OREANDA-NEWS. April 14, 2015. In this collaboration between Philippe Nigro and Hajime Yoneda, a tasting experience is added to the sensory journey. In creating a unique taste sensation, Chef Yoneda who is a Lexus owner himself, drew on his personal experiences of driving pleasure and travelling through nature, where all five senses are at their sharpest.

Scene 1

This scene was inspired by Chef Yoneda's own joy in driving in a Lexus, hurtling through the falling rain drops and feeling the exhilaration of becoming one with the natural beauty of a rainy day. Inside the cocoon, visitors see and hear a startlingly realistic illusion of falling rain. As the 'raindrops' made out of sparkling candy dissolve in the visitors' mouths, a refreshing sensation is produced, mimicking the feeling and sound of falling rain.

Scene 2

In this scene, Chef Yoneda takes inspiration from the Lexus cockpit, envisioning the beauty of nature from the inside out and enveloping the visitor with a sense of comfort, liberation, and unity with nature. As they bite into the cacao butter crust of the 'life force of a tree', the aroma of fresh, verdant greenery washes over their senses. Hearing the quiet sounds of a forest around them, they experience the beauty of a tree from the inside out.

Scene 3

As the culmination of the journey of the senses, this scene embodies Chef Yoneda's respect for the Lexus commitment to excellence in car-making and its luxury brand spirit of hospitality. Looking down from starry space upon images of the earth on a table in the centre of the room, visitors drink the warm 'Earth soup' with its life-giving essence of vegetables, meat, and fish, sensing a glow from within as the soup's warmth spreads through their bodies.