Death of the menu card? Dining gets a touch-screen makeover

A new high-tech art concept restaurant in Tokyo is now home to the restaurant industry's largest interactive touch-screen display.

Graffiti Bar, which opened earlier this month in the Roppongi district, allows diners to browse drink and food menus, interact with their waiters, play games and create their own graffiti on 14 touch-screen LCD table and bar top displays.

Finland-based MultiTouch Ltd. is the manufacturer of the displays as well as the "Interactive Bar" or iBar, a 10-meter long bar-counter integrated with an intelligent tracking system that can detect all objects that come in contact with its surface.

According to CScout Japan Trend Consulting, there are even simulated coasters that follow your drink along the bar.

In 2009, London nightclub 24 became the first venue in the world to employ the iBar, onto which clients can even upload and transfer images.

Graffiti and 24 are just two of a series of venues around the world that are incorporating high-tech gadgets to increase foot traffic.

OTG Management launched a new dining area in Terminal 2 of New York's JFK airport on November 15, offering airport diners a sophisticated ordering experience by presenting its menus via specialized applications on 200 Apple iPads installed on the premises. Travelers can use the iPads to order food at three newly opened restaurants in the same wing, headed by Michelin-star rated Chef Andrew Carmellini, and two other well-known New York chefs - Jason Denton and Jim Lahey, respectively. iPad and Internet access is free and there is no limit on usage time.

These examples are just the most recent-According to the New York Times, this trend started in 2001, and a string of fine dining establishments from London to Sydney have already incorporated touch-screen technology to present wine lists.

Graffiti Bar is located at 7-13-8 Fusion Building 2F Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel. +81 (0)3 5411 8939.  http://www.tokyo-graffiti.com/

Options on the restaurant's special opening set menu include fig-rolled prosciutto with strawberry confit and Yamagata beef carpaccio as appetizers and lobster fettuccine, baked chicken and goose liver in Teriyaki flavored butter sauce for mains.