The art of definition is tricky.

(From The Slovak Spectator)

Byline: Eric Smillie Spectator staff

Restaurant Review Art of Life Where: Panenska 31, BratislavaTel: 0904 290 037Open: Monday to Friday 8:00-22:00, Saturday and Sunday 11:00-22:00English menu: YesReservations: YesRating: 7 out of 10 THE SIGN above the entrance to this restaurant calls it macrobiotic. The menu does not back up the claim, though, raising the question of how cultural ideas and practices are translated from culture to culture and from person to person. A restaurant review is not the place to answer such a question, which is better left to dinner discussion. And you would do well to take it up right at Art of Life over their uniquely prepared dishes. Fennel with thyme in carrot sauce (Sk115) is a good place to start. The dish is strikingly presented, with whole quarters of perfectly cooked fennel resting in a bowl of bright orange carrot sauce and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds. Its exciting arrival at the table even snagged the attention of my bloodthirsty companion: "We have to come back here. I want what you're having." Unfortunately, the carrot sauce was a little too heavy with cream and overpowered the delicate flavour of the fennel. On a previous visit, however, I experienced a more successful contrast between strong and subtle flavours when I ate eggplant rolls filled with goat cheese on carrots and parsnips (Sk125). In this case, the strong feta and grilled eggplant (less oily than usual, which, in Slovakia, is either saying a lot or a little, depending on how you look at it) was delightful to nibble on in between bites of the humble root vegetables. Some background before we go any further: The macrobiotic diet is based on the philosophy that all things have a special energy that can be yin or yang to different degrees. According to the philosophy, a diet of foods low in these special energies is the way to a long life. In practice, bread and grains make up about half of every meal. Many foods are not allowed, including cheese, eggplant, fennel, alcohol, and very salty foods. ...