O Noir!
manger dans le noir a été instructif!
what an awesome ‘enlightening’ experience indeed!!! hahahaha :)
If you live or are ever in the greater Toronto or Montreal area, this place is definitely worth a try! :)
O Noir is a dining in the dark experience. and by dark, I mean: pitch. black.
I never really realized how much we eat with our eyes, or rather knew this fact, but never believed it until sight was taken away from the picture.
It really messes with your sensory perceptions of food, and that was half the fun of it. Everything became spatial and I was much more aware of my mental maps.
Located on the corner of Church street, we found the flight of stairs epic and nostalgic, like we were entering an ominous old french Victorian style school house by day, and transformative restaurant by night. We turned off all cells phones cutting ourselves from the glowing outside world, checked all our coats and headed to the bathroom before dark. There was a lounge area where a waitress takes our order while situated near the lit bar. We had a choice of 2 or 3 courses on a prix fix menu, and you either get to choose what you wanted or be surprised.
How adventurous! Surprise me! But of course I decided to ease myself in, so I picked a calamari salad as a starter to be cheeky and play with my expectations a bit. Wine, water, and hot tea please! This will be interesting! Hot beverages and glassware in the dark, will I know when I’m drunk!? Who cares! Let’s find out!!
We all place our left hand on the shoulder of the person in front of us, met our blind waiter and choo-choo trained into the pitch black dining room. He led us into the room through a corridor while soft but gentle techno music was jamming with the voices of the other diners already situated somewhere in the vast or small room. How big’s the room? Where am I going? hee hee hee, how strange. We all started giggling and all I cared about was whether or not I was walking into a wall or a corner of a table or smack into a door. Hmm, how predictable yet strangely surprisingly. Even though my mom was in front of me, and would walk into something first, I had to trust her instantly for my safety.
One by one we were guided to sit down when we finally reached our table, and got served our drinks with warm crunchy bread. Buttering it was a gas, and as soon as we felt safe where we were sitting, we all started to play with our senses and make each other laugh. “HaHAHA, if i flash you or pick my nose, you won’t know”
“Hey can I try your “surprise” dish? Yea, stick your face forward i’ll put it in your mouth” My sister was sitting in front of me.
My dad pets my head in the middle of dinner as he was sitting to my right. “Hi Dad..lol”
“Ma! are you awake over there? Yea I want to sleep! hee Hee hee”
“B, you just did your wiggle dance to this song in your seat didn’t you? – HAHAHAHA, how’d you know?! oh I knnnoooow you. HAHAHAHA”
I soon gave up on my cutlery and ate with my hands. It was messy, and so much fun. Besides, how else was I going to tell that their was no more food left on my plate? “I think this is a mushroom…mmm zuchini!… wait… oh a hunk of chicken. Oooooh this brown or white or blue sauce is delicious! *lick lick lickin my plate* literally, no one can seeeee me, har har har…”
It was definitely fun. Hardest part was entering the light again. How painful it was when my eyes had to adjust again. Strange but so fun. I think we tipped our waiter 25%, I mean if there’s ever a time that I believe in service and good work, it was then. Props to him who is blind everyday, and has a respectable job to support himself. I have nothing but mad respect.
Funniest part was the next day when my aunt asked us all how dinner was, and we all blankly stared at her and asked, “what did we have for dinner last night? I can’t remember…”
Hahaha, what an awesome experience that I had with my family, it was such a christmas treat indeed. :)
Try it, I wonder what crazy antics you’ll come up with in the dark ;) muahwahahahaha…
xoxo J xoxo
