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Dining in the Dark – Who Needs Eyes to Eat?

  • Antonio Evans
  • July 24, 2009
Some seem to think so

When Jorge Spielmann, a blind clergyman from Switzerland, entertained guests, he asked them to wear blindfolds during dinner so they could better understand his own mealtime experiences.  Ten years ago, he took the concept of eating in the dark a bit further and turned it into a new type of culinary encounter, when he opened Blindekuh (“Blind Cow”in German), a Zurich-based restaurant where patrons eat their meals in total darkness.

They say our sense of sight first prepares us for a meal before we put any food in our mouth.  So if that were the case, why in the world would any restaurant want to serve you food in the dark?  More importantly, why would anyone willingly choose to pay for a meal without first seeing what is on the plate?

A New Way of Looking at Food

These are good questions, but despite the reservations about patronizing such an establishment, dozens of restaurants have embraced this new way of dining, and more are opening each year.  It may be a gimmick, but it’s paying off.  The concept has spread throughout Europe, Australia and North America, where upscale and trendy restaurants have embraced dining in the dark and patrons are equally enthralled with trying out the new culinary experience.

There are no lights or candles at dark dining establishments.  Windows are blacked out and cell phones, watches and other glowing devices are confiscated at the door.  Many of the themed restaurants hire blind and visually impaired servers, since they have naturally developed their other senses.

Canada Opens its Second O.Noir

Moe Alameddine is the owner of O.Noir, a Canadian dark dining establishment that just opened a second location in Toronto.  “It’s really a sensorial experience,” Alameddine told The Canadian Press.  “… You see a piece of cake. ‘Wow,’ you say. ‘They’ve decorated the plate, it’s really nice.’   But you can eat the same thing without your eyes and it’s the same piece of cake.”

Alameddine says dark dining saves time because they don’t have to worry about a pretty presentation.  Any money saved goes toward purchasing more flavorful and fragrant ingredients, to intensify the senses.  Approximately one third of O.Noir’s employees are visually impaired and a portion of the restaurant’s profits goes toward organizations supporting the blind.

Video of O.Noir’s Montreal Restaurant

In California, diners can experience the same dark elegance at Opaque, which has a selection of meal combinations for $99 each.  Opaque says that by abandoning vision, diners end up with a multi-sensual dining experience, with enhanced senses of taste, smell, touch and hearing.

Flexibility is Required

Dining in the dark is not without its problems, issues and critics.  Although diners are going to an upscale restaurant and paying a hefty price to spend two hours eating in total darkness, they really need to factor in a dry cleaning bill as well.  Good clothing should be left at home, since many diners end up wearing part of their meal.

Dining in the Dark – Who Needs Eyes to Eat?Diners should also be prepared to break the etiquette rules on occasion, as fingers may be the only way to get the food from the plate (if you can find it) and into your mouth.

And what happens if nature calls while you’re in the middle of a meal?  Summon your server, and he or she will escort you to the rest room, wait until you are finished, and bring you back to your seat.

“Trust”is a big part of the dark dining experience.  And a sense of adventure, especially when you think the little round ball you popped in your mouth was an olive, and it turns out to be butter.

Nothing is Perfect – Yet

Some critics of the dark dining experience have been less than enamored with the food, complaining that the chefs throw anything on the plate, knowing people can’t see what they are eating.  Others criticized the chairs because they weren’t comfortable enough.  Some diners didn’t like sitting at communal tables with people they didn’t know.  But even though some patrons weren’t happy with aspects of the meal, almost everyone agrees that it was a fun and unique experience.

The dining in the dark concept is slowing spreading to major metropolitan areas.  If organized, orchestrated and marketed successfully, it can be an invigorating and stimulating way to wake up out dormant senses and make eating out just a little more exciting.

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