RAW LAB™ 6D Dining

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

RAW LAB™ Oyster Flight

OYSTER FLIGHT

At Raw Lab we have changed the entire paradigm for oyster service in a fine dining setting. More on how that is done and why it matters in detail below. Our Oyster Flight consists of 6 oysters, topped, dressed or “treated” 6 ways. We GUARANTEE that this will be the best oyster service you have ever had. GUARANTEED!

OYSTER FLIGHT @ RAW LAB

Always presented on an ultra-premium oyster, in this order, for a dozen reasons. No hot sauce. No cocktail sauce. No caviar or uni. AND NO FUCKING CRACKERS! Nothing to get in the way of your taste buds or the delicate and subtle flavors of the oyster.

Topped / Dressed: Fresh Grated Horseradish Root & Lemon
Topped / Dressed: Fresh Grated Japanese Wasabi Rhizome & Lime
Topped / Dressed: Japanese Mignonette (Yuzu Champagne Vinegar, Wasabi, Cucumber, Micro Cilantro)
Topped / Dressed: American Mignonette (Apple Cider Vinegar, Peel of a green apple, shallot, green peppercorn)
Topped / Dressed: French Mignonette (Red Wine Vinegar, shallot, black peppercorn)
Treated: Cold Smoked

The first 5 are toppings or dressings. The last one is a treatment and in a league all its own. Learn more about our ACCOUTRMENT PREMIER here.

RAW LAB offers something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from, basically, every other “oyster bar” or “raw bar”, ever. It’s so simple and logical its crazy. Our model informs our use of space and the combination of these things allows us to offer a singular oyster service / experience night after night that is VERY VERY different from the classic model for oysters.

THE OLD MODEL

The Old Model is this: RAW BAR = Something that a seafood restaurant ALSO does. Can you name one exception? It’s old and tired. This hasn’t changed in 200 years. It’s time! The old model is driven by two service styles / paradigms: 1. A la carte. 2. Table service. Very simple. And this is just about the only way anyone gets an oyster served to them. The guest orders oysters and a platter of oysters comes to the table. In the case of a mixed platter, the waiter may or may not know much about any of the oysters or even which one is which. A system may or may not be in place to help you know which is which. The platter comes with cocktail sauce, lemon, one or two mignonettes and lots, some or no advice on which to use or how much of each to use or what combinations to try / avoid. This model fails to deliver the value that is possible and makes oysters less desirable (especially at $4 or more) to most consumers

OUR MODEL

Our model affords us the opportunity to give a $453 / per pound protein the treatment it deserves…and then some. An average sized oyster (for half-shell consumption is about 2.5” long and it’s meat weighs 3-5g. So, that is 5g of protein per oyster = $ 4. 453g / 4 = 113 x $4 = $453 per # !!!) At $5 per oyster (the real cost with tax and tip) its a $500 # protein.

Our model is simple: Remove the raw bar from the seafood restaurant that ALSO has a raw bar, and eliminate the restaurant so you can BE A BETTER RAW BAR. #RaiseTheRawBar & #SeasTheBay!

When you focus on Raw Bar you can deliver a MUCH better raw bar product, service & experience. Eliminating the restaurant’s (staff, rent, equipment, menu, admin…etc) allow us to laser focus extremely expensive proteins and do a lot more with other very expensive, high-quality, hard to find product in order to deliver the most value possible.

We offer an oyster service similar to a wine service where a flight of oysters are served to each guest, one at a time, at the same moment. Its a MASTER CLASS, not “table service” because he discovery opportunity in this model is profound, the experience is guided by an expert and everyone experiences it all together, at the same time.

You’ll learn more about oysters (and how to best appreciate them) then you ever thought there was to know. Coaching on the metrics of quality will inform your palate. Identifying the variables between oysters in flavor (Merroir), will help you to understand the differences between them. Discussions of the people, places and processes they come from are the cornerstone of this service. From how to (and why you should) treat every oyster like a sip of a $500 wine, to the R months, we’ll explore the history, culture, cuisine, economy and ecology of oysters as guests ask questions and they’re answered by a Master Mermmlier, Kevin Joseph.

The experience is an experiment in how much more you can get from oysters, how to develop your palate to appreciate the differences in them and which metrics of quality you prefer in your oysters. This will inform your oyster choices and how you enjoy them for the rest of your life. In this experiment we have applied something similar to a “scientific method” where there is a process, order, control and result. Each oyster is the same (control) and each oyster is dressed, a la minute, by the chef. We call our collections of toppings, dressings and treatments Accoutrement Premier. The result is a better understanding of your preferences with oysters / accoutrement.

GETTING THE MOST VALUE & ENJOYMENT FROM AN OYSTER

CONSIDER THIS FACT: An ultra-premium oyster costs $4 at any place you should be eating raw oysters. With tax and tip that is about $5. A medium sized oyster’s meat weighs about 5g. Quick math reveals that 5g for $5 means that these oysters are a $500 a pound protein. How would you expect a professional to treat a $500 a pound protein. How would you best appreciated it and get the most from it? This is what we’ve perfected.

It’s been 100% true that once a guests has had the entire service, they are blown away, flabbergasted and astonished at what can be done with oysters. It creates an epiphany or two for basically everyone. 5 - 6 genuine “points of discovery” are delivered in just our oyster service. These are things that make you say “Wow!” or “I’ve never seen that!”.

Our guests typically realize that this MASTER CLASS is worth every penny of the $250 a seat price because their understanding and appreciation for raw oysters and forever changed in a way that they can take with them for the rest of their life, to every other oyster experience, anywhere. They understand now the best way to get all the flavor and nutrition from them…for starters. We’re this experience to be offered as a one-off or side-bar at a major Food & Wine Festival it would likely have a $250 cost. As part of the RAW LAB experience (about 10% of it, in fact) the value proposition is astonishing! THE OLD MODEL

BOTTOM LINE

The old model is AM radio. Our model is Digital Hi-Fi Surround Sound. In the old model you eat oysters. In our model, you dine on oysters and come to understand and appreciate them much much more. Given the right methodologies to enjoy them to their greatest potential you’ll appreciate and enjoy them much more for the rest of your days. Often this leads to a much greater appreciation of oysters. If you don’t agree that we did to the oyster service what The Sphere did to concerts, we’ll buy you a shot!

WITH US YOU WILL DISCOVER & EXPLORE…

The history, culture, cuisine, economy & ecology of oysters through the questions our guests inevitably ask and the answers given by a Master Mermmelier, Kevin Joseph.
How to properly eat an oyster to most thoroughly experience its entire flavor profile.
How to experience 20, 50 or even 100% more pleasure, joy and satisfaction from an oyster.
Experience your first “Sweet Flash”?
How to recognize when an oyster is shucked properly and what to do when it is not.
The metrics of quality for oysters (nose, brine, bite, minerality, after-taste, meat to shell ratio…etc.)
A few things about your preferences for toppings, dressings or treatments.

Our model was designed NOT for eating or dining. Ours is an omakase-style, semi-private, salon-type product, service and experience that allows us to create and elevate an immersive and participatory culinary experience that is safe, healthy, sustainable, responsible, smart, delicious, nutritious, colorful and fun. That’s something well beyond eating or dining. Considering how this will inform your palate, ordering and elevate your enjoyment and appreciation for oysters for the rest of your life, we think it is fair to say that just this part of our service (the oyster course, or Master Class in Oysters) is of equal value to a day of skiing in Aspen ($1,000 per person) or a round of Golf at The Ocean Course in Kiawah ($650 per person). Yes, you can talk about a round at Kiawah for the rest of your life, and that is very cool. Bucket list stuff. But you cant share your knowledge of how it was so great there with others in the same way you can share your knowledge of oysters with others, for the rest of your life.

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

RAW LAB™ Caviar Trip

CAVIAR TRIP

PRODUCT + SERVICE + EXPERIENCE

“The most innovative culinary experience I have ever had…”

-Klara Glowczewska, Executive Travel Editor, Town & Country Magazine & former Editor in Chief, Conde Naste Publishing

Double Barrel Bump, 2022. Photo Credit: Kevin Joseph

WE LIKE BIG BUMPS

We cannot lie. Though, we didn’t invent the Caviar Bump, you are going to love what we’ve done with it.

When RAW LAB opened in 2022 we knew we would feature Caviar Bumps. And we definitely brought that to Charleston.

Having heard of them first in NYC in about 2012, we we’re led to believe this became popular in Aspen, CO in the few years prior. But,n certainly this practice goes back farther than that.

More importantly, this practice is most certainly “correct” in that it is the first step in allowing people to experience ALL that fine caviar has to offer. It is part of a process we call the Caviar Trip.

We did not invent the Caviar Bump, but at RAW LAB, through experimentation with our guests, we most certainly did invent THE CAVIAR TRIP.

CAVIAR TRIP

OUR METHODOLOGY FOR CAVIAR IS MORE OF A RITUAL, CEREMONY, TRANCE OR TRIP THAN IT IS A “SERVICE”.

When we talk about caviar or The Caviar Trip, we are speaking ONLY of the enjoyment of FINE CAVIAR. This product deserves the respect that this ritual and technique affords it. This methodology allows us to experience this sacred food as the professionals who produce it and trade in it do. Naked! That is, “Sans Accoutrement”.

Absent are the blinis, crème fraîche and other items which limit it to being simply a delicacy. Fine caviar is MUCH more than that. When given your full attention, the stage to itself and a spotlight, it can be transcendent, especially if you allow yourself to “take the trip”.

TO UNDERSTAND THE RITUAL WATCH THIS VIDEO

If caviar isn’t the most dynamic food on earth, we don’t know what is. In 60-75 seconds (or more) seconds a fine caviar will go through 5 distinct phases. Not even the finest of wine can dance on your palate for that long, evolving the whole time. These are things you can taste and feel. You can easily perceive the phases starting, ending, blending, evolving, peaking, yielding and coming to a conclusion. It is like listening to a song you love.

What caviar can do is seldom realized, especially when we handicap our palate with dough, starch, salt or acid found in potatoes chips, blinis and other accoutrement. If you wanted to experience the power of a painting, song or sculpture you’d free yourself of distractions, barriers and noise. When you allow yourself to be present with it and only it. That is what we do with our Caviar Trip.These tiny and powerful eggs have delicate differences from fish to fish, farm to farm, season to season…just like wine or oysters. It takes 7 years for a sturgeon to come out maturity and produce a fine caviar. It takes a lot of husbandry and expertise to shepherd a fish to that age and moment. It takes more care and expertise still to cure, age and deliver the caviar to a profession who’ll be able to guide you though what to look for and evaluate the quality of that caviar base on industry standard and metrics. To understand your preferences for caviar you’ll benefit from perspective, objectivity, expertise and experience of a professional who can point out what to look for without TELLING you what you see or how to feel about it.

THIS IS WHAT WE DO! We create a safe space for you to be open to the experience. With your trust and permission, we take you on a tour, a trip and sometimes put you in a trance. Its a kind of meditation where you can find every nook and cranny, every delicate flavor and sensation, every instrument in the song, the melody, harmony, lyrics and meaning of it too. Once given the tools to evaluate the various characteristics of caviar and the metrics of quality you’ll then have the tools and knowledge to be able to find your favorites…just like you’ve likely done with wine, and maybe oysters too. We are NOT going to tell you that you should prefer this caviar or that caviar, rather we are going to give you the tools and tactics used by professionals for eons to make up your own mind, as you experiment with caviar going forward.

We will not, on a web page, be able to duplicate the magic that occurs, even with the videos and photos provided. We hope, however, that you’ll come and experience fine caviar with us. You’ll find that in the presence and with the trust of the other guests there is a magical epiphany that this our techniques, rituals and ceremony creates that will change you, forever.

Kevin Joseph & Gary Lemon see a girl about some caviar.

PRODUCT

PRODUCT is the last of “The 4 P’s”

PEOPLE + PLACE + PROCESS = PRODUCT

This is true of any product. In this case, the product is singular because the story behind the people, place & process is without equal.

BELOW YOU’LEARN ALL ABOUT the IDAHO SPRINGS CAVIAR we use. And why! It is a HUGE part of the value proposition of our caviar service.

WARNING: Photos and videos from our Aug 2024 visit may blow your mind, cause you to join us @Raw.Lab.Chs where you mind will DEFINITELY BE BLOWN and cause a new, lifelong “Caviar Problem” for which we known no cure.

IDAHO SPRINGS CAVIAR

Sooo, caviar from a farmed Sturgeon in Idaho makes not sense to you? OK. Lets start there. The place, product and process is unreal!

IDAHO SPRINGS STURGEON FARM is an ABSOLUTELY singular place and operation!

So, at RAW LAB we serve ONLY this American Caviar, YES, AMERICAN! From Idaho. YES, IDAHO! And the best thing is that in doing so IS THAT we sacrifice NOTHING And gain some notable benefits IN QUALITY, FOOD-safety and taste OVER OTHER MANY CAVIAR BRANDS.

GREAT READ: America’s Finest Caviar - Saveur Magazine

THIS is ONE of the things that makes their caviar so special, unrivaled even.

It is fed by water that pops out of the Snake River Aquifer 100 feet from the top of the raceways that hold the sturgeon. This water has been filtered though ancient volcano basalt rock for 250,000,000 years! It’s as pure as water gets.

Thousands of springs burst out of the ridges along the river over hundreds of miles. The Snake River was once a paradise for the White Sturgeon. Indigenous and plentiful, the species was nearly wiped out for its meat and caviar. These days they are a highly protected species and the caviar they produce comes from state of the art animal husbandry and bleeding edge aquaculture developed over the past 100 years of practice.

IT STARTS HERE: After the water gushes out from the mountain ridge it is directed to the farm, just 100 feet downhill. Tens of millions of gallons of water a day sees sunlight for the first time in 250,000,000 years.

This flows DIRECTLY into the farm and over the Sturgeon who swim in some of the purest water on Earth. In the raceways (built on a shallow sloping plateau) this mineral rich, alkaline water flows past the fish quickly. Like a mighty, though short, river…their natural habitat.

The raceway complex is like a series of shallow rivers packed with thousands of happy and healthy female sturgeon.

Density like this would be problematic in a typical caviar farm as filtration of the water would need to be state of the art and fail-safe.

That’s expensive and in the event of natural disaster, little is fail safe. But density here and unlimited, free, pure, flowing water makes filtration completely unnecessary.

The fish spend no more than a half a second in the same water and waste is immediately washed away by incoming water from the aquifer.

Waste gets pulled down the raceways, past the fish, by gravity.

After it exits the raceways it flows into a pond which holds large sturgeon and trout which are alphas and sometimes use as brood stock.

**IT ENDS HERE**: The farm’s water becomes Lemon Falls and runs into the Snake River.

Then, just 150 feet from that pond it makes it’s dramatic entry into the Snake River via

MY DAY AT THE FARM

I learned so much on this day. What an experience. What an epiphany! The people, place and process that create this product are as legitimate as it gets. The fish were so vibrant, strong and healthy. Holding them (or trying to) was like wrangling a wild critter from another age. They’re like a log or missile of muscle, so dense and strong…dinosaurs, literally 350,000,000 years evolved.

This was the Coup de Gras! Sucking eggs from a living sturgeon to evaluate her health, the quality of the eggs and determine whether or not she was ready for harvest. Ill never forget that moment. A tiny slit is made in her belly, near the ovaries, which are surrounded by eggs. A small tube is placed in that hole and gentle suction applied. You’ll see the process in the video below. Inspection of the eggs for size, colorless, texture, firmness and flavor is done.

Mother Load! 40kg of Caviar, roughly. Photo Credit: Kevin Joseph

A few other videos that paint the picture of what RAW LAB is…

RAW LAB IS A CULINARY ADVENTURE, not just a “dinner”. As such, it requires and delivers a lot more from and to the guest. Here’s an analogy: If you drive 60 miles to the beach for a weekend get away there are not that many things to consider, do, plan, bring or prepare for. But when you fly to Colorado to go skiing for a week you’ll need plan, prepare, do and bring a lot more. RAW LAB is much more like a ski trip to CO than a weekend at a nearby beach.

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

RESERVATIONS ONLY

ONLY ON RESY & FOR SMALL GROUPS (UP TO 4 GUESTS)

FOR LARGE GROUPS (5 OR MORE) - TEXT OR CALL US @ 843 284 3597

! PLEASE NOTE !

RAW LAB is NOT a “traditional restaurant” or A “TRADITIONAL SUSHI OMAKASE”

RAW LAB is not a typical dining experience or culinary offering AND WE DO NOT MAKE OR SERVE SUSHI!

RAW LAB is not A FIT FOR EVERY PERSON OR EVERY OCCASION. The experience is not always a good fit for every circumstance, individual or group as it is not a typical “restaurant” product, service or experience. Please make sure it is a fit for you, your group and your circumstances before you book.

