For centuries food has generated excitement and creativity, and ahead of the July 22 staging of the 12th annual Jamaica Observer Food Awards SO presents some exceptional eats from around the world, which range from the delectably opulent to the downright unusual.

Dinner in the sky

Those who expect more from a restaurant than four walls, a solid floor and standard fare, might enjoy having dinner while dangling from a crane raised 15 ft in the sky with all the trappings at Dinner In The Sky. Think dining chairs, tables, crockery and a sartorially suave waiter who pours as guests swing gently on the suspended deck.

But this is perhaps safer than bungee jumping or tightrope walking, right?

The chairs themselves are shaped like racing car seats and are attached to the table with lots of sturdy-looking nuts and bolts and a steel safety cable.

The equipment and crane are rigorously checked before each event. The table, made from heavy-duty plastic on a metal superstructure, is nine metres by five and weighs six tonnes – as much as a large elephant. Although there is no floor underneath the chairs, in the centre of the table there is a sunken platform from which two waiters scoot about preparing dinner and drinks.

Although based in Belgium, the restaurant can be driven to any destination in the world. What’s more, Forbes magazine ranks Dinner In The Sky among the world’s top 10 most unusual restaurants.

Dans Le Noir: Dining by Dark

Sight is an important part of how we feel about food, but what happens when that’s taken away?

Well, Dans Le Noir founder Edouard de Broglie and Etienne Boisrond introduced the idea that the act of consuming food becomes more satisfying when you’re relying on senses other than sight. In fact, they hired a primarily blind and visually impaired staff to prove their point. Does the food at Dans Le Noir really taste all the better for it? Book a table at one of the three locations – Paris, London or Moscow — to find out.

Ice, Ice Baby

Because wearing a mink is always a good reason to step out stylishly, why not dine at the famed Ice Hotel in Sverige, Sweden? Though the hotel isn’t made of ice, it serves its meals on plates made from the ice of the Torne River, which flows through Sweden and Finland. There is, too, delightful elk and reindeer meat, which is on the restaurant’s winter menu.

Sushi, Ninja-style

While guests work their way through the tasting menu at this Japanese restaurant, servers garbed in ninja costumes perform magic alongside the tables. Expect to spend generously on the sushi, but just know it’s the live-action stunt fest that you’re really paying for.

The Ithaa Experience

Experience life inside an aquarium when you eat at this restaurant. Luxury resort Conrad Maldives Rangali Island hosts Ithaa, which is located five metres underwater, and diners will enjoy a 360° panoramic view of the marine life and nearby reefs of the clear blue waters of the Indian Ocean. The restaurant only seats twelve, so reservations need to be made as much as fourteen days in advance through the resort.

Gone to the Loo?

They’re quick to ask, “Go pee-pee or go poo-poo”, and to think it all started simply by selling dollops of chocolate ice cream in containers shaped like a toilet. Today Modern Toilet (located in Taipei, Taiwan) is a full-fledged theme restaurant. The menu has expanded to include their own specialised selection of entrées, appetisers and desserts, all served in a toilet bowl, urinal, bathtub, or virtually anything you’d find in your bathroom at home. Curry and spaghetti, ice cream and fries, Modern Toilet caters to every palate that passes through its doors.

`s Baggers® Bit

`s Baggers® Nürnberg promises premium quality meals and service, with a menu that they guarantee to be low-fat, low- calorie and made from fresh ingredients of the highest quality. But there’s a catch. Nobody will come to take your order – there are no waiters!

Guests order their meals via touch screen displays, after which they are then transported by metal tracks to the tables. With their state-of-the-art technology, after placing your order, you can also read up on their suppliers, rate their meals, ambience and service all from the comfort of your seat!

Kinderkookkafé Kids

Children get to be the boss at Amsterdam’s Kinderkookkafé. Here under the supervision of two adults, they do the cooking, washing up and preparation of the food, just as if they were running their very own kitchen. They serve up to thirty guests, and after the meal they return to clear up the plates.

Located in picturesque Vondelpark, the Kinderkookkafé is a great place to leave your kids without having to constantly worry about them. Plus, they are guaranteed to be entertained and learn something while they’re at it.

The Jamaica Observer Food Awards

The Caribbean’s most prestigious culinary celebration, the Jamaica Observer Food Awards is in its 12th year and all is set for a superb roll-out, come Thursday. Imagine a concentration of over 50 restaurants, bars, caterers and other culinary purveyors with lots of goodies just waiting to be had! Come style with your BFFs in a chill atmosphere and look out for the Page 2 lens!

