At the age of 16 my stepmom took me out for lunch at Chez Panisse. I had smoked salmon with Asparagus and Hollandaise. Up until that point in my life I didn't really care for salmon and asparagus wasn't really something I cared for. And I had no clue what hollandaise was. Yet at that moment, I knew I wanted to become a chef. Since I was 12, my exposure the culinary arts had been limited to the fine art of pressure frying chicken in a broasters, making garlic bread with spaghetti and canned tomato sauce. Not very complex foods. I knew I liked working in the kitchen. The allure was really working with quirky personalities.
I can still clearly recall the moment. Going back, I wish I had taken a picture. After lunch, I asked the server if I could buy one of Alice Water's books. He stated she was in the chef's office if I wanted to get her autograph. I knew Chez Panisse was a famous restaurant. But I had no idea I was about to meet one of the most famous chefs in American history. She was very kind, and after asking what I should do to become a chef she mentioned I should try culinary school and then work for the best chef I could find.
I took her advice to heart and still remember that dish like it was yesterday. In many ways, I wish I could relive it day.
Over the years at Moto, I have decided to take the emotion in food and transcend it into digital art. Essentially, I have always wondered what it would be like if we could relive our best food experiences through the eyes of those who produce the meals. How many times have you gone out to eat, had a knockout meal and couldn't explain the food to a friend? Sure, I believe in living in the moment, but why not allow that moment to be recreated and shared?
I think it's safe to say most of my happiest moments in life were enjoyed with food. The day I met my wife, my first time dining at Charlie Trotters, the first time my wife cooked for me and many other life-changing moments. I wish I had a digital record of these events exactly how I experienced them. So why not? We should have a digital record of amazing food experiences.
A lot of people associate moto as a science-driven innovation experience. I consider what we do as art in many forms. Science being just one art form we explore in food. But on the outside of the restaurant we like to showcase the inspiration and origination of an idea. Also, how we want you to remember it. So I invite you to experience the digital art we create in food. In my opinion it can have a lasting effect after you experience it in real life.
In this digital expression of Chef Richard Farina's Prawn & Melon dish, we explore a single dish as food art, art in science and food as digital art.