Marcel Vigneron is one of the most controversial contestants in Top Chef history, but his notoriously abrasive personality is toned down for his new show, Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen. Instead, Quantum is a pretty tame, straightforward show about Marcel’s new catering company, following a formula familiar to anyone who watches reality series about businesses that work with clients. While Marcel himself comes across as harmless, the dishes he prepares are still consistently daring and strange. Here are three of the most interesting from the show’s first two episodes:

For an engagement party, Marcel creates a 30-inch “wine noodle”: That’s a noodle made of gelatinized wine, which the couple slurps up before meeting in the middle for a kiss, à la Lady and the Tramp.

For a wildlife-themed benefit, Marcel puts together some edible “snakeskin” made out of pork skin and painted with edible gold dust.

Also for the wildlife benefit, Marcel comes up with a “tiger’s breath” dessert made with liquid nitrogen so that guests will literally see steam coming from their mouths as they eat it.