A group of chefs is planning a pop-up restaurant on Mount Everest in a bid to break a world record. The dining experience won’t be at Everest’s peak though it’ll be at base camp.
Indian chef Sanjay Thakur and his team will be leading a small trek of 10 diners who will trek over eight days from Lukla in Nepal to Everest Base Camp, where they’ll set up shop in a tent to keep the travelers safe from the wind.
The chefs will forage for ingredients on the way, which they’ll turn into a delicious seven-course meal.
The project is called Triyagyoni, and as well as attempting to break a Guinness World Record, it’s hoping to highlight sustainability issues.
Thakur was a finalist in San Pellegrino’s Young Chef 2015 awards, for his work with Etihad Airways.
‘The biggest challenge, of course, will be the altitude, which will affect everything,’ he says.
‘Flavour [perception] will be decreased, so we will be designing a menu of extraordinary dishes accordingly, where spices will have the upper hand.’
Thakur says that most of the food will be cooked sous vide – where food is vacuum sealed and placed in a water bath. The restaurant will leave no trace on the mountain, proving that if you can set up an entire restaurant on Everest and dismantle it without ruining the environment around you, the average Joe can definitely put his litter in the bin when they’re walking down the street.
If you’re not up for doing the trek, you can take a helicopter part of the way or all the way. Your return journey will be made by helicopter anyway, so you can rest your bones after your feast.
The whole trip will cost around $4,138, which includes flights, accommodation, and meals.
All profits will go to local charities.
