A glow-in-the-dark ramen shop makes food that looks like something out of an alien world
If you’ve ever wondered what mythical spirits might eat, it probably looks something like the menu at the world’s first glow-in-the-dark ramen shop.
Nakamura.ke, which opens at two locations in Atlanta, Georgia, later this month and in late February, offers guests an immersive dining experience inspired by a dream designer Ami Sueki had three years ago.
In the tale, which was created by Sueki’s design studio Zoo as Zoo, the Nakamura children lost their parents in a storm one fateful night. Years later, the children reunited at their family’s old shop, only to discover glowing noodles and vibrating utensils, like someone was trying to show them how to make their parents’ secret ramen recipe.
Now, the Nakamura children chase after full moons around the world — when noodles glow the brightest — making ramen in their mobile kitchen, hoping they’ll one day reunite with their parents.
To bring this story to life, Sueki teamed up with Courtney Hammond, the co-founder of national arts agency Dashboard. Like the Nakamura children’s mobile kitchen, Nakamura.ke will be a small, intimate space, seating six diners at a time for one 30-minute meal. During that period, guests will be served glow-in-the-dark dishes and cocktails as performers interact with them.