Do Some Laundry, Have Some Beer - Spin Laundry Lounge

In my day, doing a load at the laundromat was something to be dreaded and put off. Now it seems that laundrobars like Spin Laundry Lounge in Portland, Oregon, are the place to be on a Friday night. You come with your laundry, stay for a few craft beers and locally sourced menu items, and leave with a pile of clean clothes and maybe some new friends. Gotta love the efficiency.

Catch Your Own Dinner - Zauo Fishing Restaurant

Everyone wants their seafood to be fresh. So Zauo Fishing Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, decided to give the customers what they want: a fishing pole with which to fish out their own dinner. Patrons can fish from their seats aboard a fishing vessel, or if you find that you're simply not an effective fisherman, you can go to a tank full of already "caught" fish and simply point at what you want.

Sounds delicious, if a bit unfair for the fish.

M'm, m'm good ... for you! - Imperial Restaurant

Most people dine out to eat meals that are particularly tasty - and particularly bad for you. But a restaurant in Singapore called Imperial Restaurant has taken a decidedly different path. Everything on its menu is low-sugar, low-salt, low-seasoning -- low-taste, presumably. But hey, it's good for you!

In addition, an in-house physician that specializes in traditional Chinese medicine examines each patron and recommends herbal remedies to them. Some of these remedies include items like scorpion or animals organs, while others consist of herbs, plants and ... well, I'm not sure what, exactly, like the "ladies' tonic" pictured above. Doesn't that look "Mm, mm good"?

Playing Dress Up - Princess Diary Café

Americans are so boring. We go into a coffee shop ... and we drink coffee. In Korea, you can go into a coffee shop ... and dress up like a bride! Yes, in addition to sipping lattes at the Princess Diary Café in Seoul, patrons can pay a fee to select a wedding gown, put it on, accessorize to their heart's content, then participate in a photo shoot!

Starbucks, you need to get on this. I've never actually fantasized about doing a bridal dress-up session after having my mocha frappuccino, but now I totally will.

Catching a Bite to Eat - Lambert's Café

If you find yourself in Missouri with a hankering for carbs, the place to go is Lambert's Café, where they apparently sell the biggest, most buttery rolls on this side of the Ozarks. The only catch? You'll need to know how to catch -- the only way to get your hands on the dinner rolls is to field one from the waiters, who chuck them at you from across the room.

Visitors come from afar just to catch the rolls at Lambert's, at the risk of getting bonked in the head by a stray piece of bread. But hey, I could think of worse, less delicious things to be hit in the head with.

Who's Up for Some Food? - Dinner in the Sky

There's always room to push yourself, even when it comes to fine dining. For example, you COULD eat at your regular Saturday-night bistro, with your feet planted on solid ground. But why not challenge yourself and have your moules frites 180 feet in the air instead?

Dinner in the Sky was originally a Belgium concept, but it's now taken the world by storm. Diners allow themselves to be harnessed to their seats and hoisted into the air, suspended for the duration of the meal along with the table and wait staff. Some Dinner in the Sky restaurants even dangle musicians in the air next to you for some classical accompaniment. Just take care not to drop your fork, and choose your immediate seatmates wisely - table-hopping is definitely frowned upon here.

What's the Password? - Safe House Restaurant

Credit: OnMilwaukee.com

So you probably don't expect to find any spies or undercover activity going on in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (and you probably wouldn't), but what you can find there is a restaurant devoted to espionage called Safe House. And I mean that you literally have to find it. The entrance is hidden somewhere in an alley way, and even after you figure out which door it is, you need to offer up a worthy password to get in.

Once you're inside, the spy theme continues. I'd tell you more about it, but then I'd have to kill you. Just kidding! Covert activities include finding the secret phone booths and accepting missions that take you on a tour of the restaurant, which is filled with spy memorabilia. The menu features items such as the "squeak-easy" (batter-dipped Wisconsin cheese curds topped with a secret sauce, natch), and the drink of the house is, of course, the martini. Mmm ... cheese curds and martinis. Offer me that combo and I'll tell you anything you want to know. Guess M16 won't be hiring me anytime soon.

