Spanish chef Ferran Adria, the father of so-called molecular gastronomy, has always been ahead of his time and this week he was the undisputed star of the Tokyo Taste "world summit of gastronomy".
Around 20 of the world's top chefs converged on the Japanese capital for the summit, organised by the Hattori culinary school, which drew massive crowds of Japanese foodies.
The Spaniard showed off his latest creation - a machine that can for the first time make a caviar egg with olive oil inside.
The chef at El Bulli near Barcelona - dubbed by Britain's Restaurant magazine as the world's greatest table - pioneered molecular gastronomy which delves into the science behind the food.
Adria's other creations include powdered foie gras, a caramel made of Modena vinegar and a Chinese-style preserved egg with a liquid yolk.
In a technique he calls "spherification," Adria uses a gelling agent to create foods that combine different textures or temperatures.
He showed a mango ravioli and a half-frozen grapefruit, crusty on the outside but juicy on the inside.
He also presented the "caviar egg" machine designed in his laboratory. Using the contraption and some drops of olive oil, he produced small eggs which are solid on the teeth but have a soft interior like caviar.
"Perhaps in 10, 15 or 20 years we can make caviar with this," Adria said.
He said that such inventions should not be seen as science fiction, adding that he could not believe his eyes when in 1992 he saw his first induction cooktop, which heats the pot rather than the plate for more efficient cooking.