What I envisage here is a multi-culture restaurant (mostly serving Chinese and Japanese dishes) where you can enjoy the calm and the storm of the most Martial of Arts.
Decor wise we can have a cross between Shaolin Monastery and Japanese Castle, reflecting the two major sides of the culture/food/entertainment/tempo. Lunchtimes will mostly be reserved for the calming influence of Tai-Chi or Capoeiras, though maybe late afternoon, or one night a week can be reserved as such for those wishing a 'completely' relaxing evening.
Generally though I was envisaging an evening whereby at selected points throughout the restaurants we had people performing kata's and demonstrations during the early evening culminating in a full blown Jackie-Chan-esque fight sequence towards the end of the night.

Imagine sitting down to a meal knowing full well that you were about to see a truly memorable display and then once it is underway you have performers hurling themselves over/under chairs/tables, up walls (wires, are of course allowed and our one big lie to the customer, relying on their willing suspension of disbelief) if possible I would also allowed to see special evenings where the whole night is one big story, the usual honour loss, prodigal son, triumphant baddie kicking return storyline. <outrageous lip movement> And all performers are to use dubbing equipment, to give it that 'special' air </outrageous lip movement> the fight sequences could be coordinated so that those between courses get to see most of the action to reduce spillage and general food wastage, though the customers would have to be aware of the risks involved in the Martial-Arts-Fight-Scene Restaurant.

The restaurant could also liase with local schools, or indeed include several of its own to pool a group of performers and help finance this endeavour.
-- The_Englishman_Abroad, Aug 13 2002

Want a fight? Come on Inn! http://www.halfbake..._20Come_20on_20Inn!
Similar, yet different. [calum, Aug 13 2002]

It's too bad I can only give you one croissant for this idea... Have you seen Kung Pow (Enter the Fist) yet? If not, it's definitely worth a rental...</consumer advice>
-- Mr Burns, Aug 13 2002


I actually wanted to slip a 'Monkey" waiter into this idea who would arrive on a pink cloud waving a feather but it seemed a little 'Too' Surreal. hhhmm Kung Pow you say .... (wandering off to video store)
-- The_Englishman_Abroad, Aug 13 2002


Make it one of those places where they cook the food at your table, and make the usual knife-juggling chefs the martial arts masters, and I'll meet you there for lunch.
-- RayfordSteele, Aug 13 2002


And, a la the Matrix, the floor where the seats are rotates at opportune moments.
-- polartomato, Aug 14 2002


Kid's night special: young martial artists take the stage(ages 6-12) - the special/theme? Kung Pao Shrimps!
-- Trunk, Aug 14 2002


Excellent idea, especially with the dubbing.

Wires are a nice touch, but would be very hard to achieve. In order to do this without cutting - or hurting anyone - you would need to have the locations of wires and tables, and also some form of quick-release wires.

I don't know how you'd hide wires from customers. Possibly you don't - when somebody walks up the walls, the audience are going to figure it anyway. But make them thin and translucent, and you're at least in the right direction.

On a few nights, you could make use of other special effects and props as well. Can anyone think of a way to do special lighting effects - fire from fingers, things like that?
-- sadie, Aug 14 2002


Having just watched a bit of the Prodigal Son, where there is a restaurant fight scene, I can see how this would be a lot of fun. Also would provide a distraction so that you could dine without people watching you (i don't know - you might be getting up to something illicit) because they'd all be watching the fight.
-- sappho, Aug 14 2002


Sadie: yes.

What a wonderful idea. The best Theme Restaraunt idea I have heard for years. Croissant.
-- 8th of 7, Aug 14 2002


Waiters who arrive on wires might be an added bonus. They whoosh in, take your order, say something mysteriously cryptic and are off, running straight up the wall and out the skylight. Croissant.

(Sammo Hung's "Kwai tsan tseh" might offer the blueprint for the mobile franchise?)
-- namaste, Aug 14 2002


Do the waiters get dubbed as well? So that even though they're saying "would you like ketchup with that", their lips are going "you wouldn't dare!"
-- sadie, Aug 14 2002


I agree with 8th of 7.
-- smokeyjohnson, Aug 14 2002


For dessert, throwing star fortune cookies.
-- RayfordSteele, Aug 14 2002


Sai, is that a baton in your pocket. or are you just glad Watsumi?
Waitstaff carries Nunchaku Salt n' Pepper shakers.
Implications of hari-kari if there's a mistake on the order.
-- thumbwax, Aug 14 2002


sappho, I was actually thinking of the prodigal son when this idea crossed my mind!
ooh I love the anno's, the nunchaku salt and pepper thumbwax especially tickles my fancy, sadie quite right we dont hide the fact that wires are being used, though subtle wires would help (that was our one big lie to the customer)
Fire from the fingers, could that work with an underarm pump filled with lighter fluid attached to four fingers a glove would probably be needed, one that made it look as if there were no glove, and then a sparker device for all four fingers, so that a quick pump and click and woosh! four finger flame spouter.
-- The_Englishman_Abroad, Aug 15 2002


English gent, you outta market that one as its own idea.

"I'll have the duck flambe..."
-- RayfordSteele, Aug 15 2002


Read Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson. I believe there was a virtual reality sort of club where martial arts fighting was acceptable. (liked the book anyway)
-- Zimmy, Aug 01 2003


//Putting the 'Chi' back into Chinese Noodles//

And to think.. all this time I was eating Nese Noodles!
-- Cedar Park, Aug 01 2003



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