The hottest new restaurant in Japan? The back seat of a Volvo.
Alright, “hottest” is probably a bit of an exaggeration, as its unclear as to just what kind of clientele Volvo and UberEats are trying to attract with their new partnership that brings a restaurant (or rather, several restaurants) to the back of a car. It’s called the “All-Star Restaurant,” and Autoblog describes it as “a rolling buffet of the best the city has to offer.”
Certainly, Japan is no stranger to rather odd concepts. There’s the aptly named “Strange Hotel,” which features a robotic dinosaur concierge, the robot cat for folks who are allergic to real felines (but want to get their fluffy fix), and several other toys that you can peruse at your leisure.
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But the All-Star Restaurant seems uniquely bizarre, especially considering the veritable pantheon of delicious cuisine Tokyo already has to offer. With world-renowned sushi joints, noodle shops, and bakeries at every corner, why would anyone want to spend their evening riding around in the backseat of a car while chowing down on buffet offerings? Perhaps for convenience’s sake.
Still, we’re not here to pass judgment, and if your idea of a good time involves making your way around Japan’s capital in a Volvo XC90 Excellence (which, to be fair, is the biggest and most luxurious sport utility vehicle Volvo has), all while stuffing your face with food, then this is the initiative for you. The UberEats venture will stop at a number of the city’s best restaurants, selected by Iron Chef Yukio Hattori. But instead of going into the restaurant, the participating eateries will provide salads, soups, fish, steaks, desserts, and more for you to consume while seated in the backseat of the XC90.
And yes, there’s champagne involved.
So if you find yourself in Tokyo and in need of a way to try all the city’s best restaurants and, simultaneously, tour the city, All-Star Restaurant may be the way to go.
