Week 13

Culinary Utopia is a futuristic food market. It takes place in the year 3,000 where humans and aliens from all over the galaxy come to eat and shop. The main thing humans and aliens have in common is the love and need for food, so Culinary Utopia is the main planet dedicated to bringing everyone in the galaxy together. The Chairman, a galactically renowned chef, founded the market for the purpose of bringing peace to the galaxies. Rather than war, the Chairman conducts cooking competitions where the top chefs from each planet compete for the honor of being awarded the galactic chef. The galactic chef is awarded the coveted title and given the opportunity to open a restaurant on Culinary Utopia, the most visited and prestigious culinary center in the galaxy. There are many different races, cultures, and aliens represented and celebrated on Culinary Utopia so everyone feels welcome.

            Upon entering the park, everyone is treated as a visiting alien looking to eat and shop. Park hours are from 12pm-2am with food and entertainment lasting all hours. Admission upon entering the park is only $10 for a base entrance fee and guests can choose to spend as much as they wish at each food area, making it affordable for anyone to enjoy. There will be a variety of food and entertainment options ranging from free to expensive. There will be free cooking demos and shows from chefs with plenty of tasty samples from venders throughout the park. For the wealthy, there is wine tasting as well as molecular gastronomy restaurants featuring liquid nitrogen cocktails and whimsical dishes. Guests can also sign up for cooking classes ranging from moderately priced to expensive depending on the dish and chef teaching the class. Culinary Utopia is meant to unite the galaxies through food so all cultures, genders, and races are welcomed. Although English is the main language spoken at the park, there are many park staff who are bilingual to help translate for guests if needed. Guests are also welcome to dress up in alien attire if they wish.    

Park crew and security will be dressed as futuristic aliens and humans. They will remain in character to really immerse guests in the world of Culinary Utopia. Crew may ask guests what planet they are from and how they are enjoying their experience on Culinary Utopia. The park has a few rules to make sure guests have a safe and enjoyable visit. Guests must have a bag check before entering the park and receive a wrist band. The wrist band tracks the amount of drinks each guest orders since each guest is limited to 5 drinks per every 3 hours. Security monitors the park to make sure guests are sober and being respectful of other guests. If a guest is intoxicated, security will provide them with a taxi back home or a safe area where they can sober up.   

To enter the park, guests park in an open parking lot, then are shuttled over to the park. The shuttle has screens instead of windows that display an immersive film of an alien explaining the history of the origins and purpose of Culinary Utopia. The screens then display a hyper jump into space and then a safe landing on Culinary Utopia. When exiting the park, the shuttle will display a hyper drive into space and back to the parking lot.

Overall there will be 8 different areas that guests can visit. The first area is a daycare center. The park is geared towards people and aliens of drinking age, so the daycare will be a fun area where parents can drop off their kids. The second main area guests can visit is the Galactic Buffet. The buffet is a large indoor buffet that features food from across the galaxy. Guests can take a tray and fill up on a vast array of foods inspired from around the world new takes on modern food. For example, there will be a freeze dried dessert station where guests can order any dessert available and have it freeze dried. It also gives guests an opportunity to sample new foods before they may wish to buy them in the market place.  

The third area guests can visit is the concert arena. The concert arena is an open dome where guests can enjoy music outside on the open lawn. Music will range from jazzy to romantic songs and classical tunes. The dome will also feature culinary competitions where guests can watch top chefs from across the galaxy compete for the title of Iron Galactic Chef. The third area of interest is the greenhouse. Guests can tour the greenhouse and learn how modern technology is used to grow fruits and vegetables. Plants from around the galaxy will feature hybrid fruits and vegetables such as grapples, which is half grape and half apple. Guests can also pay for a wine tour, where they are taken to an old style trail of grape orchards and get to sample different wine.

Another favorite part of the park is the Galactic Market. The market will feature food stands from all over the galaxy. For example, there will be food stands inspired by Thailand where guests can choose from a variety of fresh meats and produce. Then when they are finished a chef will cook their food for them with any spices and sauces they wish. There will also be a lot of foods inspired by other planets and galaxies as well. For example, there will be molecular mixologists who specialize in creating cocktails by using techniques in molecular gastronomy. The Galactic Market will be an open market place under a large tent. The tent allows for plenty of sunlight, but is strong enough to provide protection to guests from rainy weather. The planet has a dry, dessert climate, similar to California. This makes Culinary Utopia a pleasant place to visit all year round.

Culinary Utopia will also feature fancy restaurants such as the High Eatery. The High Eatery is a molecular gastronomy restaurant at the top of a tall, rotating tower that overlooks the park. The restaurant rotates very slowly 360 degrees every hour, giving guests a new view every time they look out the window. The High End menu changes each day with only one option for the 5 course meal. The restaurant is a galactically renowned five-star restaurant and each course is prepared by an Iron Galactic Chef. The final main attraction in the park is the education center. Guests can take a variety of cooking classes from chefs from across the galaxy. The education center features multiple kitchens and styles of cooking classes for beginner to expert level. Guests can learn to cook and then sample a variety of dishes including gourmet s’mores to elegant cake piping.

All around the park there will be street venders selling merchandise such as t-shirts and mugs as well as tasty snacks such as galactic smoothies and popcorn. Street performers such as magicians, dancers, and musicians will be scattered around the park for entertainment as well. Guests will always leave with a broader knowledge and most likely appreciation for food. Since Culinary Utopia has so much for guests to learn and see, it will leave guests wanting to come back again and again to experience all that the park has to offer.