No Fork? No Problem - Carpe Diem Finger Foods Restaurant

Credit: Carpe Diem Finger Foods

Utensils are overrated. Sure, they keep your fingers clean and lend you the overall appearance of a civilized human being while you're eating, but they also take out all the fun. There's nothing like manhandling your food and giving your fingers a satisfying lick after it's all over, I say. In a completely unrelated topic, did you know that I was raised by gorillas?

The Michelin-starred Carpe Diem Finest Fingerfoods in Salzburg, Austria, understands this atavistic need and has built a fine dining experience around finger foods. Most of its menu items are made for being picked up by hand, and even the gloppy substances that refuse to go quietly into your mouth are presented in edible cones for your convenience. There are also some fork-friendly dishes, in case your dining companion is not as cool with finger foods as you are. Which begs the question: Why are you eating with this elitist pig, anyway?

Free Refills! - Waterfall Restaurant

Credit: Growld.com

At the Villa Escudero resort in San Pablo City, Philippines, vacationers can dine at a restaurant where delicious Filipino cuisine is served with a side of waterfall. Yes, as in that wet, cascading, impressive-looking thingy. Not only that, but the bamboo picnic tables are set up at the base of the waterfall, literally in its stream, so while you're eating, spring water is running over your feet. Floating pieces of dropped chicken adobo notwithstanding, it's a pretty neat idea, no?

I'm packing my fanciest poncho with one hand while I type this, and if you have any sense at all, you would, too. After all, you know what they say: You should always whet your appetite while you wet your feet. ... What? No one says that? Well, clever me. Just remember that you heard it here first.

Is That a Microchip in My Food? - Haohai Robot Restaurant

Caption: Quirky China News / Rex Features

When I was a kid, I was sure that by the time I grew up there'd be robots everywhere, taking care of all the things I didn't want to do. They'd walk the dog, water the plants, attend my company holiday parties. Well, here I am in the future, a proper adult ... with nary a robot servant in sight. What gives?

Turns out I'm living in the wrong country. In Harbin, China, there's a restaurant called Haohai that's staffed by robots. Robots take your order, prepare your food, bring them to your table, even serenade you upon request. Next time I'm in China, I think I'll pop in and try to convince one of these guys to come do my laundry. Just don't tip too badly, or the robots will, of course, revolt. And then the robot apocalypse will be on you.

Turning the Tables on Dinnertime - Kinderkookkafé

I've often heard that restaurants are the most difficult businesses to run. Well, if this is true, why, may I ask, is there a restaurant in Amsterdam that's completely staffed by CHILDREN? At Kinderkookkafé, kids ages five to twelve make the food, serve it, clean up, and bring you the check. It is literally child's play, and guess what? It's a huge success, to the point where you typically need a reservation to get a table.

Before you call child services, don't worry, the restaurant is also a legitimate daycare. There are a couple of grownups on the scene, helping the kids read recipes and making sure no boogers make it into your soup. Parents are typically the ones dining at Kinderkookkafé, but completely unrelated patrons are welcome as well. I know what you food snobs are thinking. Is there a decent grape juice list? You'll have to dine in to find out.

Health Code, Shmealth Code - Japanese Cat Cafés

If you're the sort who likes a sprinkling of cat hair in your morning coffee (and, c'mon, who isn't), then the cat cafés of Tokyo may be your cup of tea. Cats literally roam these coffee shops, twining through the legs of customers, peering aggressively at their shoelaces, and generally being their intensely-cute selves. Patrons pay a cover fee to sip a hot beverage of choice while they play with the resident kitties.

