Foodini is in the hands of many chefs and professional kitchens, and they are testing 3D printed dishes. Some are in the early stages and using Foodini in their experimental kitchens and labs, but not in their restaurants or food service channels... yet! Others are using Foodini and offering 3D printed food for a limited time only either in special menus or pop-up restaurant concepts - which go over very well and always pleasantly surprise dinner guests.
One Michelin star chef in particular is doing something for the first time in the history of Natural Machines: Foodini is in a 2 star restaurant where it is printing dishes that appear on the menu. Yes, the menu that is available every day. 3D printed dishes will appear alongside other dishes; a handful of dishes will be 3D printed, the rest will not be 3D printed.
Yesterday, we took a TV presenter to the restaurant to have a look and a taste. (Both the restaurant and the TV presenter/show will not be named until the program is broadcasted... coming soon!)
I turned the interview around at one point and asked the journalist if it weren’t for the fact that he knew he was eating a dish that was made using Foodini, would he know he was eating 3D printed food? His answer: no.
With a beautifully presented dish - whether or not it's made with Foodini - one may wonder how it was made. It’s not always apparent. And per the TV presenter's answer, it will not always be obvious that a dish was actually created with Foodini.
That is fine with us. Because when you eat at a restaurant, does the menu list what kitchen appliance was used to make the dish? No. At the end of the day, Foodini is a kitchen appliance. Albeit a kitchen appliance that does things no other kitchen appliance can do!
Some restaurants will choose to advertise that they are serving dishes that are being prepared with Foodini. Others will choose not to. That brings us back to the headline: Will you know if you are eating 3D printed food? As Foodini becomes available in more and more restaurants, you may eat 3D printed food without even knowing it. ;-)
Full disclosure, I’m co-Founder of Natural Machines, the makers of Foodini: a 3D food printer. Foodini makes all kinds of savory and sweet foods using fresh, real ingredients. With Foodini, this is real food... 3D printed.
