Fulgurances looks like any other hip neighborhood bistro: natural wood tables, open kitchen, and a quaint spiral staircase tucked away at the back. However, something exciting is afoot. This place is an “incubator,” a testing ground for sous chefs looking to become head chefs and open their own restaurants. For a limited number of weeks, they get free run of the kitchen, concocting their own menus, honing their styles, and seeing diners’ reactions just meters from the kitchen counter. Menus are limited to what the chef decides to cook that day, usually a choice of two starters, mains, and desserts at lunch, and an evening tasting menu. As this is a cooking “playground,” your taste might not always fit with the chef’s vision, but this is undoubtedly one of the most interesting dining experiences in the city.