RAW LAB IS **a next generation “Raw Bar” (NOT A SUSHI BAR) featuring MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS presented via an Omakase STYLE of service IN a semi-private oR private dining ENVIRONMENT.**

RAW LAB has SEVERAL RATHER A-TYPICAL POLICIES that may or may not be agreeable to you. We strongly recommend you make yourself familiar with them.

4.9 STAR RATED ACROSS THE MAJOR / RELEVANT RESERVATION PLATFORMS

READ REVIEWS HERE || RESERVATIONS ONLY @ RESY

BOOK THE WHOLE ROOM - GROUPS OF 12 - 20

We will send the limo for ya if all start and end in one spot, basically.

Routes include Daniel Island, Kiawah and IOP.

RAW LAB LIMO

WORTH THE TIME & MONEY?

THAT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ARE, HOW YOU EXPLORE FOOD & WINE, HOW YOU SOCIALIZE, WHAT YOU DO & DO NOT DRINK, AND WHAT YOUR VALUES ARE FOR MUSIC, ATMOSPHERE, PRIVACY & ENTERTAINMENT. For some people, RAW LAB is a nightmare. For most, however, it is AMAZING!

RAW LAB has proven itself to be a truly world-class CULINARY EXPERIENCE by the very simple fact that after 2.5 years of operations we have maintained a 4.9 STAR rating on RESY. That’s just a fact which reveals a truth - RAW LAB is a world-class dining experience.

THE 10-12 course EXPERIENCE STARTS WITH a 90 minute introduction that consists of a MASTER CLASS for OYSTERS followed by another MASTER CLASS in CAVIAR. Our OYSTER SERVICE and our CAVIAR SERVICE are singular.

This is followed by another 7 - 9 COURSES of MARINE CUSINE & DELICASEAS. ITS A FULL MEAL, NOT AN APPETIZER. And it is NOT SUSHI or FORMAL like every other “omakase-style” dining experience has always been.

The entire experience is accompanied by a rather unique if not SINGULAR WINE SERVICE. WHITE, ROSE & ORANGE & RED WINE PAIRINGS take our guests to 6 continents. Wines from 13-15 wine producing regions and 8-10 countries are featured. This is a GLOBAL WINE TOUR WHERE WE FEATURE up to 15 different wines, many of which are rather unusual or uncommon. Ask yourself: Where can I taste 12 - 15 different wines from 10 countries and 6 continents in a single meal without ordering 12 - 15 glasses of wine?

FINALLY, THERE ARE AT LEAST 30 POINTS OF DISCOVERY IN THE EXPERIENCE WHERE THE INTERESTING & INTERESTED EPICUREAN OR GOURMAND WILL SEE, TOUCH or EAT SOMETHING THEY never have BEFORE. THIS IS WHY VERY WELL FED, VERY WELL TRAVELED CONSUMERS LOVE RAW LAB. FROM THEIR EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH FINE DINING THEY KNOW RAW LAB IS TRULY UNIQUE & WORLD-CLASS.

WINNER OF OPEN TABLE’S 2022 DINER’S CHOICE AWARD

A Singular Semi-Private or Private Dining, Test Kitchen, Chef’s Table Experience for up to 12 guests

ONE OF THE TOP RATED CULINARY OPPORTUNITIES IN CHARESTON. SEE THE LIST OF TOP RATED RESTAURANTS HERE

RAW LAB MENU

@ 99 S. MARKET STREET, CHS, SC (843) 580 7729

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RECENT PRESS BELOW

FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE || TOWN & COUNTRY MAGAZINE || PASTE MAGAZINE || SC LIVING MAGAZINE

FOX 24 CHS || CITY PAPER CHS || CHARLESTON LIVING MAGAZINE || THE LOCAL PALATE || LUX LIVING MAGAZINE

WE #RaiseTheRaw Bar. YOU #SeasTheBay!

$200 -$250 per person ++ (PLUS tax & tip)

**INCLUDED: 9-12 Rounds oF Marine Cuisine & DelicaSEAS + 12 - 14 PREMIUM Wine Pairings**

SERVICE WED - SAT || ONE SEATING || 6:30pm - 10PM

RESERVATIONS ONLY - RESERVE SEATS HERE

21+

843 580 7729

READ REVIEWS ON YELP & OPEN TABLE

BROWSE RECENT PRESS HERE

15 GREAT REASONS WHY THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY VALUE & EXPERIENCE

WHAT IT IS / ISNT || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || VIEW PRIX FIXE OMAKASE MENU HERE

RESERVE THE ROOM || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY || MEET OWNER & MASTER MERMMELIER KEVIN JOSEPH

#RaiseTheRawBar

Empire Oyster created this concept in 2017 and have been perfecting it ever since. This is a vanguard Chef’s Table / Test Kitchen experience for up to 12 seated guests at a time, where the focus is on rare, exotic and luxury seafood from the bottom of the seafood chain. Part of our offering is an exploration of the most sustainable, responsible and healthy seafood choices. We call it MARINE CUISINE and describe it as Seafood v. 3.0. Here we #MakeUglyFishesDelicious in a smart, fun and sexy way.

Our model is the magic. Instead of being ANOTHER seafood restaurant that ALSO offers a raw bar, we have removed the raw bar from the restaurant and eliminated the restaurant. We are focused on being the finest raw bar in the history of the world because we are ONLY a Raw Bar! We #RaiseTheRawBar so you can #SeasTheBay. This is not an appetizer or tasting menu, its a meal…a food & wine experience and, for many, an epiphany in both seafood and fine dining.

We feature a host of marine species and dishes informed by an elegant culinary ethic which is designed around eating “Whole, Live, Raw & BioAvailabe”. These days, we guarantee our guests at least 15 “Points of Discovery”. These are things we deliver in our service that even the most sophisticated foodie, gourmand or epicurean is likely to have never seen before. It delights and enchants, while, at times confusing and challenging your senses in an exciting way. The entire time, you are only inches away from the chef who prepares everything in front of the guests. Every dish is enjoyed by all of the guests at the same time. The process and the chef de-mystify seafood and seafood wine pairings in an un-pretentious presentation that empowers our guests to experiment at home or to feel more comfortable ordering seafood and pairing wine to it elsewhere. Its also FUN! This is not a formal or “stuffy” omakase experience.

Raw Lab also delivers an elevated wine experience. Each course is paired with a great seafood wine and any of the wines could be paired with any of the dishes. Guest’s commonly discover new varieties and styles of wines they love. The focus is on obscure or lesser known varieties of dry white, rose and orange wines. A luxury back bar offers a very high end collection of sake & spirits and some nice red wines, by the bottle.

Enjoy private dining in a salon like atmosphere with other interesting & Interested guests who have the opportunity to ask dozens of questions about oysters, seafood and the wine pairings. No other oyster or seafood experience is designed around a 12 seat u-shaped bar where all of the dishes are presented to the world’s only “Ice Moat”, at the same time. Everyone in the room is on the same page and in proximity to everyone else. It creates a unique opportunity for Edu-Tainment and connecting to others which rewards much more than your palate.

Also, the space itself is designed and managed to deliver a strong sense of ESCAPE! If you are visiting, you won’t feel like you are a tourist, you’ll feel like a traveler. If you are local, you’ll feel transported to another time, place and dimension. You wont feel like you are in a restaurant, because, well, YOU ARE NOT! The decor, the music, the light…it all transports our guests and time flies.

Finally, this room is very private. You can’t see anyone walking by and nobody walking by can see you! Our guests enjoy total discretion, always. This very discreet room is also available for private events.

MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS

Learn more about this culinary ethic HERE and check out some pictures at that link or in the gallery below.

HOW IT WORKS

Enjoy 9 - 12 rounds of WHOLE, LIVE, RAW AND/OR BIO-AVAIALBE DISHES & UP TO 14 WINE PAIRINGS

It’s all VERY VERY VERY different @Raw.Lab.CHS. On many levels, this is an entirely new value proposition and Food & Wine experience, It is impossible to explain in writing or in words but it will make perfect sense once you’ve experienced it personally.

Omakase is an ancient Japanese service style typically applied to sushi service. The word means “to entrust” or “I leave it to you”. In this style of service guests do not order anything, they simply “entrust” the chef to deliver his or her best product, service and experience based on seasonal access to the finest and freshest product. We’ve applied it to oysters & MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS, a collection of dishes created by Master Mermmelier Kevin Joseph. Our OMAKASE STYLE service is not a SUSHI Omakase which many gourmands, foodies and epicureans are familiar with. No, this is an RAW BAR OMAKASE, something different, entirely.

For starters, our oyster service launches the experience and features our Accoutrmement Premier, which is a proprietary collection of toppings, dressings and treatments for oysters available absolutely nowhere else on earth. All of the dishes are constructed right in front of you, and just for you. This is “seafood porn” and “food theater”, presented, in your lap, almost literally. But you’re not just watching it, you are a part of it as you interact with the chef and other guests. Also, this is not a little “tasting menu”. You will leave FULL. View the MENU HERE but dont expect exactly that menu as it is evolving fast and changes every night. LEARN MORE HERE

READ REVIEWS ON YELP & OPEN TABLE

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

RESERVATIONS FOR PRIX FIXE OMAKASE & SEMI-PRIVATE DINING

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

THIS IS A FIT FOR THOSE WHO…

…seek the unprecedented, unique and original.
…have been to all the great CHS restaurants 10 times each and seek something completely different.
…value elite food & wine experiences and have 3-4 hours available to do enjoy our service.
…are NOT allergic to shellfish, mollusks or crustaceans. Fin fish allergies can be worked around by skipping a course or two.
…are comfortable with or seek a community table type of setting and a salon like atmosphere.
…appreciate elite food, wine and service without any pretension.

PRIVATE DINING

Book the room privately and we’ll serve you anything we can make.

When you book the room privately for your group it is yours, privately. We’ll play whatever music you would like and even allow you to bring in your own DJ. Bring your favorite wines or spirits from your private collection. The room is your oyster and your guests are the pearls!

2 - 12 guests for $4,500 ++ (Food, Beverage & Service Included, Taxes & 20% Gratuity NOT included)

13 - 14 guests for $5,500 ++ (Food, Beverage & Service Included, Taxes & 20% Gratuity NOT included)

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

COMING SOON - MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS

Own a reservation for 4 every night of the year. Pay only when you use it. Share it with anyone.

Preferences on reservations, private room bookings and more.

OPERATING HOURS 2022

Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sat

ONE, 6:30pm Seating for up to 12 guests. Service begins at 6:30pm, SHARP.

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

LOCATION OF RAW LAB

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

Between Chruch Street & Meeting Street

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RAW LAB™ Marine Cuisine™

MARINE CUISINE™

WELCOME TO SEAFOOD v.3.0.

Marine Cuisine™ IS DEFINED AS “SMART SEAFOOD CHOICES” BY 4 METRICS:

1. Safe 2. Healthy 3. Responsible 4. Sustainable

Marine Cuisine™ is a culinary ethic and style which informs a collection of dishes which features smaller and lesser known species in order to provide better choices for chefs and consumers. When this is done well, it can create opportunities to reduce costs and make eating & serving fish healthier & MORE AFFORDABLE.

CERTAIN SPECIES, FISHERIES & PRACTICES ARE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE AS “BEST OR VANGUARD” IN THE 4 METRICS ABOVE. WE FOCUS ON SOURCING, PREPARING AND PRESENTING DISHES WITH THESE METRICS AS BASELINE STANDARDS. WE DO SO IN THE MOST COLORFUL, NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS WAYS POSSIBLE. We make ugly fishes, delicious.

CAVIAR BUMPS with Champagne is a great way to start. — **CAVIAR BUMPS** with Champagne is a great way to start.

MARINE CUISINE™ features caviar, bivalves, crustaceans, gastropods, echinoderms and small fin fish. NO LARGE FISH like tuna, swordfish and halibut…for two reasons.

Many of these fisheries are not sustainable or responsibly harvested, in spite of “green-washing” certifications which are misleading or entirely false.
Smaller fish and other marine creatures are healthier as larger fish simply contain more and more toxins. The digestion of micro-plastics by fish, has been proven to create extremely carcinogenic toxins which deposit in the cells and tissues of fish.

The term MARINE CUISINE™ was coined and first used in commerce by Master Mermmelier Kevin Joseph in 2014 when it was used to describe dishes served in support of oysters at certain New York Oyster Week events. It is now being used to describe part of the culinary concept for an upcoming cookbook, a collection of Raw Bars, a restaurant group and Kevin’s RAW BARge concept. In 2019 a Federal Trademark # 6018189 was awarded to Kevin Joseph by the USTPO.

MARINE CUISINE™ are Affordable & Common creatures & Products

SMALL FISH: Eel, Smelt, Sardine, Anchovy, Herring…etc
CRUSTACEANS: Shrimp, Prawns, Crab, Lobster…etc
MOLLUSKS: Oysters, Clams, Mussels, Scallops, Squid, Octopus
GASTROPODS: Snails, Conchs, Whelks
ECHINODERMS: Sea Cucumber, Sea Urchin (Uni)
SEA VEG: Seaweeds
SUSTAINABLY & RESPONSIBLY PRODUCED ITEMS: Caviar and Cultured Shellfish & Fin Fish

ULTRA-PREMIUM OYSTER SERVICE with Accoutrement Premier™ — **ULTRA-PREMIUM OYSTER SERVICE** with Accoutrement Premier™

DelicaSEAS™ are Rare & Exotic Creatures & Products

Caviar & Roe / Bottarga

Barnacles
Ultra-Premium Oysters
Abalone
Uni
Rare Seaweeds
Sea Salts
Much of the species we will feature and promote are those identified as good or best choices by Monterey Bay Aquarium® Seafood Watch® which we consider to be Seafood v.2.0

VIEW MARINE CUISINE™ MENU

CRABOCADO - Peeky Toe Crab& Avocado Salad with Sweet Corn, Cilantro & Radish served on Belgian Endive Leaves and topped with Red Hawaiian Sea Salt. — **CRABOCADO -** Peeky Toe Crab& Avocado Salad with Sweet Corn, Cilantro & Radish served on Belgian Endive Leaves and topped with Red Hawaiian Sea Salt.

Marine Cuisine™ is SAFE

Safe means you won’t be sick from anything immediately. Proper management of product, sourcing and preparation is the cornerstone of any safe food, including MARINE CUISINE

Marine Cuisine™ is HEALTHY

This means that when enjoyed regularly, health benefits will result. The species we use are healthier than traditional American seafood for two main reasons:

Less heavy metals.
Less or none of the by products of micro-plastic degradation.

Each are explored in detail below.

Marine Cuisine™ is SUSTAINABLE

Great progress in sourcing and serving sustainable species has been made by many chefs, world wide. So, this is nothing new. Marine Cuisine simply applies the highest standards for sustainability to our dishes and describes our style and values.

Marine Cuisine™ is RESPONSIBLE

Responsible and sustainable are somewhat synonymous terms with regards to wild seafood. But in the case of aquaculture which is the source of more and more of our fish, there are bad practices, good practices, best practices and NEXT GEN practices. Marine Cuisine focuses on fish produced through best and next gen practices.

MARINE CUISINE™ MENU

Uni is one of our favorite DelicaSEAS. So great for you, sustainable, responsibly harvested. Ans we love to present it creatively.

“MAKING UGLY FISHES DELICIOUS”

A few more photos of dishes we typically serve together can be seen below. NOTE: Not all include fish and some can be made GF or Vegan.

LOBSTER CAESAR SALAD Lobster. Romaine. Sourdough Crutons. Freshly made, 100% authentic Caesar Dressing — **LOBSTER CAESAR SALAD** Lobster. Romaine. Sourdough Crutons. Freshly made, 100% authentic Caesar Dressing

HEIRLOOM TOMATO & CRAB GAZPACHO - Organic Heirloom Tomatoes, & Blue Crab Meat, English Cucumbers with bell peppers, sherry vinegar and garlic served in a teacup with a lemon & cumin dusted rim. *Vegan if served without crab, shrimp or ot… — **HEIRLOOM TOMATO & CRAB GAZPACHO -** Organic Heirloom Tomatoes, & Blue Crab Meat, English Cucumbers with bell peppers, sherry vinegar and garlic served in a teacup with a lemon & cumin dusted rim. *Vegan if served without crab, shrimp or other shellfish.

