The fancy German faucet-maker Dornbracht did an unusual thing at the Cologne Furniture Fair: Instead of putting on a high gloss show of their newest wares, they assembled an exhibition of street kitchens from around the world. The idea was to showcase Dornbracht's research into the different ways kitchens can be configured.

Street kitchens are the original fast food for most of the world--cheap, fast, and delicious. (Extremely delicious; Jean-Georges Vongerichten has called Thai street food the best in the world, and he's made himself rich trying to recreate some of those flavors.) The makeshift kitchens that turn out this food are a sight to behold--a testament to ad-hoc, vernacular design. And the Dornbracht exhibition is like a whirlwind trip around the world. For a sample, watch this tasty video by Dezeen: