5 Incredibly Extravagant Ice Carvings

The eye-catching centerpiece to any event can be a true work of art
The eye-catching centerpiece to any event can be a true work of art

If you're ever at an event where an ice sculpture is present, we hope you have your camera handy. And if you ever hold an event that you've commissioned an ice sculpture for, be prepared for lots of, "How did they do that?" questions. It's hard for anyone to remain indifferent to the spectacles created by water solidified, as much as we take it for granted in everyday life; the level of skill shown by carvers is top-notch and endlessly creative.

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Ice carving is an attention-catching branch of the culinary arts that has developed far beyond an icy swan sitting serenely in the center of a buffet. Over the years, this art form has developed into a thriving industry of its own, with a multitude of ice-carving companies offering impressive portfolios and an array of products both practical and decorative. Frozen water transformed into a piece of art indicates extravagance, however temporary. Ice sculptures are striking tools for innovative food presentation and dining décor, and much of their appeal comes from the fact that they can be customized to the customer's wishes.

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Though these sculptures were fleeting moments of art, keep your eye out for their counterparts, as carvers reincarnate them and dream up new pieces as well. Here we present different examples showing the versatility of ice and the many ways it can be enjoyed in food presentation and dining.

Tabletop Beverage Bar: Brilliant Ice Sculpture (pictured above)
Quenching your thirst never looked so good; Brilliant Ice in Massachusetts creates beverage bars of tall columns embedded with colorful fruit or flowers. The carving company's founder, Donald Chapelle, has been carving for more than 33 years and trained with Japanese ice sculptors while working as a chef for Hilton International. He often uses bold chunks of color, supplied by produce, within his work, and his lavish beverage bars are a prime example of the luscious combination of fruit and ice.


Ice as Restaurant Focal Point: Megu
This upscale Japanese restaurant in New York's trendy Tribeca neighborhood is out to catch your eye and appetite with a flair for the dramatic. Presentation is key here; the vast, high-ceilinged dining room flanks a striking ice sculpture of Buddha, surrounded by rose petals. A new Buddha is carved for Megu daily, and as the day wanes, it melts into its pond of petals.




Ice Restaurants: Chill Out, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
At Dubai's Chill Out, diners can actually come out of the heat, into a cool place, to have hot food. (Got that?) From utensils to furniture, everything is ice. Don parkas and remain for dinner (there's even soup!) or hot chocolate while taking a gander at ice sculptures of animals and Dubai's famous buildings. Given its location in the middle of the desert, getting your ice fix here is a surreal experience.



Ice as Public Art: Brilliant Ice Sculpture
For Boston's First Night New Year's celebration going into 2012, Donald Chapelle of Brilliant Ice Sculpture created a piece that wasn't centered around food, but instead had food within it! The piece, consisting of three walls of ice and themed "The Looking Glass," reflected the area's seasonal offerings, including produce, fish, and martinis (!) and consisted of solid walls of ice. First Night is noted for its ice sculptures, but this piece must be ranked as most appealing to the palate.



Ice Dining Décor: Ice Bulb
Décor in ice exists in many forms; some are not central to dining but enhance the surrounding aesthetics. OK, they're not big on privacy, but ice curtains are a unique way to create either a sparkling backdrop or striking room divider, and as a trend have been making their way into weddings and large events. These were done by innovative ice décor company Ice Bulb in California.


Click here to see More Eye-Catching Ice Sculptures

- Rani Long, The Daily Meal

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