ARCTIC CHARTARE: Arctic Char, cubed and tossed with salt, pepper, soy sauce and olive oil, served over avocado and black truffle & mushroom pesto with beet & sweet potato chips — ARCTIC CHAR TARE: Arctic Char, cubed and tossed with salt, pepper, soy sauce and olive oil, served over avocado and black truffle & mushroom pesto with beet & sweet potato chips

CEVICHE - Small tropical fin fish (usually snapper) diced and cured in lime juice, Mixed with grapefruit sections, red onion, cilantro and red bell pepper. Topped with paprika toasted pine nuts and black Hawaiian sea salt — **CEVICHE -** Small tropical fin fish (usually snapper) diced and cured in lime juice, Mixed with grapefruit sections, red onion, cilantro and red bell pepper. Topped with paprika toasted pine nuts and black Hawaiian sea salt

CRUDO - Colder water fish (usually fluke) cured in Kosher Salt. Served over lemon oil and topped with chive and a citrus, rose foam and pink peppercorns. — **CRUDO** - Colder water fish (usually fluke) cured in Kosher Salt. Served over lemon oil and topped with chive and a citrus, rose foam and pink peppercorns.

SHARK-UTERIE - A collection of tinned fish and shellfish, fine crackers, pickled and fermented vegetables, cured meats, smoked fish and fine cheeses. — **SHARK-UTERIE** - A collection of tinned fish and shellfish, fine crackers, pickled and fermented vegetables, cured meats, smoked fish and fine cheeses.

JUMBO SHRIMP COCKTAIL - NEVER any Toxic Asian product. ALWAYS Jumbo Mexican, Ecuadorian or, ideally, when available, AMERICAN product. — **JUMBO SHRIMP COCKTAIL** - NEVER any Toxic Asian product. ALWAYS Jumbo Mexican, Ecuadorian or, ideally, when available, AMERICAN product.

**WHOLE LIVE PECONIC BAY SCALLOPS, ON THE HALF SHELL**

CRAB IN A BLANKET - Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Claw Meat & Grilled Asparagus, wrapped in basil and prosciutto and topped with cracked black pepper and balsamic glaze — **CRAB IN A BLANKET -** Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Claw Meat & Grilled Asparagus, wrapped in basil and prosciutto and topped with cracked black pepper and balsamic glaze

STRIPED BASS, broiled with a leek butter reduction over wild rice with edimame & green apple — **STRIPED BASS,** broiled with a leek butter reduction over wild rice with edimame & green apple

Whole Grilled Fish: Black Sea Bass with 6 Herbs & Garlic // Red Snapper with Jerk Seasoning // Bronzino with Calabrian Chilli Puree

BLACK SEA BASS Broiled and served over black rice, navy beans & nectarines. Topped with a leek butter reduction and chives — **BLACK SEA BASS** Broiled and served over black rice, navy beans & nectarines. Topped with a leek butter reduction and chives

SURF & TURF - Filet Mignon with Broiled Lobster Tail. Served over Tumeric Risotto and with Green Beans tossed in butter, black sesame seeds and roasted pine nuts. — **SURF & TURF** - Filet Mignon with Broiled Lobster Tail. Served over Tumeric Risotto and with Green Beans tossed in butter, black sesame seeds and roasted pine nuts.

MAKE SMART CHOICES

As noted above Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch has been the Gold Standard on the subject for years. There is more to this story, however.

BEST CHOICES IN SEAFOOD

Abalone (farmed)
Arctic Char (farmed)
Barramundi (US & Vietnam farmed)
Bass (US hooks and lines, farmed)
Catfish (US)
Clams, Cockles, Mussels
Cod: Pacific (AK)
Crab: King, Snow & Tanner (AK) Lionfish (US)
Oysters (farmed & Canada)
Prawn (Canada & US)
Rockfish (AK, CA, OR & WA)
Sablefish/Black Cod (AK)
Salmon (New Zealand)
Sanddab (CA, OR & WA)
Scallops (farmed)
Shrimp (US farmed)
Squid (US)

GOOD ALTERNATIVES

Cod: Atlantic (handlines, pole and lines) Cod: Pacific (Canada & US)
Lobster: Spiny (Bahamas & US)
Mahi Mahi (Ecuador & US longlines) Monkfish (US)
Octopus (Canada, Portugal & Spain pots and traps, HI)
Oysters (US wild)
Pollock (Canada longlines, gillnets & US) Salmon: Atlantic (BC & ME farmed) Salmon (CA, OR & WA)
Scallops: Sea (wild)
Shrimp (Canada & US wild, Ecuador & Honduras farmed)
Squid (Chile, Mexico & Peru) Swordfish (US)
Trout (Canada & Chile farmed)

FISH TO AVOID

Basa/Pangasius/Swai
Cod: Atlantic (gillnet, longline, trawl) Cod: Pacific (Japan & Russia)
Crab (Argentina, Asia & Russia) Halibut: Atlantic (wild)
Lobster: Spiny (Belize, Brazil, Honduras & Nicaragua)
Mahi Mahi (imported)
Orange Roughy
Octopus (other imported sources)
Pollock (Canada trawls & Russia)
Salmon (Canada Atlantic, Chile,
Norway & Scotland)
Sharks
Shrimp (other imported sources)
Squid (Argentina, China, India & Thailand)
Swordfish (imported longlines)
Tilapia (China)
Tuna: Albacore (imported except trolls, pole and lines)
Tuna: Bluefin
Tuna: Skipjack (imported purse seines)
Tuna: Yellowfin (longlines except US)

COMPLETE LIST HERE

BIOLOGICAL MAGNIFICATION

MERCURY & HEAVY METALS

We have known about this for years. We pollute our streams, rivers and oceans with heavy metals like mercury in a host of ways. These wind up in small fish in small amounts. Not a big deal. It becomes a big deal in larger (much ore popular fish) due “Biological Magnification”. This is truly a public health crisis but the good news is it can be easily avoided through and avoidance of large fish. Learn more about this below.

MICRO PLASTICS & THE BY PRODUCTS OF MICRO PLASTIC DIGESTION IN FISH

A detailed exploration of this coming soon. For now, sadly, know this. The oceans are full of micro-plastics. They are consumed by small fish which are consumed by larger and larger fish. These toxins, like heavy metals, become more concentrated in the larger species due to the principle of Biological Magnification. More on that below. The chemicals used to turn petroleum into plastic are KNOWN carcinogens and these chemicals are present in alarming numbers in the cells of the flesh of large fin fish. These toxins are found in the lowest quantities in animals that have a more vegetarian diet and in animals at the bottom of the seafood chain.

SMALL FISH VS BIG FISH

The smaller the fish and the lower an animal is in the seafood chain the fewer heavy metals and microplastics it contains. Less is better.

WHAT IS BIOLOGICAL MAGNIFICATION

Simple, the higher up an animal is in the food chain, the more toxins it consumes and retains. Where this is relevant to chemicals and metals in marine life, REALLY MATTERS TO YOUR HEALTH!

LEARN MORE HERE

GREEN WASHING

Listen, a can of tuna or the label on some fish at Whole Foods can represent a product to be “Safe, Responsible, Sustainable or Certified”. However, his NOT make it so. Here is a great film to watch about that. WARNING: Its a bit sensational, but there is A LOT of truth in it. Also, it does a terrible job of giving anyone THE GOOD NEWS, the safe and sustainable and responsible ways to consume “Seafood”. There ARE options…like MARINE CUISINE™.

RAW LAB™ Sea Salt Complex

SEA SALT COMPLEX

We began to research this late in 2023. Since then we have researched it extensively and now we have been able to articulate the benefits of it. We are deep into a “Mind Wide Open” moment, seeking wisdom, knowledge, facts, opinion and science to understand just what the opportunities are with this culinary and dietary concept. Our research and common sense seems to strongly suggest that maintaining a Sea Salt Complex in our menu and (and your diet) is a very safe, smart and inexpensive way to improve the flavor of food, its nutritional values and, therefore, your health and vitality For now, find more info HERE in an old blog post which showcases some of the Sea Salts we commonly use. Most of the descriptions feature a short film too.

4 KEY POINTS TO THIS PAGE

FACT: YOU ARE A SALT WATER CREATURE…A MARINE MAMMAL
FACT: SALT IS CRUCIAL TO YOUR CELLAR FUNCTION, VITALITY AND SURVIVAL
SEA SALT: VERY GOOD. TABLE SALT: VERY BAND
FIND, BUY AND USE SEA SALT IN EVERYTHING YOU EAT

BUY A SMALL SEA SALT COMPLEX NOW

BUY A LARGE SEA SALT COMPLEX NOW

In these grinders we see 14 ancient sea salts. Small (left) and Large (right). Small contains 14 tea spoons of sea salt. Large contains 14 table spoons of sea salt.

There are endless combinations. We infuse those sea salts into the dishes @raw.lab.chs and @ltle.fish.chs and rotate sea salts constantly. Why? To deliver to your body, in a single meal, a vast collection of sea salts and minerals from both ancient / extinct oceans and modern / living seas.

Where else is that incorporated into your meal? Consider the rare & exotic minerals and elements this delivers to you and the probable health benefits of that! How else can you get minerals from a 500 million year old food? How else can you get minerals from food from all across the globe without it being extremely expensive in both time and effort? We have done a ton of research now and it may be the coolest thing we’ve created so far!

SO WHAT? SO, CONSIDER THIS:

HUMAN BEINGS ARE 60-70% WATER.
0% OF THE WATER IN YOUR BODY IS FRESH WATER.
ON AVERAGE OUR BLOOD IS ROUGHLY AS SALINE AS BRACKISH WATER AT 0.4% SALT and ABOUT 1/3 AS SALINE AS THE OCEAN.
70% OF YOUR BODY IS “SALT WATER”

BUY A SMALL SEA SALT COMPLEX NOW

BUY A LARGE SEA SALT COMPLEX NOW

YOUR BODY IS MOSTLY SALT WATER

It’s not leap of faith its a fact of science. This isn’t theory its measurable, demonstrable and, for anyone, logical.

SEA WATER: 3.0-3.2% Salt || BAY WATER: 1.0-2.5% Salt || BRACKISH WATER: .1-1.0% Salt || FRESH WATER: 0% Salt

The water in our bodies is like the brackish water in the delta the estuary (where the river meets the bay or ocean) at low tide. All of it, “salty”. The blood in our body is like the water in the same locations, in flood tide…significantly saltier.

THEREFORE IT IS A FACT THAT MOST OF OUR MASS OR BODY WEIGHT (BLOOD AND WATER) CONTAINS SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF SALT. WE ARE MADE UP (MOSTLY…65-70%) OF SALINE LIQUIDS. SO, MORE SPECIFICALLY, BY THE NUMBERS, WE ARE BRACKISH CREATURES.

Finally, there is a 98% match between human blood plasma and seawater. The sea is (QUITE LITERALLY) running through your veins, heart and brain.

Through our meal @ Raw Lab & LTLE FISH we’ll feature at least 60 Sea Salts. Some are from ancient / extinct oceans. Others from modern / living oceans. Sea salts as old as 500 million years are used. Some are from here. Others from near. Others from as far, far away in both time and space. You’ll benefit from the 80+ minerals found in sea salts instead of mineral free, factory produced table salt, which is high in sodium and essentially, metabolically, useless (minus the iodine). Table salt, in excess, can be damaging to your health as well, and is very often over-used in restaurants as a way to make people thirsty and to order more drinks. Sea salts are natural, bio-available and often produced by artisans through sustainable, responsible and non-industrial methods.

BUY A SMALL SEA SALT COMPLEX NOW

BUY A LARGE SEA SALT COMPLEX NOW

HUMANS ARE SALT WATER CREATURES

60-70% OF YOUR BODY IS SALT WATER.

So, YES, IN FACT, we are, SALT WATER CREATURES! Without getting into the weeds too much on this subject it is safe to say that the all paleo-anthropological, medical, and biological research confirms this. Vertebrate life started in the sea with fish and moved onto land through lungfish and amphibians. Reptiles, birds came next. Mammals came next. Human beings evolved from mammals. Salt has been a part of the entire journey and is still with us today.

Therefore, fueling your body with natural, highly-soluble, mineral & electrolyte rich sea salt from near and far (in time and space) is key to vitality and enhanced metabolic function in both the physical and metaphysical plane.

OUR SIMILARITIES WITH DOLPHINS AND WHALES ARE STUNNING IN BOTH DNA & BEHAVIOR. There is a mountain of research and evidence of this so going into details here is unnecessary. But, if you want to go down this rabbit hole, START HERE

BUY A SMALL SEA SALT COMPLEX NOW

BUY A LARGE SEA SALT COMPLEX NOW

Another Sea Salt Complex. From Top: Mexico/Modern, Hawaiian/Modern, Sicilian/Modern, Peruvian/Ancient, Hawaiian/Ancient, Utah/Ancient

7 ANCIENT - 5 MODERN Sea Salt Complex: African/Ancient, Peru/Ancient, Turkey/Modern, Hawaii/Modern, Australia/Ancient, France/Modern, Utah/Ancient, India/Ancient, Dominican Republic/Modern, Canada/Ancient, Hawaii/Ancient, Japan/Modern

8 different Sea Salts, all from HI. Some ancient, some modern.

SALT’S ROLE IN THE BIOLOGY OF OUR BODIES AND CELLULAR FUNCTION

WATER IN HUMAN BODIES: 0.4% salt. 0% of the water in our bodies is free of salt, or “fresh water”

HUMAN BLOOD: 0.8% Is about 1/3 as saline as sea water 0% of the blood in our bodies is free of salt.

Salt, primarily in the form of sodium chloride (NaCl), is essential for numerous life-sustaining cellular functions, primarily because its components, sodium (Na+Na raised to the positive power Na+) and chloride (Cl−Cl raised to the negative power Cl−), are the major electrolytes in the fluid surrounding cells (extracellular fluid). They dissociate in body fluids to carry an electric charge, which is crucial for the body's electrical and osmotic balance.

Key Cellular Functions of Salt:

Maintenance of Fluid Balance (Osmoregulation): Sodium is the primary determinant of extracellular fluid volume. The concentration gradient of sodium across the cell membrane creates osmotic pressure, which regulates the distribution of water inside and outside of cells. Water moves by osmosis to equalize the solute concentrations, ensuring proper cell volume and overall hydration.
Nerve Impulse Transmission: The difference in sodium and potassium concentrations across nerve cell membranes creates an electrochemical gradient called the resting membrane potential. When a nerve cell is stimulated, specialized sodium channels open, allowing
Na+Na raised to the positive power Na+ ions to rapidly flood into the cell. This influx of positive charge (depolarization) generates an electrical signal, known as an action potential, which is propagated along the nerve to transmit signals to the brain or muscles.
Muscle Contraction: Similar to nerve cells, muscle cells rely on the rapid influx of sodium ions to trigger the sequence of events that leads to muscle contraction.
Nutrient Transport: Sodium ions are vital for the transport of nutrients into cells. The sodium-glucose symporter, for example, uses the sodium gradient to move glucose and amino acids into cells, which is essential for energy metabolism.
Acid-Base Balance and Production of Stomach Acid: Chloride ions (Cl⁻) help maintain the body's pH balance (acid-base equilibrium). Chloride is also a crucial component in the production of hydrochloric acid (HCl), a key part of gastric juice needed for digestion.
Cellular Energy (ATP Usage): The constant action of the sodium-potassium pump (Na+/K+Na raised to the positive power / K raised to the positive power Na+/K+-ATPase) actively pumps sodium out of the cell and potassium in, against their concentration gradients. This process requires significant amounts of energy (ATP), accounting for 20-40% of an adult's resting energy expenditure, highlighting its critical importance in sustaining life and cellular function.
Immune Cell Function: Recent research indicates that local sodium concentrations can act as a signaling molecule, influencing immune cell function and inflammatory responses.

In summary, the specific handling and movement of sodium and chloride ions across cellular membranes are fundamental tools powering numerous physiological processes, from brain signaling to basic cell volume regulation and nutrient uptake.

What will YOU CHoose to fuel your cellULAR FUNCTION with?

mass produced, “factory”, industrial “table salt”, devoid of minerals, WHICH SERVES ONLY AS A VECTOR FOR IODINE, and contains toxic chemicals and additives which keep it from clumping together?
-OR -
NATURALLY OCCURRING, HIGHLY SOLUBLE & EASILY ABSORBED, mineral rich sea salt from near & far and from both ancient /EXTINCT & modern/ LIVING OCEANS.

IT’S THE MINERALS, MAN!

The minerals in sea salt (84 of them) are absolutely critical to our metabolic functions. Modern diets and processed foods are often devoid of most of these minerals and getting them into our bodies is therefore rather challenging. Mineral supplements are artificial, not easily absorbed (bio-available) expensive and inconvenient. But Sea Salts (and seaweed, which we also use) are LOADED WITH MINERALS are devoid of toxic additives and highly bio-available). Sea Salts are, therefore, an easy, natural, inexpensive, safe, effective, convenient and SMART way to get ALL of the minerals you need for optimal vitality and metabolic function.

