The New Sharing/Flavor Shock: No Rules Experience
In all aspects of life, we’re demanding bigger, better, more vibrant experiences that we won’t forget–and why should the food we eat be any different?
We’re in an era of sensory overload, and it’s time to lean into that. Diners are keen to see chefs tear up the rulebook and experiment more. They want wild fusion, chaos cooking and a no-holds-barred approach to the dishes they see on the menu. The future of dining is about seeing food as a form of escapism, a vision that is achieved through the need to surprise and challenge diners with sensorial dishes that are designed to delight.
Bringing a bit of a sensory experience to the cocktail hour was this sculpture made up entirely of the house-made puffed corn sticks (found in the walking taco bags). Photo courtesy Ambercita
As guests took their seats at the table, they were welcomed with an elaborate table arrangement at the center of the table. This centerpiece wasn't just for show however, hidden within the grass was the evening's first course encompassing the trend of Local Abundance (check out more on that on the previous page), thus challenging guests to "forge for their dinner". Photo courtesy Ambercita
Sunflower & Caviar bites were nestled delicately atop edible sunflowers. Photo courtesy Ambercita
Strawberry and Wagyu tartlets. Photo courtesy Ambercita
Food can be fun, as well as delicious! Post-pandemic, we’re living in a time of increased connectivity.This means that unique, playful and multi-sensory dining experiences are more celebrated than ever.
Through beautiful food boards of cross-cuisine mash-ups, diners have the opportunity to enjoy food together, creating organic conversations and a sense of community.
For the evening's fish course, guests were first given a water-filled placemat, which elicited confused faces from guests. Eventualy the course made its way to the table, which blended perfectly with the placemat's image. Guests later learned that AI technology was used to create the image after inputting the dish's ingredients, which chefs then recreated on the plate. Photo courtesy LEM Expressions
Diners instantly got out their phones as this dish truly was a "shareable" moment; not only did the dish itself offer the perfect content to share on social media, but guests had a shared experience together by not fully understanding what they were in store for next. Photo courtesy Ambercita
Another shared experience that guests had together was during the first course (Local Abundance) when biting into a plum that was found within the greenery. Instead of a juicy and sweet bite (as many assumed), the plum was filled with Kinmedai (or golden eye snapper), which resulted in the whole room giving the same reaction: confusion, intrigue, and curiosity. Photo courtesy Ambercita
Closing out the evening, a beautiful framed art piece was placed in front of guests, and then they were asked to crack thru the artwork in order to find the evening's dessert ( a la cracking the carmelized shell of a creme brulee). Photo courtesy LEM Expressions
Underneath the edible artwork was a dessert comprised of fennel, green tomato sorbet, farmers cheese, and zucchini (Irresistible Vegetables). Photo courtesy LEM Expressions
Want more from the National Restaurant Show?
Want to see more of what you missed during the National Restaurat Association Show? Check back next week when we take a look at some of the innovative ideas we saw throughout the conference that might be a good fit for your catering business.
