Music, art and food combined at an Otago Polytechnic food performance at the recent Auckland Arts Festival. Polytechnic Associate Professor Richard Mitchell explains the experience.

In a mostly white room, guests are greeted by the mellow sound of Gregorian monks softly chanting.

As the guests are seated two Food Design Institute chefs slowly march into the room and place a small white morsel of food and chopsticks on a stark white table.

From the beginning the diners realise that this is a dessert experience unlike anything they have experienced before.

This was the second part of a three-part dining experience delivered at Remuera White Night by staff from the Food Design Institute and local medical herbalist and food designer Penelope Baldwin.

The event was part of the Auckland Arts Festival.

Associate Professor Richard Mitchell, the creative director for the experience, said it was an exciting opportunity to showcase some of the more artistic aspects of was done at the Food Design Institute.

This was also the first time that one of their food experiences has been taken on the road.

''It was a logistical nightmare preparing all of the food in our kitchens in Dunedin and transporting it by plane to Auckland, but we learned a lot from the exercise.''

The experience consisted of three parts.

The first was a small herbal marshmallow flavoured with camomile, lemon balm and lime.

This was designed by Ms Baldwin, who said the herbs selected helped the guests to relax, as well as aiding their digestion.

Guests toasted and ate the marshmallow before entering the second part of the experience.

Next, guests were escorted to a white room where the chanting of the monks set a calm, yet sombre mood.

A small delicate dish described as ''White Night'' was eaten with chopsticks like a nigiri sushi.

This consisted of a very light, pure white sponge, with dried lychees and a coconut foam that almost melted in the mouth.

The last part of the experience saw a big tempo shift.

Upbeat trip-hop music replaced the chants and white light became bright flashing coloured strips of colour.

Out went the chefs in their white uniform and in came wave after wave of dark, rich and luscious components plated directly on the white paper-covered table.

Three chefs dressed in black created one-off abstract art forms for the guests, to delight all of the senses.

Multiple flavours, textures, temperatures, aromas and sounds combined to delight the guests.

This last dish was inspired by Black Forest gateau and described as a ''Dark Fruit and Chocolate Fetish''.

It had 12 components in all, with everything from chocolate cake to preserved black doris plums and freeze-dried rose petals shattered on the table in front of the guests.

About 90 guests were served in six sittings every 40 minutes and ranged in age from 4 years old to somebody in their 80s.

''We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from all of the guests and everyone from retirees to professional artists and young children went away delighted with their experience,'' Prof Mitchell said.