Which do you think is going to do more for you? SEA SALT OR TABLE SALT?

We think salt should be simple and natural. It shouldn't be made in a factory or contain artificial additives. And it shouldn't be stripped of or absent beneficial trace minerals. It’s clear: Sea salt is abundance. Table salt is poison.

BUY A SMALL SEA SALT COMPLEX NOW

BUY A LARGE SEA SALT COMPLEX NOW

AN ANCIENT - COARSE SEA SALT COMPLEX - IN A GRIDER

100% Ancient Salts - ZERO Heavy Metals - ZERO Micro Plastics - 84 Essential Minerals & ElectroRIGHTS!

BUY A SMALL SEA SALT COMPLEX NOW

BUY A LARGE SEA SALT COMPLEX NOW

RAW LAB™ Wine Travel

WINE TRAVEL

Circumnavigate the globe by exploring up to 15 wines from all 6 wine producing regions.

OUR WINE EXPERIENCE IS DRIVEN BY OUR SPACE AND MODEL

The size of our space, how hidden it is and the fact that we have very very little storage space all drive how we handle the wine service. Also, our business model for a room that only seats 12 limits our ability to do the standard / traditional wine thing. Good news is, we’ve found that it actually liberated us, and our guests. It created all kinds of new opportunities. The benefits far out weight the limitations. It’s less, “we cant do that” and more, “look what we get to do!”

HOW IT WORKS - JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD

12-14 wines are sampled in 12-14 small pours (about 1/4 to 1/3 of a glass of each). Most are very intentionally paired with a bite or a dish or a series of bites. We take you AROUND THE WORLD with wine, literally.

We feature lesser know grapes and natural processes from all 6 wine producing continents. Wines from Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia or New Zealand, N. America and S. America are all sampled. We’ll get weird with Pet Nats and grapes many have never heard of or tried. We’ll travel through time and space with wines from The Republic of Georgia (the birthplace of viticulture), The Canary Islands (an Volcanic African Archipelago) and onward to Chile, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany and New York!

We enjoy busing myths and telling stories about wine just as much as we do with seafood. Our tiny space and intimate setting leads to discussions about all things and often we have guests who have amazing perspectives on wine. So, we ALL learn from their experience and observations. We didn’t design for that or even anticipate it but it is truly magical to see how our guests can add value to the experience.

GAIN IN EQUAL PROPORTION TO WHAT YOU GIVE UP

Our model allows our guests to try things many of them have never heard of. Join us and GET WEIRD together…you will find something you are surprised by in the the process. We promise. Like an Orange Pet Nat? How about a Diego Seco from a Volcanic African Archipelago? A fizzy Chilean Rose?

Put your palate on “Discovery Mode” like you might your ears when streaming music, and we’ll find some new favorites, together. Let’s juxtapose a traditional Spanish Albarino with a bubbly version of the same grape, grown in CA. Drink Txacoli from the Porron like a Basque! We challenge you to experience wines in fun new way. If you fall in love with one of these wines, great. Now you know. We’ve just expanded your wine universe and that’ll bring you joy in the future. Also, if you want to take some bottles home, great. We can do that too. This way you don’t have to go wine hunting to find it at retail.

THE STANDARD / TRADITIONAL WAY DOES NOT FIT OUR MODEL

Wines by the glass or bottle don’t work with RAW LAB. Or, to say it better, its not the best way to do it. Also, a few other things:

You can get that EVERYWHERE ELSE, every day of the year
The “go to” varieties (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio) will be there, elsewhere, everywhere, forever.
A full glass of wine would last for several bites or courses, in some cases. We’d like to mix up the pairings for you more since we have the time, space and attention to share with each other. We are able to compare impressions, explore preferences more deeply and learn much more in the process.

RED WINE DRINKERS

Those who drink red wine exclusively can be hesitant to join us. We can certainly appreciate the dedication to fine red wine (and we can accommodate you, if you like). But more often than not, red wine drinkers come away from this saying: “ Wow, I had no idea I could enjoy white, rose and orange wines so much!”.

THREE WAYS TO GET THE PICTURE: 3 FILMS BELOW

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

RESERVATIONS ONLY

ONLY ON RESY & FOR SMALL GROUPS ONLY (UP TO 4 GUESTS)

FOR LARGE GROUPS (5 OR MORE) - TEXT OR CALL US @ 843 580 7729

! PLEASE NOTE !

RAW LAB is NOT a “traditional restaurant” or A “TRADITIONAL SUSHI OMAKASE”

RAW LAB is not a typical dining experience or culinary offering AND WE DO NOT MAKE OR SERVE SUSHI!

RAW LAB is not A FIT FOR EVERY PERSON OR EVERY OCCASION. The experience is not always a good fit for every circumstance, individual or group as it is not a typical “restaurant” product, service or experience. Please make sure it is a fit for you, your group and your circumstances before you book.

RAW LAB IS **a next generation “Raw Bar” (NOT A SUSHI BAR) featuring MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS presented via an Omakase STYLE of service IN a semi-private oR private dining ENVIRONMENT.**

RAW LAB has SEVERAL RATHER A-TYPICAL POLICIES that may or may not be agreeable to you. We strongly recommend you make yourself familiar with them.

4.9 - 5 STAR RATED ACROSS THE MAJOR / RELEVANT RESERVATION PLATFORMS

READ REVIEWS HERE || RESERVATIONS ONLY @ RESY

BOOK THE WHOLE ROOM - GROUPS OF 12 - 20

We will send the limo for ya if all start and end in one spot, basically.

Routes include Daniel Island, Kiawah and IOP.

RAW LAB LIMO

WORTH THE TIME & MONEY?

WINNER OF OPEN TABLE’S 2022 DINER’S CHOICE AWARD

A Singular Semi-Private or Private Dining, Test Kitchen, Chef’s Table Experience for up to 12 guests

ONE OF THE TOP RATED CULINARY OPPORTUNITIES IN CHARESTON. SEE THE LIST OF TOP RATED RESTAURANTS HERE

RAW LAB MENU

@ 99 S. MARKET STREET, CHS, SC (843) 580 7729

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RECENT PRESS BELOW

FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE || TOWN & COUNTRY MAGAZINE || PASTE MAGAZINE || SC LIVING MAGAZINE

FOX 24 CHS || CITY PAPER CHS || CHARLESTON LIVING MAGAZINE || THE LOCAL PALATE || LUX LIVING MAGAZINE

WE #RaiseTheRaw Bar. YOU #SeasTheBay!

$200 -$250 per person ++ (PLUS tax & tip)

**INCLUDED: 9-12 Rounds oF Marine Cuisine & DelicaSEAS + 12 - 14 PREMIUM Wine Pairings**

SERVICE WED - SAT || ONE SEATING || 6:30pm - 10PM

RESERVATIONS ONLY - RESERVE SEATS HERE

21+

843 580 7729

READ REVIEWS ON YELP & OPEN TABLE

BROWSE RECENT PRESS HERE

15 GREAT REASONS WHY THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY VALUE & EXPERIENCE

WHAT IT IS / ISNT || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || VIEW PRIX FIXE OMAKASE MENU HERE

RESERVE THE ROOM || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY || MEET OWNER & MASTER MERMMELIER KEVIN JOSEPH

#RaiseTheRawBar

MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS

Learn more about this culinary ethic HERE and check out some pictures at that link or in the gallery below.

HOW IT WORKS

Enjoy 9 - 12 rounds of WHOLE, LIVE, RAW AND/OR BIO-AVAIALBE DISHES & UP TO 14 WINE PAIRINGS

READ REVIEWS ON YELP & OPEN TABLE

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

RESERVATIONS FOR PRIX FIXE OMAKASE & SEMI-PRIVATE DINING

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

THIS IS A FIT FOR THOSE WHO…

…seek the unprecedented, unique and original.
…have been to all the great CHS restaurants 10 times each and seek something completely different.
…value elite food & wine experiences and have 3-4 hours available to do enjoy our service.
…are NOT allergic to shellfish, mollusks or crustaceans. Fin fish allergies can be worked around by skipping a course or two.
…are comfortable with or seek a community table type of setting and a salon like atmosphere.
…appreciate elite food, wine and service without any pretension.

PRIVATE DINING

Book the room privately and we’ll serve you anything we can make.

2 - 12 guests for $4,500 ++ (Food, Beverage & Service Included, Taxes & 20% Gratuity NOT included)

13 - 14 guests for $5,500 ++ (Food, Beverage & Service Included, Taxes & 20% Gratuity NOT included)

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

COMING SOON - MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS

Own a reservation for 4 every night of the year. Pay only when you use it. Share it with anyone.

Preferences on reservations, private room bookings and more.

OPERATING HOURS 2022

Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sat

ONE, 6:30pm Seating for up to 12 guests. Service begins at 6:30pm, SHARP.

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

LOCATION OF RAW LAB

Between Chruch Street & Meeting Street

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RAW LAB™ Playlists

THE JAMS

RAW LAB™ Playlists

THE JAMS

PLAYLISTS

One of the most asked questions at RAW LAB is “How can I get your playlist”. Here’s the answer! Everything lives in PUBLIC PLAYLISTS on AMAZON MUSIC because almost all of our guests have Amazon Prime and Amazon Music is free with Prime.

How did this come about? RAW LAB needed a SOUNDTRACK. This is it. The common denominators / qualifiers for each track are:

Unfamiliar to most
Instrumental
Cultural & Historic Associations
Lyrics NOT in English
Something Owner / Chef Kevin Joseph loves and has been exploring for years
Sounds GREAT on our sound system
Fucking Weird, Mystical and/or Romantic
Choreography of movements & timing that ADDS to the experience
It just fits, works with a transition or whatever

Why?

TRANSPORT YOU to other times, places and feelings.
CREATE NEW ASSOCIATIONS and memories and only tap OLD associations or memories where it adds something
SUSPEND REALITY & TIME
ELIMINATE OR MINIMIZE the familiar
CREATE DISCOVERY

Not your jam? Cool. Neither is RAW LAB. There is definitely a restaurant playing Classic Rock or EDM nearby which is a better fit for you.

MASTER PLAYLIST

Everything from every other playlist. Best enjoyed on Shuffle.

**Enter - OYSTER FLIGHT - Discover**

What we play when guests enter. Also, where I store new stuff for future evaluation and placement.

COLD SMOKE

When you cold smoke oysters, you gotta get extra weird, over the top…etc.

CAVIAR TRIP

If your wanna trip on caviar, here’s the jams that will make it extra funky.

PORRON & CEVICHE

Just because. Lots of Spanish lyrics here.

PINK TACO / CAESAR

Choreography & Sillyness

ALT CAESAR

TOWER REVEAL

Sillyness & Associations

Dolce - JAM SESSION - Buona Sera

Support a theme and then turn 12 adults into 9 year olds for 3 songs.

LOCATION

RAW LAB™ WINNING

WINNING CHARLESTON

THE BEST WAYS TO ENJOY A LONG WEEKEND IN CHARLESTON

THURS

Arrive

DINNER - @ Raw Lab or Chubby Fish or Sushi Wa

FRI

LUNCH

DOWNTOWN

SULLIVANS ISLAND

DINNER - @ Raw Lab or Chubby Fish or Sushi Wa

APRES DINNER:

SAT

LUNCH

OYSTER FARM TOUR

FOLLY BEACH

DOWNTOWN

DINNER - @ Raw Lab or Chubby Fish or Sushi Wa

APRES DINNER:

SUN

BRUNCH

HOTELS

AIR B & B

BEACH RENTALS

#RaiseTheRawBar

MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS

Learn more about this culinary ethic HERE and check out some pictures at that link or in the gallery below.

HOW IT WORKS

Enjoy 9 - 12 rounds of WHOLE, LIVE, RAW AND/OR BIO-AVAIALBE DISHES & UP TO 14 WINE PAIRINGS

READ REVIEWS ON YELP & OPEN TABLE

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

RESERVATIONS FOR PRIX FIXE OMAKASE & SEMI-PRIVATE DINING

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

THIS IS A FIT FOR THOSE WHO…

…seek the unprecedented, unique and original.
…have been to all the great CHS restaurants 10 times each and seek something completely different.
…value elite food & wine experiences and have 3-4 hours available to do enjoy our service.
…are NOT allergic to shellfish, mollusks or crustaceans. Fin fish allergies can be worked around by skipping a course or two.
…are comfortable with or seek a community table type of setting and a salon like atmosphere.
…appreciate elite food, wine and service without any pretension.

PRIVATE DINING

Book the room privately and we’ll serve you anything we can make.

2 - 12 guests for $4,500 ++ (Food, Beverage & Service Included, Taxes & 20% Gratuity NOT included)

13 - 14 guests for $5,500 ++ (Food, Beverage & Service Included, Taxes & 20% Gratuity NOT included)

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

COMING SOON - MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS

Own a reservation for 4 every night of the year. Pay only when you use it. Share it with anyone.

Preferences on reservations, private room bookings and more.

OPERATING HOURS 2022

Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sat

ONE, 6:30pm Seating for up to 12 guests. Service begins at 6:30pm, SHARP.

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

LOCATION OF RAW LAB

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

Between Chruch Street & Meeting Street

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RAW LAB™ FIT

**IS RAW LAB A FIT FOR YOU?**

THOSE WHO **ENJOY RAW LAB THE MOST ARE…**

CHARLESTON LOCALS…which have made up 85% of our guests and 95% of our repeat business. Their referrals and recommendations have allowed us to prove the model, survive and thrive. Sophisticated locals have seen the evolution of the culinary scene in CHS and see the niche RAW LAB has found, how it is different and unique. THANKS YA’LL.

INTERESTED in learning the truth about certain seafoods (busting myths & meeting other people and conversing with them in a very intimate setting for up to 4 hours.

INTERESTING people who have dined at the highest levels around the world. The best fed and most well traveled gourmands and EPICureans enjoy and appreciate RAW LAB the most and express that most vociferously.

OPEN MINDED WINE AFICIONADOS who are not opposed to exploring a highly-curated collection of up to 15 wines that are mostly white, rose and orange, from about 15 nations and all 6 wine producing continents.

GENEROUS with their attention. They are able to share the space and energy and fun of the experience with up to 11 other people and the Chef. They EMBRACE AND ENGAGE in this SALON setting, structure and experience. LEARN more about the tradition of the SALON here.

CURIOUS and COURAGEOUS guests who are not afraid to be guided to the edges of their preferences, coached on techniques for pairing and tasting food & wine and led by a guide through an unfamiliar process or experience.

PEOPLE WHO DO NOT ENJOY RAW LAB ARE…

“Larry Davids” & “Karens” Read our negative reviews on unqualified platforms like Google & Yelp. Larry & Karen are all over these. Read our replies too.

Anyone allergic to more than ONE of the the following: Oysters, Caviar, Shrimp, Lobster, Crab or Salmon. Being allergic to ONE of these things may mean you’d have to skip a course. Being allergic to more than one of these things means you’ll have to skip 2 or more courses. That could make it “not worth it” for you.

Anyone seeking substitutions. We cannot accommodate substitutions due to the small (tiny) setting which utilized a micro/nano kitchen which contains only one small refrigerator.

Anyone who dislikes or cannot tolerate white, rose or orange wines. However, we can substitute a bottle or red wine for anyone who would prefer that.

Those expecting SUSHI because THIS IS NOT A SUSHI PRODUCT, SERVICE OR EXPERIENCE. We are not sushi people. We love and revere the sushi masters. We are not them. Omakase Sushi experiences are typically a very formal affair, especially in Japan, where you are in the presence of a true master to whom you are expected to give your fill attention and respect. We are much more FUN Dining than FINE dining. Want Sushi in Charleston, PLEASE support our friends over at Sushi Wa & Shiki. THEY ARE MASTERS!

Looking for Farm to Table experience or LOCAL FOOD ETHIC. These are wonderful culinary ethics but they cannot be applied to MARINE CUISINE in one meal in one market and MARINE CUISINE is our culinary ethic. Farm to Table or Local never was our ethic for this concept and we have never represented ourselves as such. EVER! Its been done and is being done, all over. Sometimes its done well. Mostly, however, its FARM TO FABLE. We use local oysters and shrimp nearly 100% of the time because some of the best of both are available here, directly from the producer. But Salmon, Lobster, Caviar and other items we feature are not produced locally and are a very important part of our culinary ethic. Learn about that here

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

WINNER OF OPEN TABLE’S 2022 DINER’S CHOICE AWARD

A Singular Semi-Private or Private Dining, Test Kitchen, Chef’s Table Experience for up to 12 guests

ONE OF THE TOP RATED CULINARY OPPORTUNITIES IN CHARESTON. SEE THE LIST OF TOP RATED RESTAURANTS HERE

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RECENT PRESS BELOW

FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE || TOWN & COUNTRY MAGAZINE || PASTE MAGAZINE || SC LIVING MAGAZINE

FOX 24 CHS || CITY PAPER CHS || CHARLESTON LIVING MAGAZINE || THE LOCAL PALATE || LUX LIVING MAGAZINE

MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS

Learn more about this culinary ethic HERE and check out some pictures at that link or in the gallery below.