There are many such cafés all over Tokyo, ranging from straightforward Starbucks types to more whimsically themed places such as Temari no Ouchi. The first cat café actually appeared in Taiwan, but has since been enthusiastically embraced by the Japanese - AND, in answer to my fervent prayers, cat cafés are scheduled to open all across the United States this year. Health codes were a pesky hindrance that delayed their existence in this country until now. So cat lovers of the U.S., rejoice. Or, if the idea of sharing your morning cuppa with a herd of cats creeps you out, then maybe this blog isn't really for you. Get outta here ... scat! Scram!

In the Dark - Blindekuh

I'm not sure I like the concept of eating in pitch-black darkness, like at the flagship "dark restaurant," Blindekuh, in Zurich, Switzerland. The entire dining room is without a hint of light, and the restaurant is staffed by blind servers who are able to zip efficiently around the patrons hesitantly stumbling to their seats. Maybe I have trust issues--How do I know there's really a steak on my plate and not a stick of dynamite?--or maybe I just don't like repeatedly stabbing myself in the face with a fork full of salad.

But even I've gotta admit, the concept is cool. Eating in the dark undoubtedly heightens your sense of taste. I also like that I can go through an entire meal with spinach in my teeth, and my dining companion would be none the wiser.

Give This Place a Michelin Star for Ambiance - El Alux

Why dine in a well-lit, aboveground establishment when you could dine in a cave? I mean, Per Se may be the epitome of fine dining, but does it have STALAGMITES? I know. When I put it that way, you'd look like a fool NOT to be making a reservation right now for El Alux in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

The restaurant is situated in a real live cave, and your meal includes a ten-minute tour of this natural wonder. Then it's time to dig into your food. I love that you can get your fill of beef carpaccio and spelunking all in one convenient location. Now if only they could also squeeze in a tour of Chichen Itza...

Chicken Teriyaki With a Side of Stealth - Ninja New York

The last time you were consuming chicken teriyaki at a Japanese restaurant, did you think to yourself, "Boy, I wish this was being served to me by a ninja." No? Well, the owners of Ninja New York did. It's a restaurant where the skilled assassins leap out like dark shadows as you meander along an eerie path to get to your table ... then appear at your table to take your order and tell you about the specials.

The decor evokes a 14th-century feudal village in Japan, and the prix-fixe meal is presented with ceremony, employing everything from white smoke to samurai swords. The a la carte menu features dishes with intriguing names like "floating sashimi" and "choco wasabi salmon," but the item that really caught my eye was the "ancient short rib." I picture a wise but frail old short rib who spouts advice such as "You have much to learn about fine dining, young grasshopper." At which point, I'll gobble him up.

Best. First Date. EVER - Ithaa

Want to impress that special someone in your life? Here's how it's gonna go down. Step 1: Grab said special someone and jump on the next flight to Maldives. Step 2: Make reservations at Ithaa, located 5 meters below sea level. The restaurant, which is reached by descending a staircase enclosed in a tube off of a dock, offers diners panoramic views of the Indian Ocean while they dig into their seared fillet of reef fish. Step 3: Reap the rewards.

The only hitch is you'll have to deal with hundreds of sea creatures giving you the evil eye as you chow down on their cousin. Okay, I've given you the tools. Now use them.

A Crappy Idea - Modern Toilet Restaurant

Freud would have been all over this one. At Modern Toilet restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan, the theme is ... well, toilets. You sit on a toilet. You eat out of miniature urinals. The desserts are named things like "green dysentery" and "bloody poop" (kiwi and strawberry ices, respectively). "Well, that's just gross," you say. But is it? Maybe you've got it backwards. Maybe eating on a table is gross. Maybe using regular bowls is wrong. I don't know why that would be, but maybe it is. Did you ever think of that?

Okay, I have no case. But does it help to know that the restaurant is a hit and has become a chain, with branches springing up in China, Malaysia, and Kuala Lampur? No? How about the fact that despite the theme, the restaurants are all very clean, with reportedly tasty dishes? Still not convinced? What if I tell you that the restaurant is meant to be interactive art - the point is to shock and confuse the senses? Okay, now you're coming around. I knew that if I made it pretentious enough you'd be on board.