A dinner you’re not supposed to put your phone away for.
Combining traditional taste with contemporary technique, iCHiNA transports guests to the opulent fine dining experiences found in modern Hong Kong and China. Its latest offering is the Virtual Reality Dinner Experience, a fusion of technology and gastronomy that takes diners on an immersive culinary journey. The first of its kind in Silicon Valley, the multi-sensory experience features a tasting menu designed by iCHINA’s culinary team of three internationally recognized chefs: Chef Zhineng Chen, Chef Xia An He, and Michelin-starred Pastry Chef Graham Hornigold. The cutting-edge dining concept blends the finest in Chinese cuisine with the limitless possibilities of virtual reality (VR), creating an unforgettable feast for the senses. Each dish is paired with visual effects designed to complement the menu, which features traditional Chinese dishes with an innovative twist, crafted using the highest-quality ingredients.
As you enter iCHINA, you’ll immediately notice the sleek interior design. The private dining room at the back of the restaurant integrates technology into the dining experience, setting the stage for a unique gastronomic adventure. As each course is served, diners are transported to a visually stunning and immersive virtual world. The VR experience is synchronized with the dishes, creating a harmonious blend of taste, sight, and sound. In this virtual realm, diners might find themselves dining in a picturesque bamboo forest, or even journeying undersea, adding an element of playfulness and engagement to the dining experience.
Our first course unites land and sea: har gow (shrimp dumplings) served with delicate slices of earthy Burgundy burgundy fall truffle. Another example of a traditional Cantonese dish elevated with high-end ingredients is the Peking duck, perfectly executed with the obligatory ultra-crisp skin, taken up a notch with a heaping spoonful of Regiis Ova caviar. Without spoiling too many of the visual surprises, you might also enjoy succulent sweet Boston lobster as aquatic life drifts up and down the table, or delight in petals raining down on a dish of A5 Miyazaki wagyu. One standout dish during our visit was the soft shell crab salad, its rich meat balanced with the bright tartness of green apples and savory wasabi dressing. Be sure to save room for the picturesque dessert, complemented by an equally as stunning visual finale, and several of iCHINA’s imaginative cocktails, which incorporate unique ingredients and flavors from Asia. Along with their creative presentations, these turned out to be the star of the evening.
Available to the public once monthly, iCHINA’s Virtual Reality Dinner Experience is a communal dining experience that can also be booked as a private event. Ideal for food enthusiasts, tech aficionados, and anyone seeking an entirely new way to savor Chinese cuisine, this pioneering dining concept at iCHINA not only redefines the traditional restaurant experience, but also showcases the potential of virtual reality as a tool for elevating culinary artistry to new heights.