HOW IT WORKS

Enjoy 9 - 12 rounds of WHOLE, LIVE, RAW AND/OR BIO-AVAIALBE DISHES & UP TO 14 WINE PAIRINGS

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

RESERVATIONS FOR PRIX FIXE OMAKASE & SEMI-PRIVATE DINING

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

LOCATION OF RAW LAB

Between Chruch Street & Meeting Street

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RAW LAB™ Overview

WHAT RAW LAB IS & WHAT IT IS NOT

UPDATED JAN 2025

RAW LAB IS…

RATED 4.9 STARS ON RESY. This is elite. This puts us in rare company. Only 8 or 9 other Charleston dining experiences have this high of a rating (and have been operating for at least 18 months. 97.3% of our reviews have been 5 Star across all platforms (RESY, Google, Yelp and Trip Advisor).
AN EXPERIMENT in how to delight and enchant consumers with a culinary ethic guided by two principles:
1. “MARINE CUSINE”
2. “Whole + Live + Raw + Bioavailable”.
A RESULT": 36 months of operations has proven one thing definitively. For 99% of those who post reviews it is a 5 star experience. For 1% who post reviews it is a 1-4 star experience. From analyzing these comments it is clear that those few people who gave us less than 5 stars DID NOT have a clear understanding of what RAW LAB is and is not. Crystal clear.
A NEW PARADIGM: Dining in 5 Dimensions. See + Hear + Smell + Taste + Touch = FEEL! 5 physical senses combine into one METAPHYSICAL experience, feeling, epiphany or consciousness.
AMERICA’S FINEST RAW BAR PRODUCT, SERVICE & EXPERIENCE. We removed the raw bar for the “seafood restaurant that ALSO has a raw bar”, and eliminated the seafood restaurant so we could focus on being the best Raw Bar ever, anywhere! We like to say that we did to the Raw Bar what Circe de Soleil did to Ringling Brothers. Does that sound pretentious, vainglorious or outlandish? Well, anyone that ever challenged the status-quo would have been labeled as such. We embrace that entirely.
AN EXTRAORDINARY WINE EXPERIENCE. Where else can you enjoy 12 or 15 wines from 15 nations on 6 continents in one sitting? Small pours allow us to split a bottle up to 12 ways and thereby allow everyone an opportunity to discover or fall in love with a wine they may have never heard of. HUGE & FUN learning / discovery opportunity here for white, rose, orange wines, mostly.
ADORED BY LOCALS & TRAVELERS. It was local who have made us a success, proven the model and made up 90% of our business in the first 18 months of operations. Since June 2023 more and more travelers to CHS are discovering it too.
A SMASH HIT with foodies, gourmands, epicureans, culinary influencers and food media professionals. See our press coverage HERE. With an advertising budget of $0 we have relied on word of mouth from locals who we have found to be about 90% of our guests. And they keep coming back with friends from out of town.
YET TO BE FULLY REALIZED BY VISITORS TO CHARLESTON who are drawn to the more established “Restaurants”. However, those that do discover us come to an amazing epiphany almost every time: “This would kill it in ____________insert name of city like NY, LA, Chicago, Miami or Dallas or wherever. There’s nothing like RAW LAB there.”
An EXPERIMENT IN MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS. A meal consisting of products and featuring processes that are meticulously vetted and curated to be “VANGUARD BEST PRACTICES” meaning, the most sustainable, responsible, healthy, safe and luxurious species & products delivered in a world class culinary experience!
AN OMAKASE-STYLE SERVICE. Meaning, the menu is set and prix fixe, NOT that it is Sushi. Guests do not receive a menu or order from it. They may elect to enjoy spirits (neat and on the rocks) and additional wine, a la carte. Omakasse is a Japanese verb that means “to entrust”. In this model guests entrust creator, owner, host & Master Mermmelier Kevin Joseph to deliver an extraordinary experience and value with RAW BAR fare, in the ancient omakase service style, minus all the formality and pretense.
AN EXPERIENCE, where whole, live, raw and bioavailable dishes are served, explained, enjoyed and discussed in a convivial, “Edu-taining” and non-pretentious way…;where the GUESTS are a BIG PART OF THE EXPERIENCE.
RESERVATION ONLY. Reservations via RESY ONLY. A small, intimate semi-private of private chef’s table / test kitchen experience. Be SURE to review our reservation, cancellation and no-show policy HERE before you book.
A “SALON” in every sense of the historical meaning of the word and experience. WIKIPEDIA LISTING FOR “SALON”. We didnt plan it like this. Had no idea this would be the character of the experience. But it really is. And this makes it a singular dining experience, especially when the room is full of those who ask great questions and share great stories (as it most often is).
AN ESCAPE! The food, music, decor, lighting and service are all, purposely, “unfamiliar”. You’ll lost track of time and space in the most delightful of ways.
ONE SEATING PER NIGHT, each Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sat nights. We start at 6:30pm. Service takes 3.5 - 4 hours. Time flies. Guests are NEVER hurried away from their table because it is needed for the next reservation.
A COMMUNITY TABLE / BAR where all guests are seated together at the same time and experience every dish and pairing simultaneously. There are NO tables, just the one, U-Shaped bar.
GREAT FOR GROUPS OF 5 to 14 but these are considered large groups and we have different policies for them. Learn more HERE
SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FOR INTERESTING & INTERESTED DINERS seeking something adventurous, exciting, FUN, sexy, smart, cool & unique.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

PURCHASE SEATS ON RESY HERE

RAW LAB IS NOT…

A GOOD FIT FOR EVERY GUEST OR OCCASION… becuse it is NOT a restaurant where you sit at a table, apart from other diners. You share a bar with 11 other people and so you cannot maintain private conversations for long. So, this is not a good choice for a spot to catch up with an old friend. Come with someone you want to share the room and experience with. You’ll enjoy this much more if you easily engage with others and if you are interested in asking questions, listening to answers to questions other have and just generally being a part of the experience. On the contrary, please do not come with people you know to be the type of person who needs ALL of the attention of others. Domineering personalities fail to maintain in this context and at some point that person will be made to feel like they need to simmer down.
JUST AN OYSTER BAR…its a RAW BAR, re-imagined. Here we have removed the Raw Bar from the Seafood Restaurant (the only model that’s really ever existed) and eliminated the seafood restaurant so we could focus on ways to #RaiseTheRawBar. We serve hot and cold dishes, lobster, shrimp, crab, oysters, caviar and salmon (mostly). Ceviche. Crudo. Salads. Soups/Bisques…etc. Its “Raw Bar” far
A “SUSHI” EXPERIENCE. Repeat: THIS IS NOT A SUSHI OMAKASE. There is no rice used in any dish. This is not sashimi or nigiri. We do not aim to emulate sushi or izakaya menus or the omakase style often used in those cuisines. We offer riffs on Classic American Raw Bar offerings and apply the ancient omakase style to the food & wine pairings. On top of that we #RaiseTheRawBar with a host of whole, live, raw & bioavailable products and presentations.
AN ENTIRELY RAW MENU…we serve a meal what is made up of raw, cured, pickled, fermented and cooked dishes. Some are served cold, others at room temp, warm or even hot. Some things are cooked but served chilled. Its NOT JUST an oyster bar. It is an experience with a host of species and products of the ultra-premium quality level.
NOT A SMALL MEAL, SNACK OR APPETIZER YOU LEAVE HUNGRY FROM. We fill your belly and moreover, we nurture it with whole, live, raw and bioavailable dishes that are healthy and delicious. You’ll feel great when you leave and great the next morning too.
A “RESTAURANT”. It is a next-generation raw bar. We have removed the raw bar from the restaurant in our model. And we turned it into a meal. We also improved it in every possible way. So now, instead of going to seafood restaurants that ALSO have a raw bar, and do an OK job with it, you can go to the best RAW BAR in the world.
A TRADITIONAL DINING EXPERIENCE, raw bar or oyster bar. There is no waiter, bartender or server. The chef assumes all these roles as he hosts and guides the group through the experience.
A LA CARTE. A this time, guests CAN NOT just pop in and grab a seat, even if some of our 12 seats are open. Book in advance to secure your seat and so that we can know what we need to purchase and prep for service.
SUPER FANCY OR FORMAL Though it is an elegant room and service, casual dress if fine. DRESS CODE: Be Yourself!
CHEAP. It IS a great value, however. Ultra-premium product is pricey, period. But it is worth is as we add value in so many ways. LEARN WHY HERE
FOR KIDS. 21+
A GOOD IDEA FOR THOSE WITH SEAFOOD OR SHELLFISH ALLERGIES…or those with EXTREMELY SHORT ATTENTION SPANS. Or anyone who NEEDS ALL THE ATTENTION / OXYGEN IN THE ROOM. THE MOST ENTITLED, “KAREN’S” or “LARRY DAVIDS” or people who’ve been drinking all day. They kill the vibe, create conflicts, slow down service, bother other guests and often they are the ones who write bad reviews because they suffer from the delusion that being a “foodie” qualifies them to be a culinary critic.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

PURCHASE SEATS ON RESY HERE

RESERVATIONS ARE PRE-PAID

Reservations can only be made on RESY and are pre-paid, like concert or theater tickets. Feel free to call with questions about food, wine or booking the room privately for a party of 2 - 14 guests. 843 580 7729.

NOTE: “All Sales Are (NOT ALWAYS) Final”. Meaning, there are some ways to be refunded some, most or all of the cost if you cant make it.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

Guests are welcome to arrive at 6pm and in the time between then and entry into Raw Lab they are received with a non-alcoholic “mock-tail” from Curious Elixrs. This can be enjoyed outside in our courtyard at Port of Call @ 99 S. Market Street (Between Church & Meeting, just East of Another Broken Egg and the Five & Dime). NOTE: Google places the arrow a bit west of where we actually are, so please be aware of that. There is usually live music at that time so just follow that. Between 6:30pm & 6:37pm guests will be greeted by Chef Kevin Joseph. He will show them to the entry and point out the restrooms. He’ll also get to know where guests are from and how they heard about us. Finally, Kevin will try to make connections between the guests who will all enter with Kevin at 6:37pm, sharp.

“Dinner” is preceeded by a 90 minute oyster, caviar and wine pairing. So, a true meal does not begin until about 8pm, a fairly standard time for a dinner reservation. 5-7 wines are paired with the oysters & caviar and then another 5-7 wines are paired with the courses that follow. At about 10pm a “dolce” is presented, followed by checks. If you have a babysitter you need to relieve, expect to be able to walk out the door at 10pm. However, you are NEVER rushed out. We do not have a second seating so we have no need to hurry you. Enjoy yourself and linger a bit, if you like.

BOOK THE ROOM PRIVATELY

This can be done two ways: Book all 12 seats for $250 x 12 + tax & tip or Book the Room for 14 and we’ll add 2 extra seats for $250 + tax & tip x 12. This includes all food & wine for all guests. Total cost runs about $3,840.

If there is a night you want to book it privately but there are not enough seats for your group, call us. Maybe we can move existing bookings on that night to another night so you can have the room all to yourself. If you are group of 8, you can have the room privately for your 8 guests alone IF you book ALL 12 seats which, in the end will need to be paid for in advance. We have done this for as few as 5 guests.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

BACK TO RAW LAB PAGE

LOCATION

RAW LAB™ TRADE

IN SEARCH OF “TRADE & PARTNERSHIPS”

We will trade seats at RAW LAB in exchange for the products, services & experiences listed below. And, we will PROMOTE your brand to our guests in a host of elegant ways.

BUSINESS LEGAL SERVICES - TRADEMARKS

BUSINESS CONSULTING SERVICES

CONTENT CREATION

INSHORE FISHING TRIPS

OFFSHORE FISHING / DIVING TRIPS

MASSAGE / BODY WORK

VACATION RENTALS & HOTELS

WORLD-CLASS DINING IN CHS & BEYOND

PLANTS & PLANT CARE

WOOD, METAL & GLASS WORK

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES (MECHANICS)

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY

PUBLIC RELATIONS

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT

EDITORIAL COVERAGE

CUSTOM CERAMICS & GLASS WORK

GRAPHIC DESIGN

LIMOUSINE SERVICES

OUR CLIENTELE

Diners at RAW LAB are Interesting, Interested, Affluent & Influential Gourmands & Epicureans who seek out elite dining experiences as they travel the world. From our opening until now (July 2023) 80% of our guests have been residents of Charleston area. Another 10% are SC residents. A shockingly high number of these guests have come back and brought friends and family, some as many as 8 times! About 10% of our guests are visitors from out of town. This is an extremely coveted demographic for any product, service or experience and the delivery of your message to these people, in this way, at the time we do it is precious word of mouth….the HOLY GRAIL of marketing.

HOW WE PROMOTE OUR PARTNERS & PROVIDERS

Business Card / Offer in Check Presenter
Offers / QR Code in our “Partnerpedia”. A book that is passed around with the dolce where guests can browse partner offers, scan QR codes, write comments and provide us with emails and phone numbers to keep in touch.
Partner page on our website (coming soon to www.empireoyster.com/rawlabpartners)

CHECK PRESENTER

Each check is presented in a 500g Sterling Caviar Tin. Inside the tin we present business cards from our partners and providers with special offers or interesting information about their products, services & experiences.

PARTNER / MEMBER BOOK

As checks are presented, so too is our Partner / Member book. It gets passed around and guests are encouraged to browse offers and scan QR codes. They are also welcomed to give us their name, phone number and email so we can inform them of future partner offers, membership opportunities and more. Comments and feedback is also encouraged and given in this way.

SOCIAL & DIGITAL MARKETING

We are going to begin a monthly newsletter in the fall of 2023. In it we will feature our trade / sponsor partners regularly.

PARTNER PAGE

Coming soon to www.empireoyster.com/rawlabpartners

#RaiseTheRawBar

MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS

Learn more about this culinary ethic HERE and check out some pictures at that link or in the gallery below.

HOW IT WORKS

Enjoy 9 - 12 rounds of WHOLE, LIVE, RAW AND/OR BIO-AVAIALBE DISHES & UP TO 14 WINE PAIRINGS

READ REVIEWS ON YELP & OPEN TABLE

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

RESERVATIONS FOR PRIX FIXE OMAKASE & SEMI-PRIVATE DINING

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

THIS IS A FIT FOR THOSE WHO…

…seek the unprecedented, unique and original.
…have been to all the great CHS restaurants 10 times each and seek something completely different.
…value elite food & wine experiences and have 3-4 hours available to do enjoy our service.
…are NOT allergic to shellfish, mollusks or crustaceans. Fin fish allergies can be worked around by skipping a course or two.
…are comfortable with or seek a community table type of setting and a salon like atmosphere.
…appreciate elite food, wine and service without any pretension.

PRIVATE DINING

Book the room privately and we’ll serve you anything we can make.

2 - 12 guests for $4,500 ++ (Food, Beverage & Service Included, Taxes & 20% Gratuity NOT included)

13 - 14 guests for $5,500 ++ (Food, Beverage & Service Included, Taxes & 20% Gratuity NOT included)

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

COMING SOON - MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS

Own a reservation for 4 every night of the year. Pay only when you use it. Share it with anyone.

Preferences on reservations, private room bookings and more.

OPERATING HOURS 2022

Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sat

ONE, 6:30pm Seating for up to 12 guests. Service begins at 6:30pm, SHARP.

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

LOCATION OF RAW LAB

Between Chruch Street & Meeting Street

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RAW LAB™ Menu

RAW LAB MENU

THIS PAGE IS Intended to be a general overview of the kinds of dishes and the sorts of species we FEATURE. WE ARE NOT AN OYSTER BAR WE ARE A RAW BAR. PLEASE DO NOT make a reservation at RAW LAB if you have shellfish allergies AND BE SURE THOSE YOU ARE HOSTING UNDERSTAND OUR MENU AND OFFERING. Due to time and space constraints we do not substitute. We have a gluten and diary free menu which focuses on the product with vanguard best-practices in fishing and aquaculture as well as those species which are the safest and healthiest choices in seafood. This is what we call MARINE CUISINE!

VIEW PDF OF THE PRIX FIXE OMAKASE MENU HERE

PHOTO GALLERY BELOW

WATCH THE FILM “KEVIN DREAMS OF OYSTERS” HERE

This film breaks down our Oyster Omakase Experience as we developed it and perfected it between 2017-20. We’ve grown from there to now over a much broader and deeper Omakase Experience that features much more than oysters.

