Dining has always been about getting old pals or family together for a shared meal, but lately, dinner has also become a vehicle to convert strangers into new friends. Experiences that take things outside of the traditional restaurant like Bookalokal, Dinner Lab and Warehouse Society invite you to gather around a communal table, leaving you full of both food and new Facebook friends. We gave Dinner Lab, a “next generation pop-up” available in 20 US cities, a test-drive Thursday night. The evening’s dinner was held inside the The Atlas Performing Arts Center.

Chef Kaz Okochi of Kaz Sushi Bistro was the evening's star chef, cooking up dishes you won’t find on any of his regular menus, which is what Dinner Lab encourages. We snapped him plating a crowd favorite, a savory Japanese pancake known as okonomiyaki. His other courses could also be categorized as Japanese comfort food like ramen, fried pork shoulder, and chicken & vegetable curry. To purchase seats at a Dinner Lab event you have to sign up for a $175 annual membership. Dinners run nearly weekly and cost around $65.