Master Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi Adds Unique Taste to Lexus’s Milan Design Week Presentation

• Multiple Michelin star-winning chef Yoji Tokuyoshi creates tasting experiences to complement Lexus’s An Encounter with Anticipation at Milan Design Week
• Unique dishes “Buoyancy” and “Transparent” inspired by the pure water by-product of the hydrogen fuel cell technology used by the Lexus LF-FC luxury concept car, and by the Japanese hospitality traditions of Omotenashi
• Visitors will sample his work within the three-part installation commissioned from the design studio Formafantasma
• The installation and the work of the finalists in this year’s Lexus Design Award will be on public view at the Spazio Lexus – Torneria in Milan from 12 to 17 April (media preview 11 April)

Can you capture the spirit of a car’s design and technology in the taste of a dish? That is the challenge being met by internationally acclaimed chef Yoji Tokuyoshi for Lexus’s An Encounter with Anticipation presentation at Milan Design Week – the Salone del Mobile – in April.

The culinary skills of the multi-Michelin star-winning restaurateur will complement the physical designs of a specially commissioned installation, crafted by the design studio Formafantasma. Visitors will be able to view the work while sampling Tokuyoshi’s unique creations at the Spazio Lexus – Torneria in Milan from 12 to 17 April, with a media preview on 11 April.

Both Tokuyoshi and Formafantasma duo Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farrasin have been inspired by the styling and performance of the LF-FC concept car, Lexus’s vision of a future limousine powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. Embracing Lexus’s theme of “anticipation” for this year’s show, Tokuyoshi focused on the fact that the only waste product produced by the technology is water. He also sought to capture the spirit of Omotenashi, the finest qualities of Japanese hospitality that Lexus references in the design of its luxury vehicles.

He explained: “Looking at the LF-FC concept car and getting to understand how the fuel cell makes use of hydrogen energy, I came to realise how Lexus envisions this as the right technology for the future. So I decided to make water the motif for my tasting experience to create something amazing that can be integrated into Formafantasma’s installation.”

Tokuyoshi brings impressive experience to bear on the project, as one of Milan’s most celebrated chefs and the creative force at the Ristorante Tokuyoshi, where he has pioneered his own interpretation of Italian cuisine, the Cucina Italiana Contaminata.

The first tasting experience Lexus’s visitors will enjoy is Buoyancy, which expresses the energy water has, both to sustain life and to carry objects over vast distances. The dish uses water and a floating herbal leaf to deliver a surprising taste sensation.

Tokuyoshi’s second creation for Lexus is Transparency. Here he uses ingredients to produce a dish that can serve as a metaphor for something that might be seen, or remain imperceptible, depending on the viewer’s perspective. What might appear at first to be a clear soup in fact delivers a unique, delightful and unexpected experience for the palate. The concept echoes the way Lexus envisions how the future might deliver experiences that excite and surprise.

Lexus’ Milan Design Week presentation will also include a showcase for the work of the 12 finalists in this year’s Lexus Design Award, including prototypes produced by the four leading entries, developed with mentorship from world-renowned designers.

Note to editors: –

More information and pictures can be found at: 
Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation: http://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design/
Lexus Design Award website: www.lexusdesignaward.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexusdesignaward/   @lexusdesignaward
Official hashtags: #MilanDesignWeek; #LDAnticipate; #LexusDesignEvent;  #LDEncounters

DESIGNER PROFILES

Formafantasma – Designer

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, Italian designers based in Amsterdam, are Formafantasma, an innovative design team whose work is characterised by its investigation of experimental materials. Formafantasma explores the relationship between traditional and local culture, critical approaches to sustainability and the significance of objects as cultural conduits.

Bridging craft, industry, object and user, the designers have forged links between their research-based practice and a wider design industry, and have received commissions from a wide range of renowned fashion and retail brands. Their work has also been published internationally and been acquired for the permanent collections of major museums, including the MoMA in New York and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

Yoji Tokuyoshi – Chef

Yoji Tokuyoshi is recognised as one of Milan’s most innovative chefs.  During almost a decade at Osteria Francescana under the tutelage of Chef Massimo Bottura, Tokuyoshi rapidly rose to the position of sous chef and helped the celebrated restaurant earn its second and third Michelin stars.  Setting out on his own in early 2014 he established his own restaurant in Milan featuring uniquely re-interpreted Italian cuisine that Tokuyoshi termed Cucina Italiana Contaminata.  In just 10 months the new restaurant was awarded a Michelin star.  With technique and creativity, Tokuyoshi offers an entirely new dining experience that serves very personal food to each individual diner.