I was reading an article in Food and Wine this month (paper version – I can’t find it online right now) about a restaurant in Shanghai called Ultraviolet by chef Paul Pairet (of Shangahi’s Mr. and Mrs. Bund).  For those who don’t know Paul Pairet, he’s a French chef who is now based in Shanghai and has won dozens of awards for his restaurants – check him out on his own website.  For those of you who read Tim-Foolery regularly, you know that hen we travel dining out is one of our top priorities.  We want to try new food and new culinary experiences, but the concept behind Ultraviolet gives me pause.

According to Time Out Shanghai you enter the hidden restaurant through large automatic mesh metal doors.  You enjoy a cocktail in an anteroom then another set of doors magically open and you are led into an all white dining room.  The restaurant is heaven for audio/video geeks – with special music set for each course and the walls of the intimate dining room are ever changing with numerous visuals that are also timed to match up with each course.

An award winning chef and truly unique dining space – what would give me pause, you are probably wondering?  I noted above that this restaurant is hidden — not like other things in Shanghai where you just can’t find it because of poor street signs or numbering, but because it is intentionally hidden.  To visit this restaurant you are picked up by a van and delivered to a former warehouse space.  I love trying new things, but the idea of getting into a random van in Shanghai freaks me out.  I envision getting into this van then waking up 18 hours later missing a kidney or two.  I think my concern is that this happens in Shanghai — I’d probably do the whole van thing in London, New York or Paris, but Mexico City or Shanghai, not so much.

I would love to try this restaurant if I ever head back to Shanghai — but I would definitely make sure I checked in with the hotel and snap a photo of the van / license plate and upload so if/when I go missing there would be at least  a lead for the authorities.

Check out the video of Ultraviolet:

Ultraviolet Shanghai (Extended Version) from Limelight Studio on Vimeo.

What do you think about this? Would you visit Ultraviolet? Am I nuts for being concerned about the whole kidnapping possibility? Have you been to Ultraviolet?