The Spyce Boys
Spyce, takes you on a trip to the future, it is a restaurant featuring a robotic kitchen that cooks complex meals. A concept created by a group of forward thinking students in hopes of solving a problem they found ourselves facing - being priced out of wholesome and delicious food. Along the way, they added in some Michelin-Star magic with Chef Daniel Boulud. They are now excited to welcome one and all to the world of Spyce, at 241 Washington Street in Boston.
The Philosophy
They are all about getting to that first bite. They want you to chase the flavours. The careful selection of ingredients, the promise of consistency, innovative technology, the extraordinary talent of the culinary team – it all comes down to one thing. The first bite is the one chance to make a lasting impression, and They’re taking it.
How does a robotic Kitchen cook food?
It has seven cooking woks, all heated using induction, a technology invented by Nicola Tesla. It is efficient and accurate and uses less energy than other heating methods. The induction heating element is located adjacent to each cooking wok. It’s not below and it’s not touching the wok there is a long scientific story that explains why, but, let’s just cut to the chase and say adjacent is best.
Is it sanitary?
That’s one of the best parts. The robotic kitchen is certified by the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation), and cleans and sanitizes the cooking woks after every meal. It’s programmed to monitor cooking, refrigeration and water temperatures, and all components in the refrigerator that touch food are removed and cleaned by the crew regularly.
There is a door on the top of the refrigerator and they pour the ingredients into the food hoppers from above.
Spyce operate a commissary kitchen to get our ingredients prepped and ready to roll for the robotic kitchen.
It allows them to plate a meal and move a bowl out of the way, so they can wash the wok. This means they can start the next meal with a clean wok as quickly as possible. Of course, it also looks super cool.
All meals are cooked to order in three minutes or less
The only inputs are electricity and water. They’re all set for a 100% renewable energy country, that’s coming up soon, right?
The Spyce Boys
“We were four really hungry MIT students and water polo teammates tired of spending $10 on take-out lunches and dinners. Our athletic appetites required better nutrition but our student budgets didn’t allow for that kind of expense. While we ate our bland chopped salads and stir-frys, we dreamed of an alternative: a robot that cooked tasty and nutritious meals, served them, and cleaned up after.
We were all robotics-obsessed engineers, so we quit yapping and built one in our fraternity basement. Two years and many burns, bruises, and brussel sprouts later, we’re opening our first restaurant and we couldn’t be more excited.”
The Michelin Man
“When Michael and his three classmates emailed me about a robotic kitchen that could elevate fast food, I was impressed. Not only had they guessed my email address correctly, the videolink to their cutting edge technology was unlike anything I’d seen before. The experience of the robotic kitchen, the food and the vision of the Spyce team far exceeded my expectations. Their passion and innovation needed a strong commitment to ingredients and excellent recipes.
So, in addition to becoming an investor, I accepted the position of Culinary Director, and invited Chef Sam Benson, who had worked for me at Café Boulud, to take on the Executive Chef role.”
The Culinary
“When Chef Daniel Boulud asked me to join four MIT kids and their robotic kitchen, and make food with real flavour, I knew it was a chance to be part of something big. With a multitude of Michelin stars and James Beard accolades for his restaurants and contributions to fine dining, Chef Daniel is considered to be one of the country’s leading culinary authorities. When he talks, you listen.
His mentorship paved the way for my experience in the best kitchens in the US and France, it’s been a fun ride. So here we are, and together we make up the Spyce culinary A-Team.”
About the Menu
They put a lot of thought into what makes a good meal. First, everything has to taste great, so the recipes are inspired by the most delicious spices, flavours and textures from around the world.
It’s also nice to have choices, so each one of our bowls can be customized to your taste and they have vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan options.
Finally, they know the importance of presentation, and the Garde Manger (pronounced gar-mahn-jey) will apply the finishing touches. They want the food to look as good as it tastes.
From the Menu
Hearth 640 CAL
Brussel Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes marinated in a Balsamic Herb Glaze; Sautéed Kale, Cracked Green Freekeh, Vermont Yogurt, Granny Smith Apples and Quinoa
The Inspiration
“This combination of root vegetables, roasted brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes, brings me straight home to the mountains of Vermont. This dish has been following me throughout my culinary career. I first began experimenting with it when I was a sous chef at Café Boulud, and it was the first recipe I developed for the Spyce concept menu tasting.”
- Chef Sam Benson
Suggested Garnishes: Smoked Salmon, Pomegranate Seeds, Soft Boiled Eggs, Crumbled Goat Cheese, Almonds, Roasted Chicken