The best part of any innovation process is seeing something new. When we see a new idea come to life and we say “WOW”! It does not have to be something absolutely new. A re-invention of what already exists is equally interesting. This is happening all around us and the food or culinary world is a hot bed of innovation. One of the most interesting parts of bringing a new idea to life is where the ideas came from. What inspired the idea? What was the “stimulus” that gave birth to a new way of thinking about the issue at hand? How were different pieces of stimulus connected to each other create something new? Whether it be in the food world or any other, this is at the heart of innovative thinking.
There is an excellent example of how a variety of stimulus can be used to create something new in an interview with Chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park. The interview appeared in Gastronomica 12:2 and appears on the website here. In this case, no surprise, the stimulus used was a review and critique of the restaurant.
“I wish this place would have a little bit more Miles Davis.” We always want to learn from reviews and articles what we can do better, what we can improve. That line really resonated with us, and we started to research Miles Davis and try to figure out what Moira Hodgson meant by that. We learned how amazing Miles was, and his music, and we came up with a list of eleven words that were most often used to describe him and his style, such as “forward-moving,” “endless reinvention,” “collaborative.”
Chef Humm goes on to say
If you want to create something unique, I think it’s important that you take inspiration from something outside of your own world. Because otherwise, you’re just going to become like any other restaurant.
This is certainly innovation in action. He and his team used what was seemingly unrelated inspiration to re-invent the experience at Eleven Madison Park. As we see, even Miles Davis can be stimulus to create something new. They then took their ideas and put them into action. They were working, struggling even, to earn their fourth star. They were ultimately successful and many are saying WOW after eating there.
The interview also highlights another innovation at the restaurant, the menu. There aren’t full descriptions of the dishes. Just 16 words. Ordering revolves around a conversation, choosing what you like and, if desired, being fully surpirsed. It is certainly a different twist on the use of a menu and brings a totally new dining experience. The experience is benefits from the artistry that the chef and team have to offer, but is, at the same time, personalized. WOW.
Using stimulus of all kinds and re-inventing is innovation in action. It means even the most tried and true, like a menu, can be re-made into something new and interesting. Menu 2.0 and Menu 3.0 will certainly be interesting!
The interview is worth a read. If you have experienced eating at 11 Madison Park, let us know in the comments.
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