BACK TO RAW LAB PAGE

LOCATION

RAW LAB™ Membership

MEMBERSHIP

Individuals, Families, Companies, Hotels, Corporations or Non-Profits can all benefit GREATLY from a membership.

Guaranteed Reservations
Reduced cost per seat
No late-cancel or no-show charges
Customization of menu and wine pairings
Sunday, Monday & Tuesday Service
First Access to Special Event Tickets (New Years Eve, International Oyster Day, King Crab For A Day…etc).

After nearly 2 years of operations we have proven to be an elite dining experience as we’ve maintained a 4.9 Star Rating on RESY. Having proven ourselves, the concept and generated a small community of raving fans, we have decided to offer a Membership opportunity.

As the only SHUCKeasy in the world, this is an exclusive club and room. We dont expect those who’ve never been to understand but for those of you who have, we are SURE you do.

Many benefits beyond those listed above will be available such as wine upgrades, menu changes, musical requests and more. All “Members” will have first dibs on reservations which means you HAVE a reservation for every night of the year that is beyond 60 days out. you let it go and when that happens others may book those seats. Call for a better explanation on that. Also, you can call to book seats and you do not have to worry about late-cancellation fees or no-show fees. The savings are obvious on the price per seat too. So this is a great option for a host of groups like…

A GROUP OF CLOSE FRIENDS
HOTELS & RESORTS
AIR B & B OWNERS
CORPORATIONS
DESTINATION MANAGERS & EVENT PLANNERS
RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY PROGRAM DIRECTORS
VACATION PROPERTY MANAGERS
LUXURY TRAVEL AGENTS
NON-PROFITS
TRADE ASSOCIATIONS
NETWORKING GROUPS
SALES REPS
LAW FIRMS
HOSPITALS & MEDICAL OR DENTAL PRACTICES
SOCIAL & CIVIC CLUBS

LOCATION

RAW LAB™ Influencers

INFLUENCERS

THANK YOU

For considering a collaboration with us. We have had a lot of success in our collaborations with influence rs since we opened in Feb 2022. As the business thrived and matured, we now have the following policies and guidelines for influencers.

OUR OFFER

Dinner for you + 1. Retail value $700.

WE REQUEST

Make a reservation on RESY (so you can review us on RESY)
Post at least 3 stories while dining with us.
Post a 20 - 30 second reel within 5 days of dining with us.
Post a 5 Star review on RESY, Google & Trip Advisor

That’s it. Pretty simple.

We understand that other dining options in Charleston will pay you to post about them. With only 12 seats per night we are not in a position to give up $700 in revenue AND pay influencers. We ARE, however, in a position to deliver to you a singular raw bar / fine dining / theatrical experience that is LOADED with opportunities for fun, smart and sexy content that will drive engagement for you.

If you are interested, please shoot us a DM on IG to discuss.

RAW LAB™ Value

VALUE PROPOSITION

HOW CAN THIS BE WORTH IT?

GREAT QUESTION! Simple answer: For most people, its not! But we did’nt create this for most people. So there real question for the consumer becomes: “IS IT FOR ME?”

RAW LAB is a transcendent dining experience that is HIGHLY REWARDING FOR THE INTERESTING & INTERESTED GOURMANDS & EPICUREANS who have had the good fortune to dine at top restaurants all over the world AND who are interested in DINING IN A VERY SOCIAL WAY. We know this because when they come they tell us and often they return with friends, family and clients. These consumers are the most vocal, adamant and articulate about their love of RAW LAB.

RAW LAB is in a league of it’s own. It is as different from “Restaurants” and “Fine Dining” as Poetry from Physics. It begins with our USE OF SPACE and an uprecedented FUSION OF A SERVICE STYLE AND A CUISINE. It was conceived of and designed to fit into a specific space and everything about it was shaped by that. RAW LAB was created to APPEAL TO A VERY NARROW MARKET, on purpose. We wanted to see IF it was possible to turn 242 sf that was once a merchandise shop for a BUBBA GUMP SHRIMP COMPANY into an elite dining space. More than “Dinner” and More than a "MEAL”, it is a BONA-FIDE ADVENTURE. For those for whom it is a fit it is an extraordinarily rewarding experience.

The best way to understand this layered, intricate and complex offering is to visit this page ( 5 DIMENSION DINING ) and read it, top to bottom but below is a brief overview of the formula which creates a singular experience, value proposition and even a demonstrable ROI.

Our Value Proposition is built on a foundation of

2 CORE CHARACTERISTICS

…these affect all other aspects of the experience. thEY allows us to achieve something entirely different from the traditional MICHELIN STAR / JAMES BEARD / ESCOFFIER - BRIGADE Restaurant Business / Table Service Model.

ThESE CHARACtErISTICS support…

5 PILLARS

…that are the heart of our offering They are LIKE separate ACTS IN A PLAY OR CHAPTERS IN A BOOK.

The characteristics and pillars CREATE…

4 UNIQUE FEATURES

theSE features are a constant THAT which manifest throughout the delivery of the 5 pillars.

it is the combination of the foundation, pillars and features that affords us the opportunity to consistently deliver…

20+ POINTS OF DISCOVERY

AND DISCOVERY IS THE DELTA BETWEEN EATING & DINING. IT IS ALSO THE GATEWAY TO DINING IN AN ENTIRELY NEW WAY

This is the FORMULA for our Value Proposition. which engages and enchants in mystical and metaphysical ways. It is an expedition into the 4th & 5th dimension of dining.

SHALLOW DIVE INTO THIS BELOW

DEEP DIVE HERE @ 5 D DINING

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

2 CORE CHARACTERISTICS

FUSION CONCEPT

We fused a Service Style with a Cuisine instead of two cuisines, as is typical in Fusion Concepts. We combined the Ancient / Oriental / Japanese Service Style of OMAKASE (traditionally applied only to Sushi) with a Modern / Occidental / Euro-Merican Cuisine of RAW BAR. Most fusion concepts we’ve seen over the past few years have been fusions of cuisines / ingredients. See Wikipedia on Fusion Cuisine

Super cool stuff has been happening, for decades, in this space. We, however, did not create a cuisine / ingredient “FUSION” we created a service style / cuisine / use of space kind of a fusion.

OMAKASE

A style of service reserved for the Masters of Sushi to use in Japan for eons.

USED: Small room. A Master. Fixed Price. No Menu. Extremely high quality product, always. A Sake pairing.

CHANGED: Near zero use of rice and a focus on the fish/protein, over rice, when used. MUCH less formal than the traditional Omakase style. MUCH more fun. Sake pairing limited to ONE sake and added many, many, many wines to the mix.

RAW BAR

A collection of dishes featuring a handful of species. preparations and presentations, traditionally. Typically crustaceans and moluscs, served raw or cooked / chilled.

USED: All the typical species, raw/cured/cooked/chilled preparations typical of Occidental Cultures in N. America, S. America, Europe, Australia

CHANGED: Eliminated the “seafood restaurant” RAW BARS are typically a part of. Expanded it from only RAW or CHILLED to include hot items. Abandoned the table service ONLY model. Turned the idea of a table sharing a few items from the raw bar into everyone experiencing the same item, together, in real time. Killed the concept that these species / dishes could not be amalgamated into a meal that was healthy, filling and sustainable.

2. U-SHAPED BAR

USED:

CHANGED: The shape of the typical L shaped or a straight counter (typical of Omakase) to a U-Shape allowing for guests to face each other more and interact more and cultivate a Salon type of an experience. Encouraged interaction between guests. Added an “Ice Moat” as a feature of the bar which is used in various ways throughout the evening.

WHAT THIS MEANS?

It means you give some things up to gain other things. You give up large menus, being rushed to pay the bill, substitutions, waiters, sommeliers and decisions. The implications for all this are profound and best experienced in person. You also give up some elements of style typical of fine dining like elegant stemware, some of the attendance to the table for cleanliness and, of course, privacy.

The traditional RESTAURANT MODEL is great when you want to sit at a table with just your friends and family and receive RAW BAR FARE on platters or a tower, split a bottle or two of wine, and have a private conversation. But what if you wanted to “sit at the bar”, chat with other diners, learn from the shuckers and be a bit more. “social”? Well, we created RAW LAB to deliver that option. It is a cool alternative to the same old, seafood restaurant offering a la carte, table service. We can’t say its SUPERIOR to the old way and we don’t. It does, however, offer some interesting advantages over a la carte, table service in a SEAFOOD RESTAURANT.

Historically, the American RAW BAR MENU (delivered in the SEAFOOD RESTAURANT model has offered the same collection of shellfish and crustacean species, since, well, FOREVER. Shrimp, Lobster, Crab, Oysters, & Clams…served raw or cooked/chilled. Increasingly, extremely sophisticated RAW BAR’s, like ours, are offering caviar service as well as crudo and ceviche preparations of shellfish, crustaceans and fin-fish. In doing so, we can feature typical RAW BAR species/fare (oysters, clams, scallops, shrimp, lobster, crab) while we add other species (especially fin-fish) to the mix. So, in our model we become MUCH MORE than the typical RAW BAR has been…an offering of luxury appetizers featuring a few species of shellfish and crustaceans. Again, we are NOT just an OYSTER BAR, rather a stand alone RAW BAR. And we #RaiseTheRawBar in a few very significant ways. In our business model we have created an “Experience” that allows us to “Edu-Tain” our guests. Specifics below.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

5 PILLARS

The 2 FOUNDATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS lead to the 5 PILLARS: These are:

OYSTER FLIGHT + CAVIAR TRIP + WINE TRAVEL + MARINE CUISINE + SEA SALT COMPLEX

Forgive us if this all sounds arrogant! It is not intended to sound “superior” as we know this product, service & experience is NOT always a fit for every person, gathering or occasion. But when it is a fit, well, there are things that we deliver that simply have never been done before. And they work. We stumbled into some of this, crowd-sourced other parts of it in real time and the rest, well, we have been perfecting that stuff for 15+ years. Much of it came from the business model and the physical layout of the room, all of which, was a very risky, scary and blind experiment…that worked!

#1 OYSTER FLIGHT

Without a doubt the best, most interesting, informative and entertaining oyster service ever regularly delivered, anywhere. Doubt that? Fair enough. But before you dismiss us as pretentious braggarts, come experience it, or LEARN MORE HERE and see if you can find a way to disagree.

#2 CAVIAR TRIP

Here we defer the credit on how our caviar service became the finest in the world to our guests. It is because of them that this extraordinary experience came to be. All we did was listen and polish it into something we call “The Ride” or “Caviar Trip”. We do it by stripping away all the bullshit (Bellini, creme fraiche and other accoutrement and experience it as the professionals who produce it and trade in it do, naked, or sans accoutrement. LEARN MORE HERE but don’t expect us to give it all away. We have to maintain some of the magic for the moment you are fortunate enough to experience it.

#3 WINE TRAVEL

Our wine service offers up to 15 wines from up to 15 regions, about 11 countries and features a wine from 6 of the 7 continents. Small pours come early and often. Some are paired with just one bite, others, an entire dish. LEARN MORE HERE and take a look at our current line-up. Again, this was not something we planned, rather, something we realized that our model allows us to do. Its a gift.

#4 SEA SALT COMPLEX

This might be the coolest thing we’ve ever created. We went down A LOT of Rabbit Holes on this one. In the end we think we’ve struck on a physical and metaphysical masterpiece. In our meal you’ll enjoy dishes supplemented with at least 7 Sea Salts. A least 2 are from ancient / extinct oceans. The others are harvested from living oceans. What an extraordinary way to ingest food that is 300mm years old and /o from all parts of the Earth…in the same meal. LEARN MORE HERE and at OUR BLOG

#5 MARINE CUISINE

Our slogan has always been #RaiseTheRawBar, and we do. A big part of that is the product we source and how we prepare and present it to be a nutritious, delicious, colorful and fun meal and experience. Marine Cuisine is a culinary philosophy that is defined mostly in what we source and how we prepare and present it. Learn more at the link in the last sentence or, simply stated we are sourcing product in a way most restaurants do not. Cost is no object to us when it comes to what we serve because we MUST offer the SMARTEST seafood choices…this is our MISSION and PURPOSE and a large part of our value proposition for a few reasons. The SMARTEST means the SAFEST, HEALTHIEST, MOST SUSTAINABLE & MOST RESPONSIBLE product available. Wild product is sourced only from sustainable and responsible fisheries. Some species are off the table entirely because there are not Sustainable or Responsible options for those species, like Tuna. Farmed product is only sourced from those producers / aquaculturalists operating under what we call “Vanguard Best Practices”. This means they are doing no harm to the habitats the operate in, the people who work for them. Moreover, the product they bring to market is free of harmful toxins. We've been students of this for decades. NOT all seafood is created equally, some is incredibly harmful to us (full of toxins) and very often quite bad for the regions it is produced in. There is HORRIBLE wild product / species and GREAT wild product / species. There is HORRIBLE farmed product, and AMAZING farmed product. Come and learn about it all as you enjoy the best of the best. It’ll change how you source seafood for home cooking and how you order it in restaurants for the rest of your life.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

4 UNIQUE FEATURES

The 2 FOUNDATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS lead to the 5 PILLARS which support the 4 UNIQUE FEATURES. These are:

PARTICIPATION & ENGAGEMENT + LE SALON + Choreography & THEATER + Atmosphere & ENERGY

PARTICIPATION

LE SALON

CHOREOGRAPHY & THEATER

ATMOSPHERE, ENERGY & ESCAPE

When you eliminate common items from the view of guests (anything you’d see at home) and build out ways to feature uncommon objects (things you rarely see) you can create an alternative universe. . Our space has the feeling of being underwater, on another planet, in the future. Light and decor are used to suspend time and reality. Gone or hidden are the typical decorations and equipment you are often surrounded by in a dining room. The principal feature is our living plant canopy which is created by our use of space. Guests are able to escape from life for a while. Finally, the energy this all creates between the guests is metaphysical. The result is a mystical space and experience.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

20+ POINTS OF DISCOVERY

The 2 FOUNDATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS lead to the 5 PILLARS which support the 4 UNIQUE FEATURES that create 20+ POINTS OF DISCOVERY (or Elements of Style which we rate from “rare” to “unique” to “singular”). These are:

WELCOME TOAST - A glass of champagne in your hand within 30 seconds of entering the room - RARE
ICE ICE BABY - An ice moat / bespoke ice sculpture created daily which is integral to how the wine service is conducted as well as the food preparation and presentation. - SINGULAR
ROOT - Fresh Grated Horseradish Root (a la minute) on an oyster - SINGULAR / RARE
RHIZOME - Fresh Grated Wasabi Rhizome (a la minute) on an oyster - SINGULAR
TOUCHING - Holding / Feeling a Wasabi Rhizome - SINGULAR / RARE
FEELING - Holding / Feeling a Wasabi Paddle (Stingray Skin on Wood) - SINGULAR / RARE
PERFECT PAIRING - Perfection in a French Mignonette (explained) which delivers the most famous pairing of all time (Salt & Pepper) in the most elegant, obvious and simple way but is generally impossible for any Raw Bar or Restaurant using table service / platter service style to deliver - SINGULAR
SMOKIN’ - Cold Smoked Oyster with its own sound and light show - SINGULAR
SEEING IT ALL - Watching every oyster served being shucked and dressed, topped or treated, live, for each guest - SINGULAR
PORRON - Txocolina enjoyed the Basque Way with The Porron with coaching for extra style, grace and aplomb - UNIQUE
SHRIMP CEVICHE - The chips we use - RARE AF, in America
BEYOND SUSHI GRADE SALMON - The finest salmon on Earth
LOBSTER CAESAR - You’llm dream about it. - UNIQUE
CHILLED SALAD FORK - RARE
SALMON TOWER - Salt + Fat + Acid + Heat, Sequestered - RARE
DOLCE - How to enjoy a HEALTHY, sweet end to a meal - RARE
COACHING & GUIDANCE - Where else can you dine WITH the Chef for the entire experience, ask questions, hear his answers to other peoples questions…etc - SINGULAR
BOTTOMLESS OLD BAY GOLD FISH - In both regular & hot styles. Silly and fun but if you are from the Chessapeake area, you know its not just that. Irreverent and silly but also fun. - UNIQUE
ATMOSPHERE - Dining beneath a canopy of living plants in a space that feels like an Octopus’ Garden. Guests are transported into a fantasy land. A sense of escape is inevitable. You’ll feel like a fish in an aquarium on another planet, in the year 3075 - SINGULAR
SOUNDTRACK - Highly curated playlists have been created and choreographed to dozens of moments, treatments and actions. Music is critical to the performance. Very little of it will be familiar to you. Lots of songs in languages other than English. - SINGULAR
LIGHTING - Changes, Evolves, Supports certain presentations…etc. - SINGULAR
DINNER & A SHOW - Without the hassle of getting from dinner to show. AND, yer among the players. The show features EVERYONE, not just the Chef who is also your DJ, Bartender, Sommelier, Mermmelier and Host. - SINGULAR
BELLS, GONGS & CHIMES - Used throughout the experience. Silly, but fun. - SINGULAR
JAM SESSION - How it all ends. Grab an instrument. Play a long. - SINGULAR

It’s fair to argue that each of the 5 PILLARS and 4 UNIQUE FEATURES could be listed as layered points of discovery here, but by now, you either think we are insane (yer right) or you are enchanted by our model and offering (yer also right). Those who are inspired by the details we’ve put into explaining our service tend to come and experience RAW LAB and ask really great questions that leads to amazing discussions, participation, laughs and learning. ITS MAGIC and we thank you all very much.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

BACK TO RAW LAB PAGE

LOCATION

RAW LAB™ Winning CHS

WEDNESDAYS @ RAW LAB

OYSTERS, CAVIAR & CONSERVAS

A GUIDED EXPLORATION OF CAVIAR, OYSTERS & TINNED FISH

Every Wednesday @ 7pm - 9PM with MASTER MERMMELIER KEVIN JOSEPH & INTRODUCING chef sandy ochOA

On Wednesdays we present an abbreviated version of RAW LAB’S 10 course, prix fixe, Omakase-style raw bar experience which is now available semi-privately (share the room with 12 guests) on Friday & Saturday @ 6:30pm or privately (book the entire room) whenever it is available.