In Good Taste…

Have a look, too, at what the rich and famous feast on, what celebs crave and the foodies around the world applaud for high taste…

Golden Opulence Sundae – New York

The world’s most expensive sundae costs US$1000, but who can complain after hearing what it’s made of? Serendipity 3 Restaurant in New York added the Golden Opulence Sundae to its menu in honour of its 50th or ‘golden anniversary’. It is made with five scoops of Tahitian Vanilla Bean ice-cream mixed with Madagascar vanilla, Venezuelan Chuao chocolate, gold dragées, candied fruits, marzipan cherries and truffles. It doesn’t stop there, the mixture is then drizzled with Amedei Porcelana — one of the world’s most expensive chocolates — then topped with a Ron Ben-Israel flower and a 23-carat edible gold leaf and served with a small glass bowl of Grand Passion Caviar. They even serve it in a crystal goblet with an 18-carat gold spoon, naturally.

Platinum Cake

Japanese Chef Nobue Ikara created the Platinum Cake, which was showcased by Platinum Guild International for the purpose of encouraging more people, especially women, to buy platinum jewellery. The cake, which is priced at US$130, 000, is decorated with white frosting and draped in platinum jewellery and edible platinum foil. It is yet to be sold, but we say why not have your cake, wear it and eat it too?

Strawberries Arnaud – New York

At first glance, Strawberries Arnaud sounds like nothing too special: ice-cream topped with strawberries, citrus, red wine, cream and mint. But the strawberries found at Arnaud’s restaurant in New Orleans’ French Quarter is not just some sliced fruit. The difference lies in the topping — a one-of-a-kind 4.7-carat pink diamond ring once belonging to the British financier Sir Ernest Cassel. To make it worth the exorbitant US$1.4 million price tag, the strawberries are served with a $24,850 Charles X crystal liquor complete with white-gloved servers and live jazz.

Frrrozen Haute Chocolate – New York

The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate is definitely a drink that no one will ever forget. At the price of US$25,000, you can enjoy the frozen drink with the consistency of a slushy that contains a variety of cocoas from over 14 countries, milk, and of course five grams of 24-carat edible gold. To top it off, there’s a dollop of whipped cream and La Madeline au Truffle shavings. To ensure your money’s worth, the haute cold dessert comes in a goblet that is banded with gold and decorated with diamonds: 1-carat of them, along with a take-home golden spoon. In 2007 the dessert was named the most expensive in the world by the Guinness World Records, but that price tag has since been surpassed. Who would have thought the world’s most expensive dessert was once a chocolate slushy?

The Sultan’s Golden Cake – Istanbul

For US$1000 per slice this is obviously fit for a sultan. In fact it is so extraordinary that it has to be made to order, which takes about 72 hours. The Sultan’s Golden Cake, which is served at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel in Istanbul is made of figs, pears, apricots and quince which has been soaked for two years in Jamaican Rum. The cake is then topped with French Polynesia vanilla beans, caramel, black truffles, and a 24-carat gold leaf and served in a sterling silver cake box with a golden seal. You can think of it as eating an edible block of gold.

Cave Creek Chili Beer – Arizona, USA

This golden, chili-flavoured lager has a low carbonation level and even has a whole chili pepper in the bottle for the die-hard spice lovers’ delight. Plus with the very fitting tagline “Limes are for wimps” it is safe to say that Cave Creek Chili Beer is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Air Batu Campur – Malaysia

Similar to what we Jamaicans know as ‘Sky Juice’, Air Batu Campur is a refreshing shaved ice treat topped with condensed milk, plain sugar, roasted peanuts, red beans, canned corn and cubes of black grass jelly. It is more commonly known as ABC and can be found at street-side stalls.

Ramune Curry Lemonade – Japan

As the name suggests, this is a curry and lemonade-flavoured drink that is apparently all the rage in Japan. It is sold in a carbonated form by popular soft drink company Ramune and is considered quite refreshing.

Ackee and Saltfish – Jamaica

While our national dish might seem quite ‘normal’ for us to feast on, for many people it is a rather strange meal. The unripe ackee is poisonous, containing the toxic constituent hypoglycin. There are even people in the Caribbean who won’t go near the food at all. Still, it is a major attraction for tourists who visit our fair isle, dying for a ‘real taste’ of Jamaica. It is usually the custom for ackee to be had with saltfish, but people are now discovering that there are many other tasty and creative ways to prepare it. Ackee must be prepared when ripe.

Kangaroo meat – Australia

Not only is this an unusual choice, but the kangaroo is also one of the national animals of Australia (the second is the emu), which makes it one of a handful of countries in the world that actually consumes its national animal.