ISSUE 55 | JUNE - JULY 2014

JUST TRAVEL!Get on a plane or take the train — go to placesyou have never dreamed of before

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Al Nawras | DINING EXPERIENCES

From eating dishes freshly cookedin a volcano to dining on delicacies16 feet above ground, here’s a look

at some eating-out options thatshould be on any foodie’s bucket

list. By Tania Bhattacharya

Once upon a time, eatingcrocodile or cobra meator deep-fried scorpionswould lead people to

bow before you in reverence. Butyou don’t qualify as a die-hard foodieanymore unless you’ve had a fullyfledged meal in the dark or dined ona volcano.

These experiences will leave youbreathless and truly appreciative of themore nuanced aspects of what youput in your mouth.

Location is everything and mightthreaten to dilute a gastronomicexperience, if it’s gorgeousenough. Often, however, it merely

complements the exotic fare on offer.Enter Ithaa at the Conrad MaldivesRangali Island, the world’s firstundersea all-glass restaurant, nestledamong coral reef in the Indian Oceanat a depth of 16 feet. Old hat maybe,but New York Daily News recentlycalled it the world’s most beautifulrestaurant, and why not? The aura ofthe restaurant is almost movie-likewith all kinds of marine life on display.Add to that a seven-course set menu,which includes dishes such as malossolimperial caviar with sour creamand potato blinis, Maldivian lobstercarpaccio with reef fish tartare andpoached quail egg with passion fruit

dressing, and you’re all set for a mealto remember.

A different experience in luxury isdining in a plush pod in the trees, andSoneva Kiri in Thailand offers just that.Guests board the rattan pod, which isthen hoisted 16 feet above the ground,while the host zip-lines to your tablewith food. The menu follows junglethemes such as Forager’s Basket andWoodland Offerings and the chefwhips up your meal using fresh organicand local produce.

But, if the adventurer in you is askingfor more, give eating on a volcano or inmid-air a shot. El Diablo, which standsout in the Martian landscape of the

Eat on a tree at Soneva Kiri in ThailandRoller-coasters deliver your meal at ‘s Baggers in Nuremberg

A MEAL TO

REMEMBER

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28 | AIR ARABIA.COM | JUNE - JULY 2014

Timanfaya National Park in the CanaryIslands, serves authentic Canarianfood barbecued on a grill built withnine layers of volcanic basalt rock. Thegeothermal heat emanating from thevolcano cooks the meat, poultry andfish.

A meal in the sky is imminentlyenjoyable. Christened Dinner in the Skyand operated by Fun Group, it’s hostedat a table for 22 people suspended50 metres above the ground. It begana tour in Europe in April and willcontinue until September.

But, for a dinner that you’ll end up

talking about for years, keep a tab onThe Cube, which has so far appearedon top of monuments in London,Stockholm, Brussels and Milan. A pop-up restaurant created by Electrolux,it provides sweeping views of thecity you’re dining in, The Cube hostsdazzling meals prepared by the world’sbest chefs.

Dark fantasiesEating in the dark reigns inthe world of multisensorydining, and places suchas Dans Le Noir? in

London, O’Noir in Montreal, whereall waiters are visually impaired, andunsicht-Bar in Berlin, the largest darkrestaurant globally, have assuredly seta unique trend.

Multisensory experiencesBut more exciting aspects of theconcept are fast emerging. The iconicRoca Brothers of Spain, for example,took the trend to a new level withtheir culinary opera El Somni, andchefs around the world are offeringdiners the opportunity to experiencegastronomic heaven throughscintillating digital immersions.

Take, for instance, Ultraviolet, aten-seater restaurant in Shanghai byPaul Pairet, which attempts to unitefood with multisensory technologyto create a fully immersive diningexperience. Flashy pop-kitschyinteriors and psycho-taste rule theroost here, with projections, sound,music, hot and cold air and scentenhancing each dish.

Automated restaurants make forinteresting dining experiences aswell. At ‘s Baggers Restaurant inNuremberg, you place your orderthrough touchscreen menus and thefood slides down roller-coaster-likemetal tracks to the tables. On theother hand, you’re served by dancingrobots at Hajime Robot Restaurantin Bangkok.

Of course, there are more varietiesof crazy experiences on offer, fromdining in caves and tasting menusconsisting of cutting-edge food ordishes made with just one ingredient.

But these will give you a headstart and, possibly, the

momentum you needto look for more.

Eat with the fishes, literally, at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, the undersea restaurant

Dive into delicacies with Dinner in The Sky, which is run by Fun Group. It hosts up to 22 people

Try egg gruyère at PaulPairet’s restaurant Ultraviolet

On the spotTry The Cube for anunforgettable pop-uprestaurant experience

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urtesy

DITSOsterreich/CyrillStruy

,Jen

nyGao

andsu

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Al Nawras | DINING EXPERIENCES