**OYSTERS**

**12 ULTRA-PREMIUM OYSTERS** DRESSED, TOPPED & TREATED WITH OUR SIGNATURE ”**Accoutrement Premier**”
Paired with a glass of *Oysterman Muscadet* (France)
**$60**

**CAVIAR**

**3 AMERICAN CAVIAR BUMPS** (CA, ID & NC)
**3 ROE BITES** (Paddlefish, Hackleback & Bowfin)
**STURGEON UMAMI BOMB** (Raw Sturgeon, Caviar & Shitake Soy Reduction)
Paired with a glass of *LOS BERMEJOS* *Diego Seco* (Canary Islands)
**$75**

**CONSERVAS**

An elegant presentation of tinned fish, cured meats, cheeses, crackers, nuts, vegetables & more. Tinned fish (aka Conservas) is a healty and delicious source of protein, Omega-3’s and other nutrients.
**$65- $85**

**WINES & SAKE**

Explore our eclectic curation of white, rose, orange & red wines which pair well with our *MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS*. Put down the Chardonnay…step away from the Sauvignon Blanc…and explore our collection trending grapes/varietals from lesser appreciated regions like Corsica, Switzerland, Canary Islands, Austria, Republic of Georgia, the Finger Lakes or Croatia. We also like to explore “Pet Nat” & sustainably produced wines, as well.
**$15 - $180**

MARINE CUISINE
MARKET PLACE

Love something we make, procure or curate? Want it for your home use? Wednesday is the day to shop for an upcoming picnic or cocktail party. Whether its as simple as great oyster wine or as rare as wasabi root…we’ll help you to bring some home. Consider our growing collection of rare sea salts, tinned fish, artisan pickled vegetables and more for enjoyment at home, on the boat or at the beach.

WHAT TO KNOW…WEDNESDAY…DETAILS

ON WEDNESDAYS WE PRESENT AN ABBREVIATED VERSION OF RAW LAB’S 10 course, prix fixe, Omakase-style raw bar experience (FRI & SAT). WEDNESDAY IS A GUIDED EXPLORATION OF CAVIAR, OYSTERS & TINNED FISH (CONSERVAS).

RESERVATIONS WELCOME, BUT NOT NECESSARY. RESERVE YOUR SEATS OR COME WHEN YOU CAN.
THINK OF IT AS…
- AN AMUSE BOUCHE BEFORE DINNER ELSEWHERE, perhaps, OR A LIGHT DINNER
- AN EXCELLENT WAY TO EXPLORE & LEARN ABOUT OYSTERS, CAVIAR & CONSERVAS (TINNED FISH)
- A GREAT ESCAPE & EDU-TAINMENT FOR THE “bi-valve curious”
- A NICE way to enjoy RAW LAB when you don’t have time for the full experience (FULL OMAKASE- STYLE RAW BAR EXPERIENCE NOW available Fri & Sat only with chef kevin joseph or by booking the entire room for your private gathering)

HOW

RESERVE A SEAT VIA RESY OR COME WHENEVER (FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED)

WHERE

@Raw Lab, Downtown Charleston (Market / French Quarter)

RAW LAB started as an experiment in MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS in November 2021. 12 seats are shared around a custom designed and built U-Shaped Bar which is one solid slab of poured concrete. An ice moat is all that is between you and the Chef in this intimate dining space where sound and light are curated as beautifully as the food & wine. You’ll see the preparation and presentation of everything served. Enjoy this tiny space under a dense canopy of living plants with a friend or a group of friends, family or complete strangers.

TOWN & COUNTRY MAGAZINE - 12 /22

“Raw Lab, a hole-in-the-wall near Charleston’s City Market is the most innovative eating experience I have ever had, presided over by chef and “mermmelier”, Kevin Joseph, (“I am to oysters what a sommelier is to wine”.) You’ll never look at an oyster or caviar the same way again.”

- TRAVEL EDITOR, KLARA GLOWCZEWSKA

OTHER PRESS HERE

REVIEWS HERE

RAW LAB ON INSTAGRAM

ABOUT CHEF, OWNER & FOUNDER KEVIN JOSEPH

HUMP DAY - OYSTER SERVICE

Wednesdays @ RAW LAB

Featuring Empire Oyster’s Signature ACCOUTREMENT PREMIER. This Ultra-Premium Oyster Service will generally feature ONE local oyster, dressed, topped or treated up to 15 different ways. In this way, there is a CONTROL for the EXPERIMENT. The control is the oyster and the experiment is which dressing, topping or treatment do you prefer.

On occasion we’ll feature a rare & exotic oyster from far away. And between November & February we’ll occasionally present all 5 species of oysters, side by side - an exceedingly rare offering. There are so many ways in which you can #RaiseTheRawBar with this offering. The experience is simply overflowing with discovery and the opportunity to learn about oysters & oyster wine pairings.

And what a great value! Experiences like this are routinely offered as stand-alone events at top tier Food & Wine festivals. Tickets for such average $150.

BUMP DAY - CAVIAR SERVICE

Wednesdays @ RAW LAB

Caviar is not just for the rich. Come learn why Caviar (Sturgeon Eggs) is different from Roe (eggs of all other fish). See the differences side by side. Get familiar with American Caviar (some of the best) and begin to understand the best ways to consume it, buy it for shipment direct to your home and learn about both the history, culture, cuisine, economy and ecology of one of the most nutrient dense foods on Earth.

SEA-COUTERIE

Wednesday @ RAW LAB

Tinned fish or Conservas are all the rage. They’ve been a tradition in Europe for centuries. Come experience the extraordinary variety of it all and discover the kinds you love with us in a fun setting. Everyone should be eating more of them. Learn more HERE.

WINE

Wednesday @ RAW LAB

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Our wine game is different. RAW LAB is NOT the place for the same old standard hits (Chardonnay. Pinot Grigio or Sancerre or Sauvignon Blanc. Its a place and a collection curated to deliver to you your next favorite wine. On Wednesdays we’ll feature one white, rose and orange by the glass if you want to venture past the Muscadet / Oyster Pairing and the Diego Seco / Caviar pairing. Very few of our wines are sweet, in fact, most are dry to very dry. WE offer several Rose & Orange wines as well as a few light reds. Find something you love? Buy a bottle or two to go and avoid shopping around for it at the local wine shops.

LEARN MORE ABOUT RAW LAB’S FULL OMAKASE-STYLE RAW BAR EXPERIENCE

Featuring MARINE CUISINE by Master Mermmelier Kevin Joseph

WHAT RAW LAB IS & ISNT || OUR A-TYPICAL POLICIES & GUIDELINES

READ REVIEWS HERE

THE 10-12 course EXPERIENCE STARTS WITH a 90 minute ExPLORATION OF oysters, caviar & 5-6 wine pairingS. THIS IS followed by a FULL meal and 5-7 MORE COURSES & WINE PAIRINGS.

THERE ARE AT LEAST “20 POINTS OF DISCOVERY” IN THE EXPERIENCE WHERE THE INTERESTING & INTERESTED EPICUREAN OR GOURMAND WILL SEE, TOUCH or EAT SOMETHING THEY’VE NEVER HAD BEFORE. THIS IS WHY VERY WELL FED, VERY WELL TRAVELED CONSUMERS LOVE RAW LAB. FROM THEIR EXTENSIVE EXPErIENCE WITH FINE DINING THEY KNOW RAW LAB IS WORLD-CLASS.

WINNER OF OPEN TABLE’S 2022 DINER’S CHOICE AWARD

A Singular Semi-Private or Private Dining, Test Kitchen, Chef’s Table Experience for up to 12 guests

ONE OF THE TOP RATED CULINARY OPPORTUNITIES IN CHARESTON. SEE THE LIST OF TOP RATED RESTAURANTS HERE

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RECENT PRESS BELOW

FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE || TOWN & COUNTRY MAGAZINE || PASTE MAGAZINE || SC LIVING MAGAZINE

FOX 24 CHS || CITY PAPER CHS || CHARLESTON LIVING MAGAZINE || THE LOCAL PALATE || LUX LIVING MAGAZINE

WE #RaiseTheRaw Bar. YOU #SeasTheBay!

$250 per person ++ (PLUS tax & tip)

**INCLUDED: 9-12 Rounds oF Marine Cuisine & DelicaSEAS + 12 - 14 PREMIUM Wine Pairings**

SERVICE WED - SAT || ONE SEATING || 6:30pm - 10PM

RESERVATIONS ONLY - RESERVE SEATS HERE

21+

843 580 7729

READ REVIEWS ON YELP & OPEN TABLE

BROWSE RECENT PRESS HERE

15 GREAT REASONS WHY THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY VALUE & EXPERIENCE

WHAT IT IS / ISNT || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || VIEW PRIX FIXE OMAKASE MENU HERE

RESERVE THE ROOM || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY || MEET OWNER & MASTER MERMMELIER KEVIN JOSEPH

#RaiseTheRawBar

RAW LAB™ Pricing

PRICING & POLICIES FOR 2025

THURSDAY: $225 +++ per seat, pre-paid on RESY

FRIDAY: $250 +++ per seat, pre-paid on RESY

SATURDAY: $275 +++ per seat, pre-paid on RESY

+++ Plus State and Local Taxes & Credit Card Processing Fees (14.75%) and MINIMUM GRATUITY (20%)

includes 9-12 courses & 12-15 wine PAIRINGS

SIMPLE MATH: RAW LAB is “Dinner & A Show” without the hassle of getting from Dinner to Show. It is also ABOUT HALF THE PRICE of an elite culinary experience AND great seats at a broadway show.

We take reservations 30 days out. All seats at RAW LAB are pre-paid, like concert or theater tickets.

REFUNDS FOR CANCELLATIONS ARE POSSIBLE BUT NOT GUARANTEED. DETAILS BELOW.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

BOOK ON RESY HERE

REFUNDS

As of Jan 2025 we’ve changed our pricing and how bookings are done. Therefore, we’ve changed some of our policies too. Details below. Its EXTREMELY CLEAR, FAIR and HONEST.

GUARANTEED

You book and then cancel within 5 minutes of booking
- In these cases we will refund 100%, immediately, unless the initial booking was made within 48 hours of the service

POSSIBLE

You cancel with 15 days notice (from the reservation).
- Refunds made if the seats you had to abandon are filled and, ultimately, paid for. We’ll help you. See SOLUTIONS below.
- If we cannot fill the seats, no refund is made but we’ll issue you a $75 credit per seat credit towards reservations for a future service.

NO CHANCE

No-Show
- No refunds. No exceptions for any reason.
Hold seats for more than 21 days.
- No exceptions for any reason.
Call us yelling and screaming, for any reason.
- No exceptions for any reason.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

SOLUTIONS

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN /SHOULD DO TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING A FULL REFUND

Cancel the seats with as much advance notice as possible. This way, working together, we have more time and a better chance to fill them.
Call us and work with us to explore the options. Please first understand our model and why we must have our policies. Calling and yelling at us will insure that no refunds will be issued.
Transfer your seats to friend, clients or family. Happens all the time. Great gift.
Sell the seats to whomever you like. Maybe at a discount. Perhaps at a premium. Both have been done.
Post the open seats to your social media to offer them to whomever may be interested. This works often.

HERE’S WHAT WE WILL DO

Email / Text our network of High-End Hotel Concierges in Charleston who have guests looking for last minute reservations. We do this once weekly on Tues or Wed. It’s effective.
Post to our social media when we have open seats. We generally do this more than once weekly. This too has been effective.
Ping our Notify List on RESY. We have people looking for seats on RESY who sign up to be notified if seats open. They get a ping from RESY. Often those notifications are missed so we also ping those folks to let them know some seats have opened up on a date they expressed interest in. We do this daily via the RESY app. Its fairly effective.
What marketing we do is now geared towards visitors to CHS who need a last minute reservation. Working hard on this with time, energy and money. If we could have more last minute bookings, that would be great, but this does tend to be something that people plan farther out for.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

OTHER POLICIES

We do not welcome anyone under 21 for a host of reasons, first among them is the legal drinking age. Also, this is a room for adults who want to behave like adults (and sometimes like children) and we want to maintain that vibe because we love it.
Tipping in many elite fine-dining restaurants is included at 20% these days. We do not do that. But when you book seats at RAW LAB, RESY will ask you what % you would like to add for a tip, including No Tip. Anyone who chooses may have their reservation cancelled so we can open up those seats for those for whom this policy is acceptable. Your purchase will not be refunded until we fill all of the seats you reserved if you booked within 60 days of the service. If we do not fill your seats, you will not be refunded.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

RAW LAB™ Is It For You

IS IT FOR YOU?

“The most innovative culinary experience I have ever had…”

-Klara Glowczewska, Executive Travel Editor, Town & Country Magazine & former Editor in Chief, Conde Nast Publishing

AFTER 3.5 YEARS OF SERVICE. 8000 guests and 700 services WE’VE COME TO A VERY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT RAW LAB IS AND ISNT. THIS PAGE IS INTENDED TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND IF IS A FIT FOR YOU, YOUR DINING PARTNERS AND YOUR OCCASION.

Will you be or can you be…

ENGAGED. PARTICIPATORY. ATTENTIVE. RESPECTFUL. FUN. GRACIOUS. CURIOUS. GRATEFUL. HONEST. VULNERABLE.

You’ll need to be because you’ll be sharing a small bar with a total of 12 guests and a Chef for 4 hours. Not for you? Cool, grab a private table elsewhere.

Can you…

GIVE ZERO FUCKS. LISTEN 2X AS MUCH AS YOU SPEAK. DRINK ONLY WHITE, ROSE & AMBER WINE. USE YOUR PHONE ONLY FOR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS. NOT CHECK EMAILS FOR 4 HOURS.

If you can, great, because this is how the experience delivers the best ROI on the time, money and attention it requires.

RAW LAB IS NOT A GOOD FIT FOR…

Introverts & Wall Flowers. Timid of shy types often struggle to find their groove in this room.
“One-Upsmen”,or those inclined to boast or brag. Does NOT go over well.
Those with very short attention spans.
Those who feel the need to have the attention of the room more often than not. Its NOT about any ONE person, including the Chef, its about US. In this experience, we have set out to “Summit Everest”. Everyone on the rope line has to be accountable to everyone else. We’ll all summit or we all perish.
Anyone who feels it is appropriate to speak over a Chef. This distracts other guests and/or the Chef whil is attempting to describe a dish or a pairing or explain something important to the guests.
Anyone expecting to be able to maintain private conversations. This isn't possible at RAW LAB. Everyone is a part of the ONE CONVERSATION we are all having about what is happening all around you, the entire time.
sit at a table, order from a menu or drink cocktails.

We’re not saying these types of people are not welcome to come and adjust their behavior / expectations to what DOES work best for RAW LAB or that RAW LAB actually is. But we are saying if you come with the wrong expectations and exhibit the kinds of behavior listed above, you’ll get the stink eye from other guests…for sure. It will get awkward and you will want to leave when you feel “ostracised”. In the meantime, you’ll have taken something away from the other guests and the Chef. And, so this information is intended to dissuade those for whom

It’s not that we DONT want to please everyone, receive everyone and served 1000 meals a night, it is that we cannot. Our space, business model and offering simply don't allow for any flexibility. It is all a blessing to some, a nightmare for others.

