UFO sandwiches, molecular ice cream star at proposed Las Vegas restaurant

Bizarre Bites, which bills itself as a “content-driven molecular gastronomy ghost kitchen” — a description that, if not bizarre, certainly draws attention — is planning to join Summerlin Takeout, a commercial kitchen on South Rainbow Boulevard that houses multiple restaurants under one roof.

But Bizarre Bites has far more ambitious goals than fulfilling orders for smash burgers, pepperoni ’za and cinnamon rolls. As the website pages for potential investors put it:

“Operating as a live streaming test kitchen, we combine cutting-edge food science with social media content creation, delivering unique culinary experiences while building a global community of food adventurers through our integrated app platform and YouTube presence.”

UFO sandwiches

Savory and sweet UFO sandwiches lead off the proposed menu. They’re built from down-to-earth ingredients such as white and whole wheat buns, beef patties, hot deli meats, cold cuts, and smashed ice cream with mix-ins.

The ice cream and some other menu items variously deploy elements of molecular gastronomy, a term that emerged in the mainstream in the 1990s to describe restaurant cooking (mainly) that explored the chemistry, structure and properties of ingredients, often to transform them theatrically.

Pearls and powders

Spherification pearls rank among the molecular plays at Bizarre Bites. The flavorful orbs are made by mixing a liquid with a seaweed derivative, then dropping the liquid into a solution that creates a thin skin around the drops, forming pearls.

For flavor dust, another molecular technique, high-fat liquids are mixed with maltodextrin, then pulsed into a powder, or solid foods are freeze-dried, then ground into dust. Foams and color-changing elements are in the molecular mix, too.

The business plan for Bizarre Bites also calls for livestreaming from the kitchen, instructional videos, user recipes and food requests submitted through the app, testing of menu items with real-time audience feedback, and food sales through the app and delivery platforms.

City of Las Vegas records list a pending business license for Bizarre Bites at the Summerlin Takeout address, 110 S. Rainbow Blvd. Visit bizarre-bites.com.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.