Google has opened a pop-up restaurant called Small World in New York City's Lower East Side to promote the Google Translate app.
The Small World Pop-Up Restaurant features delicacies from around the globe and is described on a contextual menu using the food's original language. How should interested customers understand what's on today's menu?
By using the Google Translate app, of course!
On April 15, the menu for the day consisted of Mexican cuisine by El Rey's former head chef, Gerardo Gonzalez. His restaurant's "creative use of flavors and simple, hearty meals" has received praise from the New York Times and Bon Appétit.
Gonzalez will also be working with Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper from Russ & Daughters, Atsushi Numata from Ni Japanese Delicacies, and Andy Baraghani from Estela. The mixologist for the day would be Mission Chinese's Sam Anderson.
On April 16, the menu consisted of Afro-Asian-American cuisine by Joseph "JJ" Johnson, former executive chef at Minton's and The Cecil. His cooking style is inspired by flavors from around the globe including recent visits to West Africa, Jerusalem, and Tennessee.
JJ has also been highlighted in Zagat's "30 under 30" because his "mission is to further introduce the world to cuisine that's inspired by the food ways of the African diaspora." He will be working together with BOS BBQ's Andre Lima de Luca, Jeepney's Miguel Trinidad, and Chefs Club's Aaron Arizpe and mixologist Pamela Wiznitzer from Seamstress.
On April 17, Danny Bowien is featured for his "singular take on Asian cuisine [which] catapulted him to the status of star chef almost overnight." Bowien owns Mission Chinese and Mission Cantina for which he'd been awarded People Magazine's "Best New Chef" and the James Beard Foundation's "Rising Star Chef" titles.
Bon Appétit has also recognized him as "founder of one of the best new restaurants." Bowien will be working with Inaki Aizpitarte from Le Chateaubriand, Andy Ricker from Pok Pok, Angela Dimayuga from Mission Chinese, and Paolo Laboa from Bistro Don Giovanni.
Finally, on April 18, New York City's chef and owner of Balaboosta, Bar Bolonat, Taïm, and Combina restaurants, Einat Admony will be closing the event with a "modernist take on traditional Israeli cuisine." Admony's style has been shaped by her experiences with the Israeli army, Germany and "a million venerable kitchens" in NYC.
Admony is also the author of Balaboosta: Bold Mediterranean Recipes to Feed the People You Love. Additionally, the final day will include The Bailey's and Hudson Hound's Donal Crosbie, Noma's Mads Refslund, and White Tiger's Liz Kwon. Sam Anderson from Mission Chinese will be returning as the day's mixologist.
Small World will be located in New York at 10 Kenmare Street (between Bowery and Elizabeth), NoLita. The day's first seating will start from 6:00pm to 8:00pm while the second seating will start from 9:30pm to 11:30pm.
The Google Translate app marketing event will only last for four days and has a "reservations required' policy. Unfortunately, reservations have been closed.
However, Google will be serving Dough donuts "inspired by flavors from around the world" on Friday through Monday from 3:00pm to 7:30pm for customers who still want to pop in and drop by.