People aiming to “Catch up” and maintain private conversations. This isn't possible at RAW LAB. Everyone is a part of the ONE CONVERSATION we are all having about what is happening all around you, the entire time.

Those who consider servers beneath them or treat them that way as in this case you are NOT at your own table where you can get away with behaving that way, you are at a bar, with everyone, with the Chef serving all of you, everything, for every minute of the night. So, this behavior will be witnessed by all and immediately you will be made to feel VERY VERY uncomfortable and unwelcome. You’ll likely be asked to leave by Chef.

…anyone expecting to have private conver

ABSOLUTELY NOT…

…you want to be on your phone more than 5% of the time

…you have been drinking all day.
…you do not like to engage with others / strangers or if you need to be the center of attention wherever you go.
…you are being dragged there to please your spouse…or you are dragging your spouse there. Find a friend who WANTS TO COME, Please! Dragging / Being Dragged to RAW LAB is an expensive and aggravating mistake.
…you don’t drink AND you cannot be FUN, ENGAGED, OUTGOING and EXCITED without drinking. If you are sober, you are 100% welcome, but be sure you have the ability to enjoy a small room full of people enjoying a lot of wine and wine pairings.

RAW LAB IS A GREAT A FIT FOR…

Birthdays, Anniversaries, Date Nights, Graduations and other Celebrations. These are great occasions for Raw Lab provided your party is interested in participating in the whole experience and engaging with the Chef and others at least as much as they are engaging with each other. It’s probably not a good first date spot as that should be a night for private conversations with each other. But, if you can engage with the whole room on a first date, great.
Those willing to spend $600+ and 4+ hours on a “CULINARY EXPEDITION” and look for the ROI in that experience with an open heart and mind.
PEOPLE WHO COMMONLY CHOOSE TO SIT AT THE BAR IN A RESTAURANT rather than at a table. We notice that those types of people tend to be more willing to engage with others in spontaneous conversations.
Diners seeking a deeper understanding the delta between EATING & DINING…DISCOVERY! You value discovery in culinary experiences.
Interesting & interested EPICUREANS & GOURMANDS who are often more EXTROVERTED than introverted.
PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO ASK QUESTIONS, SPEAK WITH OTHERS AND HEAR THE ANSWERS TO OTHER PEOPLES QUESTIONS.
THOSE WHO MIGHT PERCEIVE VALUE IN LEARNING ABOUT OYSTERS, CAVIAR, WINE PAIRINGS and a host of facts and information about modern seafood which might serve them when ordering at restaurants in the future or sourcing seafood to make at home.
PEOPLE SEEKING TO ENGAGE WITH OTHERS IN AN EXPERIENCE that leads to challenges, epiphanies and discoveries.
INDIVIDUALS OR COUPLES WHO ARE CURIOUS TO SEE AND LEARN ABOUT VANGUARD BEST PRACTICES INT HE PRODUCTION OF SEAFOOD via fishing, aquaculture and sourcing THAT IS AT THE BLEEDING EDGE OF SAFE, HEALTHY, RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE. WE CALL THIS SMART SEAFOOD or MARINE CUISINE!
CONSUMERS WHO HAVE dined at THE HIGHEST LEVELS, in many nations, AROUND THE WORLD. Not because we are comparable to those experiences, rather, because we are so different from them…those classic, HERALDED & RESPECTED “fine dining” experiences that hold Michelin Stars and other such awards. Often these are wealthy people, but they are also gracious and humble.
CONVERSELY, THOSE FOR WHOM THIS IS A BIG SPEND that perhaps they’ve saved up for. Maybe they haven't traveled the world yet or dined at the highest levels. We’ve certainly enjoyed and enchanted many guests like this. If you value food & dining beyond other things of value, and you can approach the process, experience and the offering, with reverence, you’ll respect it and, for the other guests, be an enjoyable part of it.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

THIS IS A FIT FOR THOSE WHO…

…ANYONE who seeks out the unprecedented, unique and original.
…LOCALS who have been to all the great CHS restaurants 10 times each and seek something completely different.
…EPICureans who value elite food & wine experiences and have 3-4 hours available to enjoy our service.
…GOURMANDS who are NOT allergic to shellfish, mollusks or crustaceans. Fin fish allergies can be worked around by skipping a course or two.
…VISITORS who want to meet and really talk to sophisticated locals.
…FUN LOVERS who are comfortable in conversation at a community table type of setting and enjoy a salon like atmosphere.
…HUMAN BEINGS who appreciate elite food, wine and service without any pretension.

Is that you? If so, you are going to love RAW LAB.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

THINK OUTSIDE THE RESTAURANT

RAW LAB is often misunderstood to be a “restaurant”. IT IS NOT! Or just an oyster bar. IT IS NOT! Or some kind of an appetizer offering where you will leave hungry. IT IS NOT! It is also NOT a “Chef’s Table” or Tasting Menu kind of thing. It’s something new and entirely different.

It is a new kind of elite RAW BAR experience serving a MEAL that includes oysters but MUCH MORE and almost all of the food is NOT “RAW”. Find a breakdown of the dishes below as well.

RAW / COLD / CHILLED - Oysters, Caviar, Salmon Dishes (in part)

CURED / COOKED / COLD - Shrimp Ceviche

COOKED / SERVED CHILLED or ROOM TEMP - Lobster Caesar, Crab

WARM HOT - Lobster Bisque

More details below…

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

MORE COLOR ON WHAT IT IS AND WHO IT SUITS BEST…

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 Owner, Founder, Creator & 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. In the end flip the "RAW BAR" model we've all seen forever, everywhere we’ve ever had “raw bar” fare.

Those who will appreciate RAW LAB the most may also be more "adventurous" in their culinary explorations, looking for something unique or unusual (in both food, bev and experience) but not "challenging" or "weird". They tend to love that we turn many "fine dining" principles upside down, apply the Omakase style of service to something other than sushi and eliminate the strict formalities typical in Omakase sushi offerings.These guests enjoy what is often a surprise at our price point: It is as much FUN dining as it is FINE dining. With that being said, the quality of the product is ALWAYS the best of the best so those who understand and appreciate top-quality are always impressed. It is exciting to watch our guests be engaged and enchanted with the quality of the product, the presentation of it and the realization that, in the end, they've enjoyed a very filling, satisfying, fun, colorful and nutritious meal, not just an elaborate appetizer.

Education & Entertainment are cornerstones of the value proposition. We call it Edu-Tainment. Guests benefit from hearing answers to the many questions posed to the chef who is present throughout. This Edu-Tainment commonly surpasses 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. Marine Cuisine limits us to using species / product that exhibit vanguard best practices in aquaculture or fishing which results in the safest, healthiest, most sustainable and most responsible ("Smartest") choices.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

WINNER OF OPEN TABLE’S 2022 DINER’S CHOICE AWARD

A Singular Semi-Private or Private Dining, Test Kitchen, Chef’s Table Experience for up to 12 guests

ONE OF THE TOP RATED CULINARY OPPORTUNITIES IN CHARLESTON. SEE THE LIST OF TOP RATED RESTAURANTS HERE

RAW LAB MENU

@ 99 S. MARKET STREET, CHS, SC (843) 580 7729

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RECENT PRESS BELOW

FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE || TOWN & COUNTRY MAGAZINE || PASTE MAGAZINE || SC LIVING MAGAZINE

FOX 24 CHS || CITY PAPER CHS || CHARLESTON LIVING MAGAZINE || THE LOCAL PALATE || LUX LIVING MAGAZINE

WE #RaiseTheRaw Bar. YOU #SeasTheBay!

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS

Learn more about this culinary ethic HERE and check out some pictures at that link or in the gallery below.

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

HOW IT WORKS

Enjoy 9 - 12 rounds of WHOLE, LIVE, RAW AND/OR BIO-AVAIALBE DISHES & UP TO 14 WINE PAIRINGS

843 580 7729

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

PRIVATE DINING

Book the room privately and we’ll serve you anything we can make.

2 - 12 GUESTS: ~ $3,000 +++

14 GUESTS: ~ $3,500 +++

+++: Taxes, Tip & Fees (NOT included)

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

843 580 7729

FAQ MISSION WHAT IT IS & ISNT IS IT FOR YOU VALUE PROPOSITION PRICING POLICIES DISCOVERY

LOCATION OF RAW LAB

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

Between Chruch Street & Meeting Street

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RAW LAB™ REVIEWS

REVIEWS

RESY: 4.9 STARS as of MAY 2025

That’s really all you need to know because the other “review platforms” are not qualified. RESY stands alone for several reasons. 1. You cannot review us if you have not been. If you have been, and you are a RESY user you’ve qualified yourself as someone who has a valid opinion AND knows how to use a sophisticated reservation app.

GOOGLE REVIEWS should not be considered AT ALL as ANYONE can write one, including those who have never been to RAW LAB, those seeking to sabotage us (there are a few of those out there) and those with zero qualifications to evaluate any given dining or hospitality experience, including those who DID NOT understand what they were signing up for when they came, if they came.

YELP REVIEWS matter even less than Google for all the same reasons and an even less savvy consumer / contributor base there.

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

COMPARING RAW LAB TO OTHER FINE DINING EXPERIENCES IN CHARLESTON

First, we honor, praise and revere the culinary talent, creativity and success that built Charleston’s reputation as a great food town. BRAVO! Second, not every MEAL can or should be a “dining experience”, sometimes we just need to eat. So, we are NOT suggesting that the only way to eat or dine in CHS is with us. We are suggesting that anything over $150 per person (total final cost) should deliver a WOW (or several) for the guest.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

HOW MANY MICHELIN STARS ARE THERE IN CHS? Zero. Zip. Nada.

HOW MANY 5 STAR RATED RESTAURANTS ARE THERE IN CHARLESTON ON RESY? Only one which has been around long enough for that rating to mater. Sushi-Wa. We strongly recommend them.

HOW MANY 4.9 STAR RATED RESTAURANTS (ON RESY*) ARE THERE IN CHARLESTON? Just 10 as of May 2025, which have been around for more than a hot minute. They are Buntu Atelier, Hall’s Chophouse, The Shellmore, LTLE FISH, Verns, Shiki, Charleston Grille, The Royal Tern, Coda Del Pesce, Wild Olive, Honeysuckle Rose. All of these are a la carte restaurants. RAW LAB is the only fusion concept of this caliber in Charleston and the only fusion of a service style (Omakase) and a Cuisine (Raw Bar), in CHS, if not, the world.

WHO IS RATED BELOW 4.9 STARS: EVERYONE ELSE as of Oct 2023. We’re not saying we agree with this we are simply stating the facts here.

WHAT ARE OUR FAVORITE FINE DINING RESTAURANTS IN CHS? Sushi-Wa, Chubby Fish, The Obstinate Daughter, FIG, The Post House, The Ordinary, Melfi’s, Chez Neu & Coda Del Pesce.

WHAT ARE OUR FAVORITE DIVES: The Wreck, Chico Feo & Royal American & Jack of Cups.

WHAT ARE OUR FAVORITE WINE BARS: Bar Rollins & Graft

WHAT ARE OUR FAVORITE COCKTAIL BARS: Doar Brothers & The Saint

WHERE HAVE WE NOT BEEN THAT WE ASPIRE TO GO? R Kitchen, Langdons, Wild Olive, Charleston Grille and several others.

WHAT ARE THE MOST OVER-RATED RESTAURANTS IN CHS: Husk. 167 Raw. Hall’s. If you’ve never been, go, but measure your expectations, perhaps. These restaurants have to play the volume game in extremely high rent districts with a huge staff. Does that produce any WOW in any market?

HUSK is Charleston’s “Tavern on the Green” and while it once did push the vanguard of southern cuisine, the sheen on that concept has a patina now. Worth trying. Wont blow your doors off.

167 RAW is a very good seafood restaurant but it lacks any real “wow”. Beyond that anyone caught stealing tops from servers to assuage the costs of Manager’s salaries is guilty of the penultimate crime in hospitality. Ya’ll can hate me for saying this but anyone who steals from LOCALS just scraping by (busboys, bar backs, waiters & bartenders) is a criminal guilty of what should be a felony and prosecuted as much. If you or I had stolen $5,000+ from over 90 people we would be prosecuted on 90+ counts of grand larceny, wouldnt we? How they got away with not event paying a fine for this is beyond my ability to comprehend. This is well documented: US dept of Labor Filing HERE & GOOGLE RESULTS HERE for “167 Raw Legal Issues”

HALL’S is iconic and legendary and also a bit of an old cliche feel. Its a scene, like any “chop house” or “steak house” is likely to be. Service is great, of course, when you have waiters who’ve been there for 30 years. Steaks are great, of course. But don’t expect a life changing experience.

RODNEY SCOTT OR LEWIS: Lewis. Better atmosphere and vibe, by far. Lewis’ space in Charleston is a compound with a lot to see. Its very cool. Rodneys Feels like they remodeled a Wendy’s.

BOTTOM LINE

There are ONLY 10 - 15 GREAT RESTAURANTS IN CHARLESTON IF GREATNESS BEGINS AT 4.9 STARS on real platforms like RESY. There are some restaurants who are better than their rating, however and we’ve listed some of those above.

* Why just RESY? Because RESY is the market / thought leader in Charleston, without a doubt. Google and Yelp reviews can be created by anyone, regardless of if they have ever dined with you. Google and Yelp reviews are, therefore, meaningless, because they are flawed

WINNER OF OPEN TABLE’S 2022 DINER’S CHOICE AWARD

A Singular Semi-Private or Private Dining, Test Kitchen, Chef’s Table Experience for up to 12 guests

ONE OF THE TOP RATED CULINARY OPPORTUNITIES IN CHARESTON. SEE THE LIST OF TOP RATED RESTAURANTS HERE

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

RECENT PRESS BELOW

FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE || TOWN & COUNTRY MAGAZINE || PASTE MAGAZINE || SC LIVING MAGAZINE

FOX 24 CHS || CITY PAPER CHS || CHARLESTON LIVING MAGAZINE || THE LOCAL PALATE || LUX LIVING MAGAZINE

WE #RaiseTheRaw Bar. YOU #SeasTheBay!

$250 per person ++ (PLUS tax & tip)

**INCLUDED: 9-12 Rounds oF Marine Cuisine & DelicaSEAS + 12 - 14 PREMIUM Wine Pairings**

SERVICE WED - SAT || ONE SEATING || 6:30pm - 10PM

RESERVATIONS ONLY - RESERVE SEATS HERE

21+

843 580 7729

READ REVIEWS ON YELP & OPEN TABLE

BROWSE RECENT PRESS HERE

15 GREAT REASONS WHY THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY VALUE & EXPERIENCE

WHAT IT IS / ISNT || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || VIEW PRIX FIXE OMAKASE MENU HERE

RESERVE THE ROOM || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY || MEET OWNER & MASTER MERMMELIER KEVIN JOSEPH

#RaiseTheRawBar

MARINE CUISINE & DelicaSEAS

Learn more about this culinary ethic HERE and check out some pictures at that link or in the gallery below.

HOW IT WORKS

Enjoy 9 - 12 rounds of WHOLE, LIVE, RAW AND/OR BIO-AVAIALBE DISHES & UP TO 14 WINE PAIRINGS

READ REVIEWS ON YELP & OPEN TABLE

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

RESERVATIONS FOR PRIX FIXE OMAKASE & SEMI-PRIVATE DINING

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

THIS IS A FIT FOR THOSE WHO…

…seek the unprecedented, unique and original.
…have been to all the great CHS restaurants 10 times each and seek something completely different.
…value elite food & wine experiences and have 3-4 hours available to do enjoy our service.
…are NOT allergic to shellfish, mollusks or crustaceans. Fin fish allergies can be worked around by skipping a course or two.
…are comfortable with or seek a community table type of setting and a salon like atmosphere.
…appreciate elite food, wine and service without any pretension.

PRIVATE DINING

Book the room privately and we’ll serve you anything we can make.

2 - 12 guests for $4,500 ++ (Food, Beverage & Service Included, Taxes & 20% Gratuity NOT included)

13 - 14 guests for $5,500 ++ (Food, Beverage & Service Included, Taxes & 20% Gratuity NOT included)

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY || LOCATION & DIRECTIONS || CANCELLATION & NO SHOW POLICY

843 580 7729

COMING SOON - MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS

Own a reservation for 4 every night of the year. Pay only when you use it. Share it with anyone.

Preferences on reservations, private room bookings and more.

OPERATING HOURS 2022

Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sat

ONE, 6:30pm Seating for up to 12 guests. Service begins at 6:30pm, SHARP.

RESERVATIONS VIA RESY

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

LOCATION OF RAW LAB