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More and more restaurants are offering multi-sensory experiences, where taste is enhanced by total immersion. The phenomenon, born in Asia, is imported into France.
In the heart of Paris, an immersive restaurant offers a show for the greatest pleasure of the eyes, but also of the taste buds. Installed for a year in France, the establishment and its maritime atmosphere is often full. In another district of the capital, customers find themselves at the heart of the Big Bang. The creators relied on special effects and the help of a film decorator. 500 planets hang from the ceiling. “We really immerse the guests in a world by stimulating all the senses”explains Lina Utzig, Ephemera’s strategy and development manager.
Influencing the tasting
The concept of the immersive restaurant comes from abroad. In Germany, the chairs move from room to room, and each dish has its own universe. In Shanghai (China), three-star chef Paul Pairet, inventor of the concept, takes up to four years to develop his sensory menus. You have to count to afford the experience three months of waiting, and spend between 500 and 1,000 euros. Each dish offers a total show, where nothing is left to chance to be in perfect harmony with the plate: music, videos and smells. “It gives a level of concentration at the table that is superior to a classic restaurant”explains the chef.
Knowing how to stimulate the five senses is a very serious discipline: neuro-gastronomy. According to a study, music can also change tastes. A chocolate ice cream will be creamier or more bitter, depending on the sound.