Shimmering Sushi

Famous for its multi-sensory food projects, the London-based design studio has this time created a pop-up restaurant serving glow-in-the-dark sushi. The phosphorescent flavors offered in the pop-up sushi bar opened as part of the Mother of the Nation festival held in Abu Dhabi, with their psychedelic and extraordinary appearance, created a color in the eyes first and then a flavor explosion on the palate.

Thanks to this special image, created by the combination of ultraviolet rays and bioluminescent ingredients, the designers were able to create sushi plates and cocktails with a pale color spectrum. There is no doubt that maki's with electric blue, neon green and pink nigiri leave unforgettable memories for guests.

According to Bompas & Parr's statement, about 15% of all minerals can reflect vivid colors under this type of light. This is called 'electron displacement' because the energy from ultraviolet light pushes some atoms into a higher orbital, while the light effect happens when the atoms return to their normal orbits. In other words, when black light emits ultraviolet rays, atoms begin to emit fluorescent light in response.

This natural response occurs in certain foods such as tonic, bananas, peppers and honey, and vitamin B2. Other foods that glow naturally include fish, mushrooms and shiso, a type of leafy green vegetable. Bompas & Parr has created this special menu by using many of these light-sensitive foods, as well as making it even more distinctive and striking with some extracts and pigments.

This is not the studio's first project to combine food and creativity; they had attracted attention before with foods that pushed the limits, such as the lightest dessert in the world and ice cream that did not melt.