If you love Japanese cuisine and are looking for a gastronomic experience out of the ordinary, there is a ramen shop that could be for you. It is about Nakamura, a pop-up and itinerant Japanese restaurant that in addition to offering a natural, refined and high level Japanese cuisine, it is the first ramen shop to have a menu that lights up at night. Thanks to this extraordinary event, which is repeated from time to time in a different location in the world, it is indeed possible to sip an exotic phosphorescent cocktail and enjoy a bright noodle bowl, all strictly in the dark.

Birth and success of the Nakamura format in the world

This unique ramen shop debuted at Atlanta in January 2019 with a successful event during which 1000 bowls of phosphorescent ramen were served. Since then the Nakamura.ke, a large project that includes one dinner in the dark with lots of theater performances, art, Japanese folklore, a storytelling path and an after-dinner party, left for a world tour, stopping off in various cities in the United States, but also in Tokyo and Paris and continuing until the end of 2020. The dates are announced from time to time on the site and if you are fast enough lucky to buy the ticket before the sold out you are entitled to the experiential dinner lasting 30 minutes, to be enjoyed at the table with a special VIP ticket or at the ramen shop counter.

The dream phosphorescent menu

The idea of ​​this innovative Japanese restaurant in the dark where i stand out bright colors of phosphorescent dishes, appeared one day in a dream to London designer Ami Sueki, at a time when she and her agency were constantly looking for new original projects to give life to. As in the best of fairy tales that vision would become reality, but it took three years to find the right team and to conceive its realization. The clear goal was to transport diners to a typical Tokyo and Ramen shop awaken all their senses through artistic performances, the luminescence of colors in the dark, but above all through the flavors of a menu exceptional, as good as it is beautiful. Just the latter, entirely natural and prepared on the spot with fresh and genuine ingredients, is the work of the London gastronomic studio Bompas & Parr, which has the merit of having studied luminescence and its culinary applications for over a decade. Customers have at their disposal three colorful and creative ramen dishes, with green, pink or blue noodles, and three different recipes of oriental-flavored cocktails, all with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and alcohol-free options.

In short, from the story told, to the spirits that hover in the dark, to the originality of the courses served by the vibrant colors, the Nakamura is able to transport diners to a magical and exciting place and to live a dream, culinary and not only, to eyes open.

Photo: nakamura ramen shop Photograph by Zoo as Zoo courtesy of Dashboard.jpg
Photo: glow-in-dark-ramen Nakamura photos courtesy of Nakamura-ke Mobile Kitchen.jpg