looked so good. In this dense version of the soup, white beans cooked in pesto are nested in a kidney-bean puree with basil oil, charred avocado and premium caviar. Meanwhile, the deceptively simple-sounding "pork and parsley", a dish of roasted suckling pork belly, teases the palate with the richly flavored meat, tomato ragout, parsley oil and za'atar crisps.

Chef Talib Hudda seems to have the savory flavors of every Mediterranean port at his fingertips. The only debate among his fans may be whether to grab a fork or a cellphone camera when the first plate comes out.