2012 Gallery

Capturing the imagination of the Melbourne food and design community, with its synergy between compact form, a tight selection of Japanese food and drink, and urban extemporaneity, Chasing Kitsune demonstrates that memorable dining experiences can be simple and spontaneous. A key aspect of the project was its raw engagement with the city – from narrow lanes to spacious plazas – adding intensity and conviviality to the urban realm. The use of social networks to reveal Chasing Kitsune’s nightly shifting location reinforced its subversive attitude to orthodox eating experiences. Despite its deliberately restricted material, formal and gastronomic palette, there is a great degree of ingenuity, adaptability and accessibility in the design. With its evocation of both traditional and contemporary Japanese aesthetics, Chasing Kitsune achieves a remarkably rich conversation between culture, the city and the senses.