The concept of dark dining in restaurants lives up to its name. In recent times, this concept has become immensely successful, as it offers quite a unique dining experience. Whoever came up with this concept in a restaurant truly deserves an applause. Until then, dark dining would’ve been something that people did during power failures.
This concept isn’t just about dining in the dark as most of the people imagine it to be. In fact, it goes beyond eating in the dark. There’s a lot more to it than just feeling around the table for your plate and fork.
The origins of dark dining
Of course, dark dining is not something new as a concept. It dates back to the late 20th century. The year was 1999 when the concept began in Paris. At the time, the city also had a restaurant that offered only dark dining for its customers. They had to wear blindfolds while enjoying their meal. Their reaction to this concept was quite encouraging for the restaurant owners.
Most of the customers said that they experienced greater enjoyment of their food while dining blindfolded. They felt the taste of the food, its texture, and its aroma a lot better. After the customers had experienced dark dining, they narrated their experiences to those conducting a survey on the concept.
More about the concept
The concept of dark dining is based on a fact that most of us tend to ignore. When we lose one of our five senses, the other four senses become more active. This fact comes into play during a dark dining experience. The restaurant staff will take away your ability to see the food on your table with blindfolds. As a result, it heightens your senses of smell and taste. It helps you discover some unique aspects of the food.
The case of Blackout
There’s a restaurant called ‘Blackout’ in Las Vegas. It seems, they might be saving a lot on their monthly electricity bill. As soon as you enter the restaurant, a staff member will lead you to your table in total darkness. You have to put all the light-emitting objects you’re carrying in a locker before you take your seat.
These objects include your smartphone and watch. Once you take your seat, you can enjoy the treat of a multi-course meal. What adds to the excitement is that you’ll not be able to see it. The restaurant staff ensures that they compensate for their customers’ inability to see their meal.
Usually the chefs prepare food in bite-sized portions in these restaurants. This avoids any untoward incidents. After all, you certainly won’t appreciate the idea of cutting a steak with a knife in utter darkness.
A fabulous experience
There are several dark dining restaurants that have a unique menu. This is due to the extra preparation that goes into the food served in darkness. Owners of dark dining restaurants have observed that the concept of dark dining is a hit among the young customers. As they’re often looking for some new experiences, dining in the dark certainly seems promising.
There are places that organize ‘dark dining nights’ to entice such young customers. In the days to come, you’ll get to hear more about such types of dining concepts. Such ideas can be useful for the purpose of fundraising for local charities as well.