Hushed conversation; the waiter constantly asking if the food is OK; squeezed-in tables; over-priced, over-salty food…
Bored with traditional restaurants? Then we have found the right place for you, because Dans Le Noir is an eatery that brings something new to the table. If you have ever wondered what it’s like to dine when you are blind, then Dans Le Noir has the answer, so welcome to dining in the dark.
Bored as I am by traditional dining, Dans Le Noir caught my attention straight away. When you tell someone about a restaurant the usual reaction will be a blank expression accompanied by the same predictable questions: what do they serve, and is it expensive? But when I told people about this restaurant, people had different questions on their mind. What if they serve you dog food? What happens if someone steals your food? Their reaction made me even more excited to try this new experience.
On arrival my friends Paddy, Raj and Ayman and I were greeted by a friendly hostess who sat us down and explained what was about to happen. Anything that might emit light – such as a mobile phone, smart watch or lighter – was not allowed. We were then given a locker to put our valuables in.
The hostess showed us the menu which had four things to choose from: Red (Meat); Blue (Seafood: fish and shellfish); Green (Vegetarian or vegan); and White (Trust the chef). Three of us asked for the red menu but Paddy decided to go for the white. The hostess then introduced us to our waiter for the night, a blind man called Jack. He asked me and my friends to form a line and hold on to the shoulder of the person in front, as if doing the conga. Jack led the way, guiding us through three curtains into complete darkness. He helped us locate our chairs, and then our cutlery. Then he told us that we would only find out exactly what we had eaten at the end, to make the experience more mysterious.
Not being able to see anything made me feel disorientated and claustrophobic. But I also had an overwhelming awareness of my other four senses, and gradually the darkness began to feel friendly, and fun. To my left sat Paddy; in front of him Raj; in front of me was Ayman; and to my right I could feel that our table was set against the wall. I put my cutlery at the edge of the table against the wall, so that I could find it easier. Paddy on the other hand lost his knife!
We tried to picture the room – using the voices on the other tables to give us our bearings – and were interested to find that we all imagined something similar. It was as if our other senses had taken over in a way that allowed them to project the same image in our minds.
It was as if our other senses had taken over
Jack came back to the table with our drinks and starters. My starter had an intoxicating aroma so I stabbed my fork at the plate, but it took three attempts to hit the food. The first mouthful had a soft and meaty texture, and released an explosion of beef. The table went silent as we enjoyed our starters. Then Jack startled us by suddenly asking if we were ready for the main course. We all laughed at the fact that he was so light on his feet. Jack noticed our different accents so we told him where we were all from and gave him a quick lesson on East London slang.
Then Jack brought our main course, which again smelled absolutely amazing. After missing my plate two times and stabbing the table, I decided to leave my cutlery and use my hands instead – I mean who was going to judge me? The plate was divided into three sections. On the top right side of it was something with a crispy texture that tasted of pork. The meat on the top left of the plate was a bit drier, almost like chicken breast. From the other section I picked something with a rich flavour that reminded me of rabbit, but with a sauce that I could not recognise.
Then Jack brought us our dessert. It had a soft spongy texture that released a sweet chocolate taste, mixed with raisins. When we were done we thanked Jack and let him guide us back into the light again. The hostess then handed us the menu with the pictures that allowed us to see what we had eaten.
The starter: Braised ox tongue, celeriac romulade, smoked ketchup and rosemary croutons.
Red main: Top right – Crispy pork belly on roasted shallots, with tarragon.
Top left – Duck breast with pale aubergine capanata.
Bottom middle – Lamb with green bean sauce.
White main: Top middle – Pan fried blue shark steak on grilled artichokes with sauce vierge.
Bottom right – Tournedos of crocodile with wild mushroom fricassee.
Bottom left – Braised ox cheek and pan-fried ox tongue.
Dessert: Caramel glazed chocolate pudding with raisins.
Dans Le Noir offers an unforgettable experience that combines charm and mystery, and eating there reminds you that you don’t have to see the food to enjoy it.
