International Marketing Review – A Different Night Out

One of the easiest ways to break the ice in cross-cultural encounters is through food. It is natural to offer to share a meal with people from different cultures. In fact, in some cultures this is an obligatory rite of passage: you must share a meal before a business deal is concluded.

It is not always easy to eat different foods. They may not appear appetizing if you are not used to them. Different foods is not the only challenge. There are sometimes different customs when eating.

Let’s have some fun and take a look at some different dining experiences.

Dans le Noir

The concept is simple and symbolic: all the waiters are blind and for the duration of your meal, the tables are turned. The waiters are in command: you rely on them to lead you to your seat, to deliver the meal and to lead you back to the ante-room.

On arrival, we choose a menu colour: white (could be anything), red (no seafood), blue (seafood) and green (vegetarian). Then, leaving bags and anything light-emitting – mobile phone, electronic car key, even a watch with a fluorescent dial – in the lockers provided, we are instructed to hold the shoulder of the person in front while our waiter, at the head of this tentative conga line, guides us through the curtain into the gathering gloom. I’m not afraid of the dark but am not exactly enamoured of claustrophobia. Reviewed by Ian Gilbert.

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant

Ithaa, which means pearl in Dhivehi, is the world’s premier undersea restaurant, secured five metres (15 feet ) below sea level, surrounded by a coral reef , at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island in Rangalifinolhu, Maldives

“We have used aquarium technology to put diners face-to-face with the stunning underwater environment of the Maldives “, says Carsten Schieck, General Manager of Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa.”Our guests always comment on being blown away by the colour, clarity, and beauty of the underwater world in the Maldives, so it seemed the perfect idea to build a restaurant where diners can experience fine cuisine and take time to enjoy the views – without ever getting their feet wet.” Created by MJ Murphy Ltd, a design consultancy based in New Zealand, Ithaa’s distinctive feature is the use of curved transparent acrylic walls and roof, similar to those used in aquarium attractions. “The fact that the entire restaurant except for the floor is made of clear acrylic makes this unique in the world,” continues Schieck, “We are currently planting a coral garden on the reef to add to the spectacular views of the rays, sharks and many colourful fish that live around the area.

Yellow Treehouse Restaurant

The new Yellow Treehouse Restaurant by New Zealand based Pacific Environments Architects Ltd. (PEL) is a stunning architectural feat perched high above a redwood first. Appearing for all the world like an enormous chrysalis grafted onto a 40-meter-high redwood tree, the project is constructed of plantation poplar slats, redwood balustrading milled at the site, and makes extensive use of natural lighting throughout.

More International Marketing Reviews:

• #56 – Culture Shock
• #55 – World Maps
• #54 – Interracial Relationships
• #53 – Multi-cultural Cities
• #52 – International Social Networking
• #51 – Mothers Day 2009
• #50 – Cross-Cultural Management
• #49 – Holidays Around The World In May 2009
• #48 – Earth Day 2009
• #47 – Easter 2009
• #46 – G20
• #45 – UN-Earth Hour Events On Earth Day
• #44 – World Water Day
• #43 – Flat Stanley travels the world
• #42 – English Tweeting Women to follow from Europe
• #41 – English Tweeting Women to follow from Europe
• #40 – Intercultural Encounters
• #39 – International Valentines Day 2009
• #38 – The White Paper Summit 2009
• #37 – Social Media Changes and President Obama
• #36 – Social Media and the President
• #35 – Globalization and the Global Economy
• #34 – Cross-Cultural Encounters
• #33 – Cultural & International Links
• #32 – 2009 Predictions
• #31 – Christmas Meals Around The World
• #30 – Christmas Trees Around The World
• #29 – Santa Claus In Different Cultures
• #28 – International Christmas Shopping
• #27 – On Multicultural Matters
• #26 – On International Sales
• #25 – On Cross-Cultural Communication
• #24 – On Translations
• #23 – On Email Marketing
• #19 – International Business

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International Marketing Review #57